KNICKS OFFSEASON TRADE IDEA ( + thread included)

Knicks recieve: Jalen Brunson, Mavs 2022 FRP (most likely lottery or top-20 protected)

Mavericks recieve: Obi Toppin, Mavs 2023 pick (with all protections removed)

MAVS: It will be difficult to keep Brunson long-term. He becomes a UFA in 2022 and although the Mavs can essentially still overpay to keep him as a high quality 6th man/closer, that might not be the wisest expenditure of cap.

MAVS: The Slovenian combo guard, Goran Dragic, is likely to be available this summer. He already has a long standing relationship with Luka, being fellow countrymen. Dragic will provide a great bench presence in the absense of Brunson, even in his old age.

MAVS: The Mavs have been tied to upcoming RFA John Collins for sometime. Although quite unproven, Obi Toppin is in that same super springy, versatile forward archetype. Collins projects to be the better defensive player but having Obi under team control would be quite valuable.

MAVS: Reacquiring the rights to their 2023 pick is a big deal. As currently constructed, the Mavs are Stepien blocked and very limited in terms of tradable draft assets. After this essential pick swap, they would now have their 2023-2028 picks at their disposal for future trades.

KNICKS: Obi Toppin has been an ultimate professional and has supported the team in every way possible. However, his fit on the Knicks is not ideal. The FO drafted him with the thought that he would be the future starter but that has changed with Julius Randle’s emergence.

KNICKS: I think its fair to do right by Obi and send him to a situation where he has the opportunity to occasionally start and play 20+ minutes a game. Being utilized in a high-octane Mavs offense would do wonders for his efficiency and development.

KNICKS: Swapping the 2023 Mavs pick for their 2022 pick allows the Knicks to maintain their full chest of draft assets for a trade down the line. Even if the pick is protected, it will still have some good value.

KNICKS: I don’t have to say much about Jalen Brunson. He has been linked to the Knicks ever since Leon Rose took over as Knicks POBO due to their family ties. He is a top-tier backup PG that will fair well in a starting role and fits nicely into Thibs’ system.

KNICKS: Roster construction wise, having two starters in Brunson and Robinson making a combined 3.6M is incredibly valueable. This allows the Knicks to maintain their 50M+ in cap space to fill out their roster.

KNICKS: For example, the Knicks would still be able to give offers to the high interest RFAs such as Lonzo Ball/GTJ or sign a proven vet in the likes of DeMar, while retaining their key vets such as Rose, Bullock, Noel, Burks, etc.

KNICKS: Depending on how the contracts are structured, flexibility can still be maintained to sign a max level player from the promising 2022 free agency class. At that point, the Knicks will be able to go over the cap to resign Brunson and Robinson due to their low cap holds.

Thank you for coming to my TED talk. I think about this kind of stuff way too much lol.