Knicks · Latest knicks news from marc berman includes rumors of devin booker and draft rumors (page 1)
By Marc BermanJuly 4, 2020 | 9:20am
I’m surprised no one mentions Bradley Beal as a potential future “disgruntled star” that the Knicks could trade for. I feel like he could be perfect for the Knicks and actually worth giving up the future 1sts and some players. — Kevin M.
What about pursuing [Damian] Lillard? — John K Marescot
My initial exclusive Christmas story about the Knicks’ “disgruntled star’’ design mentioned Bradley Beal and Damian Lillard — along with Karl-Anthony Towns.
Despite a recent contract extension, Beal is contemplating not joining the Wizards for the Orlando restart — which could be a bad sign, though he cited concerns about potential injuries.
Lillard said during the pandemic, “I thought I was headed [to the Knicks] a few years ago. I was hearing trade rumors. The Garden is my favorite place to play.”
Enlarge ImageDevin Booker and Damian Lillard
Devin Booker and Damian LillardGetty Images (2)
If scoring point guard Lillard asks for a trade, it’s believed the Knicks or Lakers would be his choices.
However, since Leon Rose was hired as president, the player to watch out for most is Suns combo guard Devin Booker, according to league sources. If Rose hires Tom Thibodeau, Towns — a former Rose client — no longer makes sense because of their history.
Booker and Towns were Rose clients who played at Kentucky, which means Knicks adviser William Wesley is close to each. Rose has done well with Kentucky standouts because of Wesley.
Submit your Knicks questions to be answered in an upcoming mailbag
Booker, 23, made his first All-Star Game in February. Recent rumblings are Booker could get tired of the perennial losing in Phoenix, which is run by a spendthrift owner in Robert Sarver.
“I think he’ll do unbelievable,’’ Booker said of Rose. “One of the most genuine guys I know. One of the most honest guys I know. So I’m happy for him in his new position. I think the Knicks are in really good hands.’’
SEE ALSO
The possible scheme to drive LaMelo Ball to Knicks in NBA Draft
Last week, Rose said he’s prepared to beef up the offensively challenged Knicks through “the draft, trades and free agency.’’
The last three Knicks top draft picks, [Frank] Ntilikina, [Kevin] Knox and [RJ] Barrett, all can’t shoot. Since the game has become basically a 3-point shooting contest, are they going to finally draft a shooter? — Jim P.
The Knicks have three picks in the top 38. Count on at least one of those picks to be a deft outside shooter. Ironically, their top priority at point guard, LaMelo Ball, is a poor 3-point shooter at the moment but does so many other things to ignite an offense. The hope is Ball — like his brother Lonzo — will develop into a decent perimeter shooter with diligent work. The Knicks’ priority this offseason is to add deep threats after shooting a mediocre 33 percent from 3-point land this past season.
How is [Tyrese] Haliburton considered the No. 2 point guard when many mock drafts consider him a secondary ball-handler? Kira Lewis is much better. — Alwyn Lerone Foy
SEE ALSO
Knicks could steal 'Ja Morant Lite' late in NBA Draft
Rose said it best last week that after a couple of standouts, “a lot of equality” exists in the draft with varying opinions by scouts on more players than usual.
Rose was likely referring to the point-guard slot where beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Some scouts love Haliburton’s basketball IQ, outside shooting, playmaking and defense. But he’s not the kind of ball-handler who can race to the hole. That’s not his strength. Kira Lewis of Alabama, also a sophomore, is a sleeper with terrific speed and a great finisher who may find his way into the late lottery. Indeed, Haliburton and Lewis possess different strengths.
What can the fans expect from the new regime? — Leroy
Rose will talk about “relationships’’ all day long, citing that as key to recruiting free agents and making trades for players who want to be here. The best part of Rose is he realizes this is a new job after being a career agent and he listens to the basketball people around him.
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BigDaddyG wrote:I like Devin Booker. Question is how much can the team really improve with his cap number on the books?
No question Booker is a stud. Your right about cap impact, but what type of haul would it take to get him from PHX?
BigDaddyG wrote:I like Devin Booker. Question is how much can the team really improve with his cap number on the books?
Teams on the treadmill are going to have to rethink the entire COVID19 situation.
When league play resumes ( we don't know when) in a more normalized fashion, the reality is that an entire team can be wiped out in a matter of days, and it's star players might be sidelined forever. Or sidelined in a way so indeterminate, that will create havoc for that team.
