An NBA insider recently offered a realistic trade scenario for the New York Knicks that could play a huge role in re-signing OG Anunoby and Isaiah Hartenstein this summer.
While the Knicks did not achieve the ultimate goal of reaching the NBA Finals and competing for a championship, there were a lot of positives in their performance this season. This past season confirmed they have a legitimate superstar in Jalen Brunson, and they have the kind of pieces around him that could be good enough to help the franchise win a championship if healthy.
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However, major hurdles are ahead if the organization hopes to maintain the play that helped earn them the second seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs this year. Both OG Anunoby and Isaiah Hartenstein played major roles in their success but unfortunately for New York, they are impending free agents expected to get huge pay raises.
While the Knicks are in a good position to re-sign one of them, bringing back both could be difficult due to the expected demand around the league. Furthermore, the team wants to maintain salary flexibility and not go above the payroll tax apron. If they do not opt into the final year of Bojan Bogdanovic’s contract that will help. However, late last week ESPN NBA insider Chris Herring offered another option.
In a piece about 10 likely big moves this summer, Herring suggested Mitchell Robinson could be on the trade block, and the Memphis Grizzlies would be a perfect fit. While the big man’s injury history would be a concern, he explained that the Grizzlies style of play is based on having a strong offensive rebounder and that’s why Steven Adams played such a pivotal role on their team in recent seasons.
Robinson is one of the elites in the game at offensive boards and finished second in the NBA in offensive rebound rate the previous two seasons and would have again this season if not for only playing in 23 games. However, Memphis can’t take on Robinson’s contract for over $14 million and would have to send out equal value in return.
Herring suggested Luke Kennard could go back in the deal, and that benefits the New York Knicks because the guard has a club option for next season that they could pass on to free up more salary space. Anunoby is expected to draw interest from the 76ers — who have the second-most cap space this summer — and Hartenstein is viewed as the top center on the free-agent market.
