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The Isaiah Thomas Trade Opens the Possibility of a Knicks Pursuit in 2018
After being traded away from Boston, Isaiah Thomas finds himself in an awkward situation in Cleveland. Could the Knicks become a legitimate suitor for his services next summer?
Protect your wallets, Knicks fans. The blockbuster trade that sent Isaiah Thomas to Cleveland could open the door for the All-Star point guard to sign a mega-deal with the New York Knicks next summer.
It’s not as crazy as it sounds. After an explosion of cap space throughout the NBA, the coffers are starting to tighten. As of right now, there are only five teams with max space available next summer, the amount it will probably take to sign IT4. Of course, any team can create space through trade, so a few wild cards will manifest, but one destination that makes sense is New York.
The Knicks’ current roster is bloated with the contracts of Joakim Noah, Tim Hardaway, Jr., and Carmelo Anthony. As the roster currently stands, the Knicks would need to go on a major spending diet to open up enough cap space to be players in the free agent market next summer. But just as people are capable of losing weight on the right meal plan, the Knicks can shed salary by executing the right transactions. A trade of Anthony for expiring or smaller contracts, a stretch provision exercised on Joakim Noah, and a few other moves, and suddenly the Knicks have cap space. Easier said than done, but possible.
But why Isaiah Thomas? Why would the Knicks shake up their roster to sign an aging point guard when they just drafted Frank Ntilikina?
Because he will be attainable.
If the Knicks have the opportunity to put a scoring guard like Isaiah in the backcourt with a developing Ntilikina, then surely they would be tempted to pull the trigger. By trading away the ferocious point guard who fell into their laps, the Celtics took themselves off the market for Isaiah’s long-term services. Before the trade, the odds were likely split close to even on whether Boston would extend a max contract to Thomas. Danny Ainge faced an impossible decision of letting an extremely popular player walk away at his peak, versus re-signing him, knowing the risks associated with investing in a generously listed 5'9" point guard who will turn 30 in 2019. Now, with Kyrie Irving in the fold, Mr. Ainge doesn’t have to make that decision, or he made it early. Even if Kyrie walks in 2019, it will be one summer too late to re-sign Isaiah.
Where does that leave Isaiah Thomas, other than in Cleveland next season? In short, it leaves him up in the air.
If LeBron stays, then Dan Gilbert will be forced to make a huge luxury tax investment to keep Isaiah, and at that rate, there might be other avenues that the Cavs explore to build around their generational talent.
If LeBron leaves, then all competitive bets are off. It would seem highly unlikely the Cavs would choose to start a post-LeBron rebuild by signing a 29-year-old point guard to a max contract.
By being traded from Boston and to Cleveland, a door opened for the Knicks–amongst other teams. Isaiah is essentially a free agent next summer without any “hometown team” looking to sign him. (Ed. note: Bring back a team to Seattle!)
While some Knicks fans might still be recovering from the fact that they won’t get Kyrie Irving in trade, it is time to start thinking about the possibility of Isaiah Thomas. Of course, he needs to prove he is healthy and that he can play at the level he reached for the first time in his career last season. But if he does, it wouldn’t be surprising for the Knicks to create cap space and capture the miniature star.
A point guard who is among the league leaders in scoring, who made an All-NBA team last season, and who has the perfect personality to play in New York. All of that, along with the fact that there are a limited number of teams capable of signing him, could make the stars align. The Knicks’ new front office might decide their best opportunity to add talent next to Kristaps Porzingis–without sacrificing draft picks–is to make a strong play for Isaiah Thomas. He is a rare free agent with star potential who might be willing to sign in New York.
The Knicks have a franchise talent in Porzingis, they have a nice, young player in Willy Hernangómez, and a blue-chip prospect in Frank Ntilikina. As the organization develops a young core and holds onto their draft picks, building toward a competitive roster during Porzingis’ prime years will require them to add talent in creative ways. Signing Isaiah Thomas next summer would be a creative solution to the closing window of Cleveland’s contention.
— Jeffrey Bellone, columnist
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