Under normal conditions, a Booker/Ayton/Etc unit isn't a true contender. Under CV19, any team could break through. Silver has made it clear, once a season of some kind starts, the league will play it to completion. It may come down to, not who is best, but who is left standing.
Knicks don't have anything that the Suns would be apt to move Booker for in a trade. His contract status means he can't hold them hostage and force a trade. With the college game in limbo, and the future of the game uncertain, teams with young marketable stars aren't going to be so trigger happy to move them.
TripleThreat wrote:BigDaddyG wrote:I like Devin Booker. Question is how much can the team really improve with his cap number on the books?
Teams on the treadmill are going to have to rethink the entire COVID19 situation.When league play resumes ( we don't know when) in a more normalized fashion, the reality is that an entire team can be wiped out in a matter of days, and it's star players might be sidelined forever. Or sidelined in a way so indeterminate, that will create havoc for that team.
Under normal conditions, a Booker/Ayton/Etc unit isn't a true contender. Under CV19, any team could break through. Silver has made it clear, once a season of some kind starts, the league will play it to completion. It may come down to, not who is best, but who is left standing.
Knicks don't have anything that the Suns would be apt to move Booker for in a trade. His contract status means he can't hold them hostage and force a trade. With the college game in limbo, and the future of the game uncertain, teams with young marketable stars aren't going to be so trigger happy to move them.
Sarver has been notoriously cheap in years past, having sold off draft picks to Rajon Rondo and Andre Igoudala/Loul Deng that could've made the difference for a title. With revenue being constricted and with the Suns ticket sales close to being in the toilets as is, wouldn't those conditions actually make them MORE likely to dump Booker for cap relief? We'll have a lottery pick in this draft, those Mavs picks and expiring contracts in Julius Randle and Dennis Smith Jr that could lower their overhead while offering the opportunity to draft an "upside" player to replace Booker's marketability.
BigDaddyG wrote:I like Devin Booker. Question is how much can the team really improve with his cap number on the books?
Well, what other big-ticket contract would we have other than Booker moving forward? Everyone else is on their rookie contracts and those that are close to an extension likely won't earn more than what they've been getting.
NardDogNation wrote:TripleThreat wrote:BigDaddyG wrote:I like Devin Booker. Question is how much can the team really improve with his cap number on the books?
Teams on the treadmill are going to have to rethink the entire COVID19 situation.When league play resumes ( we don't know when) in a more normalized fashion, the reality is that an entire team can be wiped out in a matter of days, and it's star players might be sidelined forever. Or sidelined in a way so indeterminate, that will create havoc for that team.
Under normal conditions, a Booker/Ayton/Etc unit isn't a true contender. Under CV19, any team could break through. Silver has made it clear, once a season of some kind starts, the league will play it to completion. It may come down to, not who is best, but who is left standing.
Knicks don't have anything that the Suns would be apt to move Booker for in a trade. His contract status means he can't hold them hostage and force a trade. With the college game in limbo, and the future of the game uncertain, teams with young marketable stars aren't going to be so trigger happy to move them.
Sarver has been notoriously cheap in years past, having sold off draft picks to Rajon Rondo and Andre Igoudala/Loul Deng that could've made the difference for a title. With revenue being constricted and with the Suns ticket sales close to being in the toilets as is, wouldn't those conditions actually make them MORE likely to dump Booker for cap relief? We'll have a lottery pick in this draft, those Mavs picks and expiring contracts in Julius Randle and Dennis Smith Jr that could lower their overhead while offering the opportunity to draft an "upside" player to replace Booker's marketability.
1) Would you trade Booker if he was a Knick, for the package you described?
Now repeat that question again, not as a fan, but if you were an executive with the Knicks and your job was on the line and you had kids to feed at home?
2) If the Suns traded Booker, can they get a better package than whatever the best likely offer the Knicks could muster?
Now repeat that question again, if Booker was a Knick, not as a fan, but if you were an executive with the Knicks and your job was on the line and you had kids to feed at home, do you think you could get a better trade package from any other team in the league compared to the Knicks likely best offer? If so, why would you take the Knicks offer over a better package?
If Booker was in a different contract situation, he could force a trade. But he signed a massive extension and there are lots of years left on that deal. So he's lost all leverage to demand a trade.
The ONLY way the Knicks are getting Booker in a trade is either through massive injury or massive scandal. In both cases, the Knicks won't want the guy anymore.
TripleThreat wrote:NardDogNation wrote:TripleThreat wrote:BigDaddyG wrote:I like Devin Booker. Question is how much can the team really improve with his cap number on the books?
