Could the Washinton Wizards trade with the New York Knicks?
The New York Knicks used to be the franchise that would swing a trade for John Wall because of their compulsive need to try and make a splash. It appears those days have come to an end. Their recent wheeling and dealing have seen them focus on acquiring future assets to build up their organizational infrastructure.
The Knicks traded for and then traded Ed Davis, an NBA journeyman, and in the return netted three second-round picks. This isn’t a notable move but the Knicks have done something very clever to capitalize on the economic misfortunes of the league.
Teams had been planning to operate in a league where the salary-cap would continue to grow. Due to the NBA’s row with China over a benign tweet in support of the Hong Kong pro-democracy protests and the fallout from the coronavirus pandemic the league suddenly was in a position where revenue had actually shrunk.
The salary cap, as agreed to by the league and NBAPA, has remained stagnant, which has made salary cap space extremely hard to come by. The Knicks however find themselves awash in cap space and have put it to good use to pry future assets from teams in need of salary trimming.
The Knicks and the Wizards could work out a deal where John Wall and future picks are sent to New York in exchange for Wall’s contract coming off of the Wizards’ books. The hang up on a deal like this is the sheer size of Wall’s contract and the limiting factor it could have on the Knicks’ future plans.
If the Knicks are committed to a drawn-out rebuild then a deal like this would make sense for both parties. However, it is likely that they still believe they can be a free agent destination in the near future and John Wall’s remaining contract would cramp those plans.
The Wizards would also have to give up assets to simply offload Wall and wouldn’t receive much in return. Perhaps the inclusion of Julius Randle and his $18 million salary for this season could lower the Knicks asking price but the Wizards might want to see if Wall can regain some of his value.
John Wall and three future first-round picks for Julius Randle could get the deal done if the Knicks are in no hurry to contend and believe having a real point-guard will help the development of their young players. Chances are they’ll look to add players at a lower price and try and maintain as much future financial flexibility as possible.