NBA Rumors: Knicks, Trail Blazers Trade Targets Ahead Of 2022 Draft

There are sure to be plenty of trade rumors up until the 2022 NBA Draft on June 23. The New York Knicks and Portland Trail Blazers will be linked to several players who could become available after both teams failed to make the playoffs.

The Trail Blazers have the No. 7 overall pick in the draft, and they are expected to include the first-rounder in trade talks. The Knicks own the No. 11 overall pick, which could potentially be used to acquire a veteran or to move up in the draft.

Toronto Raptors forward OG Anunoby and Detroit Pistons forward Jerami Grant are believed to be primary trade targets for Portland, according to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer. The Blazers want to add a veteran to play with Damian Lillard, who missed most of the 2021-2022 season with an injury.

The Blazers missed the playoffs for the first time since 2013 with one of the NBA’s worst defenses. Anunoby or Grant would help improve a unit that surrendered 116.3 points per 100 possessions, ranking second-to-last in the entire league.

Anunoby could be pursued by several teams around the NBA. The Raptors, however, have reportedly not expressed an interest in trading the 24-year-old. It could take two first-round picks in order for Toronto to part with Anunoby, according to the report.

Anunoby averaged career-highs of 17.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game.

While the Blazers want to add a starting wing to the roster, the Knicks are set to pursue a starting point guard. Jalen Brunson has been linked to New York, but it seems more and more likely that the guard will return to the Dallas Mavericks instead of heading elsewhere in free agency.

Trade rumors involving Donovan Mitchell and the Knicks are likely to pop up after another early playoff exit for the Utah Jazz. The chances of New York acquiring the All-Star guard this summer are not high. Other teams, namely the Miami Heat, are viewed as being able to offer the Jazz a better trade package than the Knicks, Fischer reports.

Rival executives believe that D'Angelo Russell could become a trade target of the Knicks if they fail to land Brunson or Mitchell. Russell averaged 18.1 points and 7.1 assists per game for the Minnesota Timberwolves, which made the playoffs for the second time in 18 years. Russell struggled in the postseason, scoring 12.0 points per game on 33.3% shooting.

The Knicks are reportedly interested in drafting Purdue guard Jaden Ivey. Doing so would likely require New York to trade up in the draft since Ivey is expected to be long gone by the No. 11 pick.

The Knicks could consider dealing Mitchell Robinson in a sign-and-trade in order to acquire a starting point guard.