Teams on the treadmill are going to have to rethink the entire COVID19 situation.When league play resumes ( we don't know when) in a more normalized fashion, the reality is that an entire team can be wiped out in a matter of days, and it's star players might be sidelined forever. Or sidelined in a way so indeterminate, that will create havoc for that team.
Under normal conditions, a Booker/Ayton/Etc unit isn't a true contender. Under CV19, any team could break through. Silver has made it clear, once a season of some kind starts, the league will play it to completion. It may come down to, not who is best, but who is left standing.
Knicks don't have anything that the Suns would be apt to move Booker for in a trade. His contract status means he can't hold them hostage and force a trade. With the college game in limbo, and the future of the game uncertain, teams with young marketable stars aren't going to be so trigger happy to move them.
Sarver has been notoriously cheap in years past, having sold off draft picks to Rajon Rondo and Andre Igoudala/Loul Deng that could've made the difference for a title. With revenue being constricted and with the Suns ticket sales close to being in the toilets as is, wouldn't those conditions actually make them MORE likely to dump Booker for cap relief? We'll have a lottery pick in this draft, those Mavs picks and expiring contracts in Julius Randle and Dennis Smith Jr that could lower their overhead while offering the opportunity to draft an "upside" player to replace Booker's marketability.
1) Would you trade Booker if he was a Knick, for the package you described?Now repeat that question again, not as a fan, but if you were an executive with the Knicks and your job was on the line and you had kids to feed at home?
2) If the Suns traded Booker, can they get a better package than whatever the best likely offer the Knicks could muster?
Now repeat that question again, if Booker was a Knick, not as a fan, but if you were an executive with the Knicks and your job was on the line and you had kids to feed at home, do you think you could get a better trade package from any other team in the league compared to the Knicks likely best offer? If so, why would you take the Knicks offer over a better package?
If Booker was in a different contract situation, he could force a trade. But he signed a massive extension and there are lots of years left on that deal. So he's lost all leverage to demand a trade.
The ONLY way the Knicks are getting Booker in a trade is either through massive injury or massive scandal. In both cases, the Knicks won't want the guy anymore.
Your cold scathing rational has ruined my day dreaming. Haha..
Uptown wrote:We have nothing to offer the Suns for Booker...
We could trade them KP and get Booker and a pick back... oh wait 
TripleThreat wrote:NardDogNation wrote:TripleThreat wrote:BigDaddyG wrote:I like Devin Booker. Question is how much can the team really improve with his cap number on the books?
Teams on the treadmill are going to have to rethink the entire COVID19 situation.When league play resumes ( we don't know when) in a more normalized fashion, the reality is that an entire team can be wiped out in a matter of days, and it's star players might be sidelined forever. Or sidelined in a way so indeterminate, that will create havoc for that team.
Under normal conditions, a Booker/Ayton/Etc unit isn't a true contender. Under CV19, any team could break through. Silver has made it clear, once a season of some kind starts, the league will play it to completion. It may come down to, not who is best, but who is left standing.
Knicks don't have anything that the Suns would be apt to move Booker for in a trade. His contract status means he can't hold them hostage and force a trade. With the college game in limbo, and the future of the game uncertain, teams with young marketable stars aren't going to be so trigger happy to move them.
Sarver has been notoriously cheap in years past, having sold off draft picks to Rajon Rondo and Andre Igoudala/Loul Deng that could've made the difference for a title. With revenue being constricted and with the Suns ticket sales close to being in the toilets as is, wouldn't those conditions actually make them MORE likely to dump Booker for cap relief? We'll have a lottery pick in this draft, those Mavs picks and expiring contracts in Julius Randle and Dennis Smith Jr that could lower their overhead while offering the opportunity to draft an "upside" player to replace Booker's marketability.
1) Would you trade Booker if he was a Knick, for the package you described?Now repeat that question again, not as a fan, but if you were an executive with the Knicks and your job was on the line and you had kids to feed at home?
2) If the Suns traded Booker, can they get a better package than whatever the best likely offer the Knicks could muster?
Now repeat that question again, if Booker was a Knick, not as a fan, but if you were an executive with the Knicks and your job was on the line and you had kids to feed at home, do you think you could get a better trade package from any other team in the league compared to the Knicks likely best offer? If so, why would you take the Knicks offer over a better package?
If Booker was in a different contract situation, he could force a trade. But he signed a massive extension and there are lots of years left on that deal. So he's lost all leverage to demand a trade.
