Unexpected talks between the front office of the New York Knicks and one of the sport’s most influential agents may pave the way for a summertime trade that would bring Lebron James to Gotham or perhaps a blockbuster trade in the coming days.
Over the past month, the New York Knicks have emerged as one of the NBA’s hottest teams. They went from being a playoff contender in the East to a team that is emerging as the favorite to make it to the Conference Finals this spring, thanks to their sensational trade for 3-and-D star OG Anunoby in December.
The group hustles and puts in extra effort, the defense is among the best in the league, and Jalen Brunson is a real underappreciated star. However, a case could be made that they are one impact player away from bringing New York its first NBA championship since 1973.
The team has been connected to players like Zach LaVine and Dejounte Murray in trade rumors over the past few weeks. But there has always been a peculiar roadblock preventing those deals from going through. Rich Paul, their agent.
Paul, the CEO of Klutch Sports, and Knicks President Leon Rose have a long-standing rivalry dating back to their time together at the formidable agency CAA.
Paul has a sizable clientele in the NBA, including his longtime friend Lebron James, and reports over the past year have stated that he has no interest in allowing any of them to bring their skills to New York. It appears that those problems might have been resolved a few days prior to the NBA trade deadline.
Team management “and Rich Paul met today and ‘things were hashed out,'” according to New York Post Knicks reporter Stefan Bondy on Friday night, and the two parties will “Focus now moving forward with a better relationship.”
This is significant because it removes a significant obstacle that might have prevented a trade between Zach LaVine and Dejounte Murray. If the New York Knicks are interested in either player, a deal could be completed within the next few days as they possess the draft assets to acquire them.
Lebron James is another intriguing disclaimer regarding this circumstance. There has always been speculation that James wanted to play in New York. Given the current state of the Lakers and his player option for the upcoming campaign, it is not completely implausible that James would decide to take his talents to Gotham in order to play for a team that is developing into a title contender.
It would be a fitting way to cap off a legendary career if he could win New York’s first championship in more than 50 years.
