BOSTON — The in-season NBA trade market finally kicked off this week with forward Rui Hachimura moving from the Wizards to the Lakers in the first domino of what could be a flurry of activity across the league ahead of the Feb. 9 deadline.
Knicks president Leon Rose has a few ways to approach the deadline with his team in firm contention for a playoff berth in the Eastern Conference, vying for a coveted top-six position to avoid the 7-10 play-in tournament.
Tuesday’s slump-busting win over the fifth-place Cavaliers at the Garden, of course, came against the star player the Knicks pursued but did not obtain last summer: pending All-Star starter Donovan Mitchell. That the Westchester product’s potential game-tying drive to the basket was denied by Isaiah Hartenstein in the closing seconds had to make ending a four-game losing skid a tad sweeter for the Knicks, who decided to hold onto their young players — including Quentin Grimes, Immanuel Quickley and Obi Toppin — and their trove of draft picks for future potential deals.
As The Post’s Zach Braziller detailed Wednesday, the Knicks also have been seeking to find takers for the banished Cam Reddish and the onerous contract owed Evan Fournier. And Derrick Rose certainly could be moved or bought out.
The next bid for the blockbuster addition the team and its fans have been craving for the past several years still might have to wait until the offseason. But here is where we stand with various names — some potentially more impactful than others — who could be on the move as the deadline approaches:
The big swings
Zach LaVine, Bulls
The Bulls have won 11 of their past 18 since an 11-18 start to work their way back into the No. 10 spot in the Eastern Conference, perhaps making them less inclined to undertake a teardown involving their highest-paid player. LaVine is in the first year of a five-year, $215 million extension that pays him $37.1 million this season and escalates to a $49 million player option for 2026-27. The acrobatic two-time All-Star is a career 38 percent shooter from 3-point range who’s averaged 25.0 points per game over the past five seasons with the Bulls. Remember, Tom Thibodeau traded LaVine from Minnesota to Chicago in the 2017 Jimmy Butler swap.
OG Anunoby, Raptors
The NBA steals leader (2.1 per game) would seem to be a far better fit for Thibodeau’s defensive style, but reports have pegged the fading Raptors (22-27) as seeking a haul of picks and players equivalent to what the Jazz received in exchange for Rudy Gobert to deal either Anunoby or All-Star forward Pascal Siakam. Signed to a reasonable contract for next season ($18.6 million) with a player option for 2024-25, the 25-year-old London native is averaging 17.3 points and connecting on 36.8 percent on 3s this season, a shade below his 37.2 3-point shooting percentage over his first four NBA seasons.
Mid-range shots
Bojan Bogdanovic, Pistons
The 33-year-old former Nets sharpshooter is averaging a career-best 21.5 points per game and hitting 42.3 percent from long range for the last-place Pistons. Now in his ninth NBA campaign, Bogdanovic is on an expiring contract worth $19.3 million. That might lower his cost to some degree in terms of a trade return, but make no mistake, he would be a nice fit for any team — Knicks included — looking to add a proven perimeter scorer. Would one of the Knicks’ seven first-round picks over the next seven years be a worthy sacrifice for a boost to the second unit?
Kyle Kuzma, Wizards
The former Lakers forward is having a productive season for another team currently outside the top 10 in the East, though the Wizards (22-26) let it be known earlier this week, according to Yahoo Sports, they plan to hold onto Kuzma, who is posting a career-high 22.2 points per game. The 27-year-old Kuzma also would come with a reasonable and possible expiring contract, earning $13 million ahead of an offseason player option for the same salary.
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Kristaps Porzingis, Wizards
Was KP’s recent mea culpa over his messy Knicks divorce in 2019 enough for the new regime to consider a reunion with the former All-Star unicorn? The 7-foot-3 Porzingis’ scoring numbers (22.1 ppg) have nearly returned to his level with the Knicks — 22.7 before suffering a torn ACL in 2017. Is that enough for him to opt out of the remaining year on his deal worth $36 million or for his former team to take another chance on him?
Josh Hart, Trail Blazers
Another wing with a strong defensive reputation is the 6-foot-5 Hart, a former teammate of Jalen Brunson’s at Villanova. He is averaging 9.3 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 46 starts for Portland, but Hart was nearly a 20-point scorer after a trade from the Pelicans to the Blazers in the CJ McCollum deal ahead of last year’s deadline. The Heat, the team the Knicks are battling for the No. 6 spot in the East, are said to be hot for Hart. Something to monitor: Hart left early from the Blazers’ win Wednesday night due to hamstring tightness.
Gary Trent Jr. Raptors
Even if Toronto holds onto Anunoby and Siakam, reports indicate the Raptors are willing to deal Trent. He is averaging a career-best 18.6 points and shooting 36.7 percent from beyond the arc. He also has a player option worth $18.6 million for 2023-24.
Eric Gordon, Rockets
The 34-year-old former Sixth Man Award winner also could fill that role as a perimeter contributor with a career 3-point shooting percentage of 36.9 – and 34.4 percent this season for the dead-last Rockets on an expiring $19.6 million salary.
The tap-ins
The Knicks also could make smaller moves for bigger players, especially with Mitchell Robinson sidelined following last week’s thumb surgery. Serge Ibaka, a 14-year veteran, has appeared in two games since late November for the Bucks, and is making just $2.9 million. Thibodeau favorite Taj Gibson is earning the same amount with the Wizards.
Bottom to Top’
This week, Obi Toppin has enjoyed his two most effective games offensively since returning from a December leg injury, but his playing time has not been greatly increased following the Robinson injury.
Thibodeau went with a smaller alignment featuring Toppin alongside Juilus Randle for less than two minutes last Friday night in Atlanta. But the Knicks were outscored 8-1 in that brief span of the fourth quarter, and Thibodeau didn’t revisit it in Sunday’s loss in Toronto or in Tuesday’s home win over Cleveland.
Toppin netted a combined 25 points in 21 minutes over the two games, but he saw little action in the second half on both nights with Randle rolling for 36 points in 38 minutes against the Raptors.
Fill-in starting center Jericho Sims and backup Isaiah Hartenstein nearly split the minutes evenly against the Cavs (25-23, respectively), and Hartenstein provided the rim protection Thibodeau usually prioritizes with his denial of Mitchell’s drive in the closing seconds.
Stats all, folks
Randle became the first player in Knicks history with at least 36 points, 13 rebounds and eight made 3-pointers in a game. He joined LeBron James, James Harden, Paul George, Kevin Love and Aron Baynes as the only players to accomplish the feat in NBA history, according to the Knicks.
It also marked Randle’s 18th game with at least 25 points and 10 rebounds this season, trailing only Giannis Antetokounmpo for the most in the league.