The ONLY way the Knicks are getting Booker in a trade is either through massive injury or massive scandal. In both cases, the Knicks won't want the guy anymore.
In a vacuum that deal doesn't make sense but the market doesn't operate in a vacuum and deals are not only made because of their implications on the basketball court. If I were the Knicks and had Booker, there is no way I give him up for that package; BUT, that is presuming I have a competent front office, I'm still liquid as the owner of the team and that I can ensure my franchise is self-sufficient financially. The primary motivation of any owner, after all, is to turn a profit and if that can't occur, they often begin cost-cutting measures while playing the lottery game.
The Suns under Sarver, have not been competitive for nearly a decade and have no avenue to contention. The Western Conference playoff heirarchy is unlikely to change for the foreseeable future, with the Pelicans, Grizzlies emerging and the Warriors likely to return to form. That leaves the Suns as a perennial 10th/11th seed every year as currently constituted which is exactly where teams don't want to be. Combine that with Sarver's frugality and a bad economy for finance guys and I don't see the Suns maintaining as high a payroll, which creates the motivation for them to want to trade Booker.
Does that mean we get Booker automatically? No. But I do believe we have the stuff necessary to make it happen i.e. cap flexibility, prospects and future draft picks. How many teams can offer all three in the league that actually want/need Booker, especially at his pricetag? Not many IMO, so I think we definitely could field a competitive offer. Guys like Kristaps Porzingis, Jimmy Butler (to MIN), DeMarcus Cousins (to NOP) and Paul George (to OKC) were players good enough go be the 2nd best player on a contender and were traded for packages that were not altogether different in value than to what I suggested. Booker is in a lower-tier than the aforementioned, so I don't think we'd have to break the bank to get him especially considering how incompetent the Suns' front office has been.
jazz74 wrote:i will start off by saying i am a huge booker fan so news like this is exciting. however, it is fools gold. unless booker demands a trade and truly unhappy, with no evidence of that, they are not going to trade him. they are starting to get talent around him so to change course is disastrous on their part. even if they decide to do it, they will want a lot, half of our roster practically including rj or robinson or both! our chance was a few years ago when we first was going to trade porzingis and booker was part of the deal. sorry about thinking retrospectively but considering the whack ass deal we ended up with from dallas with a side wink deal of them purposely losing against us in the regular season, it is frustrating. no one is going to make stupid deals like that anymore especially when someone said that Covid could introduce true parity.
Booker for 3 seasons has been demanding they be a playoff team and each of those seasons has seen them miss it by a wide margin. With the Western Conference playoff landscape unlikely to change, the Warriors returning to form and the Grizzlies and Pelicans getting better, there is no real avenue for the Suns to make it into the playoffs. I think there is real motivation from both parties to go their seperate ways; sooner, rather than later.
And no, it wouldn't take "half our team" for it to happen. When you review trades for higher tiered stars than Booker (e.g. Porzingis to DAL, Butler to MIN and Cousins to NOP), they basically occurred for a lottery pick, a future pick or two, maybe a prospect and cap flexibility. We have that. And more importantly, the Suns have an incompetent front office, which is bound to bungle the trade. I don't think it'd take much more than Randle and Smith (stat-stuffers on expiring contracts), our 2020 first round pick and both Mavs picks. Maybe they want us to take back Rubio on the ridiculously expensive deal, which I'd be willing to oblige.
jskinny35 wrote:Booker is very talented and a great scorer - but he would be a bad fit next to RJ so unless we move RJ to the 3 and pair him with a Frank or spot up shooting PG - it would be a lousy fit. Booker made a lot of progress this year because Rubio shared the ball, taught him poise and allowed him to split the ball handling duties. If Rubio was a good outside shooter it would have been a perfect fit. If Frank can improve his jumper, he would do well next to Booker as he can hide Booker's main weakness (eg defense). Another consideration is if we were to draft Ball - he would be too ball dominant next to a Booker. So maybe best to figure out what we think of RJ before figuring out if we build around him or if he's the Robin to a different Batman (eg Booker, Ball)... Personally think RJ can be a SG if he works on his shot. If not, he'd do better as a 3. This offseason should answer that question.
