Knicks Named Potential Landing Spot for Lakers Star

The New York Knicks, for perhaps the first time in the 21st century, have combined championship expectations with reasonable hope in a roster well-positioned to take the Eastern Conference by storm.

After two decades as one of the NBA's perennially messiest situations, they can look to take advantage of some of the other teams around the league struggling to gain control of their own circumstances, with the Los Angeles Lakers having some interesting pieces worth examining in bolstering their contending core.

No one knows what's next for LeBron James as he grapples with losing leverage for the first time in his career, with his team going all-in on Luka Doncic in praying that he signs an extension to stay with his new squad. As one analyst point out, the timing is perfect for the Knicks to step into the chaos and snatch away their third scorer in Austin Reaves.

He recently rejected the qualifying four-year, $90 million extension offer the Lakers waved his way, with the undrafted phenom blossoming into a fringe-All-Star playing alongside James for four years.

Reaves was made a bit redundant when Los Angeles traded for Doncic, though, as he fits a lot closer to what the Knicks need as a secondary creator and bucket-getter who can play on and off the ball.

“I might look at a team like New York, that has Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, three-and-d types of guys," Sports Illustrated's Chris Mannix said. “The Knicks under Mike Brown, looking to become more diverse offensively, maybe they’d be interested in something like that."

The Knicks, having compiled numerous complementary wings who could attract some interest on the trade market, have to offload one of those tertiary scorers to avoid having to let someone walk next summer. The Lakers aren't the only team with extension questions, and swapping out one of the more defensive-minded super-role players for a rising offensive star can be a better use of the New York's money.

The team's taken a measured approach to free agency in upgrading next season's offense along the margins, expanding the rotation and hiring a coach in Mike Brown who'll execute the Knicks' vision. They know that this iteration of the team can win, but bring in Reaves would be the splash move to maximize their scoring prowess.