Assessing Knicks' trade paths to Bradley Beal

If you’re Knicks president Leon Rose, do you run it back next season? 

Do you think RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Obi Toppin, Quentin Grimes, Mitchell Robinson, etc. can help you take a step forward? Are you willing to bet that internal improvement of those young players, and a full year of Josh Hart, can get you past the second round?

Or, do you trade some of those young players and draft picks for an established star? There could be several big names on the trade market this season. Karl-Anthony Towns, Damian Lillard, Joel Embiid, Bradley Beal, Jaylen Brown, etc.

Starting next Friday, you can include up to eight first-round picks in a trade. So you have the draft capital to make a competitive offer. And your young players – Barrett, Grimes, Quickley, Robinson – have improved their trade value since last summer. That gives you the opportunity to put together a compelling trade package for a top player.

With that in mind, we’ll look at the details of potential trades for top players over the next two weeks. We started with Karl-Anthony Towns, we'll also take a look at Embiid, Zion Williamson, and others. 

Today, we breakdown the math, pathways and impact of a Beal trade to the Knicks:

What would the Knicks need to give up?

Beal makes $47 million in 2023-24 and has a no-trade clause. The Knicks would need to send out a minimum of $37 million in salary to satisfy league trade rules. They can do this a number of ways**. 

If the package to Washington includes Evan Fournier, New York would need to send out an additional $18 million in the deal. A package including Fournier, Isaiah Hartenstein, Obi Toppin, Miles McBride and Jericho Sims would work. This would allow Washington to shed salary in 2023-24 and in 2024-25, when Fournier’s contract expires. 

If the Wizards want RJ Barrett, a package with Barrett, Toppin, McBride and Sims gets them within roughly $2 million. What about Julius Randle? The Knicks can send out $37 million in a package including Randle, Hartenstein, McBride and Sims.

It's also worth noting Quentin Grimes’ 2023-24 salary is $2.4 million. I assume New York would do everything they could to keep Grimes out of a deal. I also assume Washington would want Grimes in a package for Beal. From a salary perspective, it’s easy to include Grimes’ $2.4 million into any deal that sends out a total of $37 million.

Of course, the Knicks can send out more than $37 million in a trade for Beal. But we’d assume Washington wants to take back less salary to improve its flexibility and avoid any punitive measures in the new collective bargaining agreement.

*We’re not commenting on the wisdom of trading these players for Beal; we’re just laying out the math involved in making the trade work.

** Our scenarios include the assumption that New York declines Derrick Rose’s team option and picks up Miles McBride’s team option.

Why would he be traded?

ESPN and the Athletic reported on Wednesday that the Wizards and Beal would work closely on potential trades of the three time All-Star this offseason. If I had to guess, the writing is on the wall and Beal will be moved soon.

The Wizards have missed the playoffs in four of the past five seasons and have new top decision makers in president of Monumental Basketball Michael Winger and GM Will Dawkins. 

Washington owner Ted Leonsis has said that Winger and Dawkins will have the freedom to make any personnel decisions they see fit to re-shape the roster, including a full re-build.

The Wizards have two big-money players approaching free agency in Kyle Kuzma and Kristaps Porzingis. Both have player options on their contracts for 2023-24. 

If Washington retained Beal and re-signed Kuzma and Porzingis, they could have $100 million committed to three players next season. They would be in danger of incurring financial penalties in the new CBA, which discourages teams to spend money over certain thresholds.

It’s also worth noting that last season some members of the organization voiced concerns over the fit between Beal and Kuzma, according to people familiar with the matter. Of course, there is a new front office in place now. New leadership may see things differently. But members of the 2022-23 outfit remain with the team today. So it’s an element that is relevant as the Wizards and Beal sort through their respective futures.

Would the Knicks have interest in Beal? I assume there is at least a degree of interest in the shooting guard. Beal is among a group of high-profile shooting guards the Knicks discussed internally during the season as potential trade options this summer, as SNY reported.

I’m sure the Knicks talked about dozens of players as potential trade targets this summer. But the sense I had on Beal was that the Knicks were doing more than just going down a long list of players when they discussed him.

Despite a rash of injuries, 96 missed games over the past four seasons, Beal is still an elite scorer. He averaged 23 points per game on 50 percent shooting last season.

The Knicks could certainly use the scoring. But Beal’s contract ($251 million over four years remaining) is onerous. If the Knicks traded for Beal, they would likely have at least $90 million tied up in three players. 

As noted above, this would leave the Knicks in danger of incurring financial penalties in the new CBA, which discourages teams to spend money over certain thresholds.

Could the Knicks still add players after a Beal trade?

Yes. Let’s assume the Knicks stay below the apron of $169 million after this trade. This would leave them with access of the non-taxpayer mid-level exception ($12.2) which can be used on multiple players. They’d also have access to the $7.6 million bi-annual exception. 

So they would have tools to add other free agents after a Beal trade. But, as noted above, they might be limited financially in future seasons if Beal is on the roster.

Just food for thought as you consider what the Knicks should – or shouldn’t – do this offseason.

Jalen honored for charity work

Knicks star Jalen Brunson was honored last month with the Covenant House’s annual Beacon of Hope Award for his advocacy and time spent ‘lifting up the voices of young people overcoming homelessness.’

Brunson has been volunteering his support for Covenant House for several years. The charity is dedicated to helping trafficked and homeless youth.

Brunson will be presented with this prestigious award in recognition of his advocacy work lifting up the voices of young people overcoming homelessness.

"Jalen and his entire family have been amazing champions for Covenant House, providing gifts over the holidays, support throughout the year, and funds that we have used for job training and educational support for our young people," said Covenant House President & CEO Bill Bedrossian. 

“Millions of people know that Jalen is an inspiring leader and player on the court. At Covenant House, we are honored to witness how Jalen quietly supports the young people at Covenant House who every day are working so hard to overcome homelessness and pursue the great promise of their lives. Jalen is an inspiration to our young people, and I'm so proud to be able to present the Beacon of Hope Award to him on behalf of all the young people at Covenant House."

Covenant House is primarily privately funded. It provides around-the-clock crises care, seven days a week, to young people in need. The charity, which serves 34 cities across six countries, was on Brunson’s radar early in his NBA career.

“Ever since Jalen was drafted by the Mavericks, we were always thinking that no matter where he would go, he would give back,” Sandra Brunson, Jalen’s mom, said in a 2019 interview with Mavs.com.

“It was very important to him to somehow stay connected with the Pennsylvania area and New Jersey. But we need to go and really see and understand. We took a tour and what we learned about the community and what they do here, we were blown away. 

"It was a no-brainer. When we left, he said: Mom, I want to give to that organization. So we worked with it and when the schedule came out, it just worked."