RJ and frank would part of the pieces in the trade
NardDogNation wrote:Does that mean we get Booker automatically? No. But I do believe we have the stuff necessary to make it happen i.e. cap flexibility, prospects and future draft picks. How many teams can offer all three in the league that actually want/need Booker, especially at his pricetag? Not many IMO, so I think we definitely could field a competitive offer. Guys like Kristaps Porzingis, Jimmy Butler (to MIN), DeMarcus Cousins (to NOP) and Paul George (to OKC) were players good enough go be the 2nd best player on a contender and were traded for packages that were not altogether different in value than to what I suggested. Booker is in a lower-tier than the aforementioned, so I don't think we'd have to break the bank to get him especially considering how incompetent the Suns' front office has been.
If Booker was put up on the trade block, every team in the league would make a call ( at least ) and very likely put up an offer.
Booker is still very young ( He could, in theory, get even better, he's nearing the edge of his prime developmental window, but there's still some room), he can shoot in a sport that prizes the skill set, he has proven himself over time, he's shown durability and he's exciting to watch. He doesn't have any major off the court issues.
The guys you listed as trade examples, what was their contract/injury status at said time of trade?
Booker signed a massive five year extension not so long ago. Even if a "contract toll" (i.e. whether a year with no season means contracts push forward by a year universally in exchange for service time amnesty) situation falls one way versus another, the Suns have this guy locked up for a long time. He could demand a trade and the Suns could just sit on him for years.
Let's take a NBA version of "The Snap" Well it's not Marvel, but let's look.
Take every NBA roster in alphabetical order. Then try every odd number player on each roster ( 1,3,5,etc) Then try every even number player on each roster ( 2,4,6,etc) Now imagine Version A of the league where all the odd number players get wiped out by COVID19. What does the league look like then? Who wins? Try it with Version B.
What are the Warriors without Curry ( and possibly forever) What are the Warriors with Curry but other teams losing their star players?
What are the Suns with Booker but with other teams wiped out?
COVID19 has changed the competitive balance of the NBA forever. A guy could get hit and just retire. He could get hit and come back. What will he be when he comes back? He could get hit and just plain die. A roster could lose 3 guys, 5 guys, 8 guys in a day. Or lose no one all season. What if the player is fine but his family starts getting sick or dying, how does that impact a guys performance on the court?
In this environment, the Suns might be able to win a NBA championship WITHOUT Booker at all. As strange as that sounds. You could have a league where Dario Saric is the MVP because he's the last guy standing and didn't get sick. How much hard contact will you see in the league when the towel boys will be wearing HazMat suits?
Also the scenario you posit requires the Suns to operate to their lack of self interest. Does it happen sometimes in the NBA? Sure. Can you rely on it? No.
Sarver is cheap, OK. He also has to hit the salary floor in the NBA. If you are to spend money anyway, why not on a young star who has proven himself, is durable and fans love to watch him play?
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He nailed it 
TripleThreat wrote:NardDogNation wrote:Does that mean we get Booker automatically? No. But I do believe we have the stuff necessary to make it happen i.e. cap flexibility, prospects and future draft picks. How many teams can offer all three in the league that actually want/need Booker, especially at his pricetag? Not many IMO, so I think we definitely could field a competitive offer. Guys like Kristaps Porzingis, Jimmy Butler (to MIN), DeMarcus Cousins (to NOP) and Paul George (to OKC) were players good enough go be the 2nd best player on a contender and were traded for packages that were not altogether different in value than to what I suggested. Booker is in a lower-tier than the aforementioned, so I don't think we'd have to break the bank to get him especially considering how incompetent the Suns' front office has been.
If Booker was put up on the trade block, every team in the league would make a call ( at least ) and very likely put up an offer.Booker is still very young ( He could, in theory, get even better, he's nearing the edge of his prime developmental window, but there's still some room), he can shoot in a sport that prizes the skill set, he has proven himself over time, he's shown durability and he's exciting to watch. He doesn't have any major off the court issues.
The guys you listed as trade examples, what was their contract/injury status at said time of trade?
Booker signed a massive five year extension not so long ago. Even if a "contract toll" (i.e. whether a year with no season means contracts push forward by a year universally in exchange for service time amnesty) situation falls one way versus another, the Suns have this guy locked up for a long time. He could demand a trade and the Suns could just sit on him for years.
Let's take a NBA version of "The Snap" Well it's not Marvel, but let's look.
Take every NBA roster in alphabetical order. Then try every odd number player on each roster ( 1,3,5,etc) Then try every even number player on each roster ( 2,4,6,etc) Now imagine Version A of the league where all the odd number players get wiped out by COVID19. What does the league look like then? Who wins? Try it with Version B.
