Although they were among the favorites to win the Eastern Conference before the season, the New York Knicks have gotten off to a sluggish start thus far. At 10-6, they've had trouble with consistency and getting stops, ranking just 17th in defensive rating, resulting in a slow start.
To their credit, they rank third in the NBA in offensive rating, suggesting that new head coach Mike Brown's offensive changes have worked. Even so, they won't get far in the playoffs if they can't improve their defense, and the answer to that problem could be found on the Dallas Mavericks.
Dallas Mavericks star Anthony Davis is expected to be traded ahead of the deadline, and New York Knicks insider Ian Bagley expects the Knicks to show interest in Davis.
Anthony Davis would be a high-risk, high-reward target for Knicks
Knicks fans might revolt at the prospect of trading for Davis, but it's not an entirely crazy idea. After all, Davis is one of the five best defensive players in the NBA and, when healthy, can consistently score at least 20 points and grab 10 rebounds as well.
Those players don't grow on trees, and even despite his age at 32 and his injury history, New York should consider making a big move to acquire him. Even if they are short on assets.
The most likely trade package would include OG Anunoby, Mitchell Robinson, and Deuce McBride for Davis, though a third team may have to be involved. In that scenario, Anunoby might be traded to a third team in need of wing help and willing to trade picks to the Mavericks in return.
Should the New York Knicks trade for Anthony Davis?
Giving up three rotation players, including a starter in Anunoby for Davis, is the definition of risky. Then again, Davis would be replacing Robinson as their defensive center, and the Knicks have plenty of guard depth already.
Losing Anunoby would hurt, but they would still have Mikal Bridges to guard the opposing team's best wing. On the other hand, few would dispute the fact that Davis is better than Anunoby when healthy.
This trade might lower their floor but could dramatically raise their ceiling. That is if Davis is able to remain healthy for most of the remainder of the regular season and all of the playoffs.
To his credit, he has seldom missed playoff games and has had several long postseason runs, including having played 20 playoff games back in 2020 when the Los Angeles Lakers won the championship. The Knicks would just have to be confident that he could hold up if they were to make a trade like this.
With their defensive struggles this season, Davis is clearly the biggest impact player on the trade market and could potentially be had for relatively cheap. New York will just have to weigh whether he's worth the risk.