What are the Warriors without Curry ( and possibly forever) What are the Warriors with Curry but other teams losing their star players?
What are the Suns with Booker but with other teams wiped out?
COVID19 has changed the competitive balance of the NBA forever. A guy could get hit and just retire. He could get hit and come back. What will he be when he comes back? He could get hit and just plain die. A roster could lose 3 guys, 5 guys, 8 guys in a day. Or lose no one all season. What if the player is fine but his family starts getting sick or dying, how does that impact a guys performance on the court?
In this environment, the Suns might be able to win a NBA championship WITHOUT Booker at all. As strange as that sounds. You could have a league where Dario Saric is the MVP because he's the last guy standing and didn't get sick. How much hard contact will you see in the league when the towel boys will be wearing HazMat suits?
Also the scenario you posit requires the Suns to operate to their lack of self interest. Does it happen sometimes in the NBA? Sure. Can you rely on it? No.
Sarver is cheap, OK. He also has to hit the salary floor in the NBA. If you are to spend money anyway, why not on a young star who has proven himself, is durable and fans love to watch him play?
How does all this not embolden my point? It is very well possible that Covid could be so devastating that it renders a middling player like Dario Saric the MVP. And if that level of variance exists, couldn't a blue chip talent like an Anthony Edwards or LaMelo Ball have a similarly outsized impact under the same conditions while under cost control? Wouldn't that be especially appealing for an owner under financial strains due to the economy?
We all know the cap will be significantly lower ($100 million) due to the pandemic and fallout with China. Even though that's the case, the Suns still owe $85 million in gauranteed money to 10 players; Aaron Baynes and a capable backup PG excluded. That means they'd already be at the cap floor and would only have $10 million and a draft pick to retain Baynes and fill out the holes on their roster. That doesn't seem to be very encouraging especially given how talented the rest of the West is. So why continue on this path when the option to rebuild has never been more appealing?
I understand your point that Booker has value. That's why I want him, along with the fact that I think he fits with RJ Barrett. At the same time, I don't see other franchises with the will or assets to upstage an offer we can make. Aside for the Thunder and their treasure-trove of picks, what is really out there? Given the oil-market and how far into the luxury tax the Thunder are already slated to be, I doubt Bennett even gives the green light to absorb $30 million/yr in long-term money. This is, after all, the same dude unwilling to pay James Harden $4-$6 million more over the lifetime of his contract despite them being a title contender. I doubt he breaks the bank for Devin Booker as a 6th seed uncomfortably dependent on CP3's health. So who else is left?
NardDogNation wrote:
How does all this not embolden my point? It is very well possible that Covid could be so devastating that it renders a middling player like Dario Saric the MVP. And if that level of variance exists, couldn't a blue chip talent like an Anthony Edwards or LaMelo Ball have a similarly outsized impact under the same conditions while under cost control? Wouldn't that be especially appealing for an owner under financial strains due to the economy?We all know the cap will be significantly lower ($100 million) due to the pandemic and fallout with China. Even though that's the case, the Suns still owe $85 million in gauranteed money to 10 players; Aaron Baynes and a capable backup PG excluded. That means they'd already be at the cap floor and would only have $10 million and a draft pick to retain Baynes and fill out the holes on their roster. That doesn't seem to be very encouraging especially given how talented the rest of the West is. So why continue on this path when the option to rebuild has never been more appealing?
I understand your point that Booker has value. That's why I want him, along with the fact that I think he fits with RJ Barrett. At the same time, I don't see other franchises with the will or assets to upstage an offer we can make. Aside for the Thunder and their treasure-trove of picks, what is really out there? Given the oil-market and how far into the luxury tax the Thunder are already slated to be, I doubt Bennett even gives the green light to absorb $30 million/yr in long-term money. This is, after all, the same dude unwilling to pay James Harden $4-$6 million more over the lifetime of his contract despite them being a title contender. I doubt he breaks the bank for Devin Booker as a 6th seed uncomfortably dependent on CP3's health. So who else is left?
You want the Suns to rebuild by trading a 23 year old All Star and future Olympian, who has scored at a pace in line with established HOF caliber players, who can shoot long range and can produce all over the floor well and has shown durability and no major character concerns, under which they have locked up recently with a five year extension?
So they can save money to resign Aron Baynes and ride hopes on unproven draftees?
Even if the Suns were willing to trade Booker and even if the Suns were willing to trade him to the Knicks ( neither of those things would happen), you expect RJ Barrett to NOT be a part of said trade?