NBA Rumors: New York Knicks Mulling Over Trade Of Future Draft Picks For Former All-Star

The appointment of Leon Rose as the president of the New York Knicks may finally signal the aggressive hunt for the franchise’s next cornerstone. With a pile of youngsters already in their line-up, the Knicks could be looking at a savvy veteran for next season as New Orleans Pelicans starting guard Jrue Holiday is reportedly a close target for the disgruntled organization.

Apart from the extremely -and perhaps unnecessary- young core, the Knicks are also left in possession of a massive amount of future draft picks, to go along with a cap space enough to sign a star player. And from what these present indications suggest, it appears Rose and his staff could be angling towards the acquisition of the former UCLA stalwart.

Ian Begley of SNY.tv wrote on Monday, “The feeling among some in the organization is that they have so many picks (again, seven in the next four drafts) that they can afford to send one or two out in a trade if it nets a star,” as he quoted an anonymous source from the Knicks camp saying such a move is “the best path” for the team.

But while Holiday does not satisfy widely accepted yet subjective criteria to become a star, his attribute of being a vicious force on both ends of the floor could still place him to what the doctor has simply ordered for New York.

“Well, Holiday wouldn't be able to make them competitive on his own, but a player with his sheer two-way competency is necessary for an organization traditionally run by chaos and hubris,” a projection from Bleacher Report read.

“On offense, he'll be able to create for himself and others while providing important spacing since the Knicks presumably want to start both poor-shooting RJ Barrett and non-shooting Mitchell Robinson. Defensively, New York could also play some incredibly bothersome lineups with Holiday, Robinson, and Frank Ntilikina.”

Holiday, a one-time All-Star, has always been known to be the type of player who does not steal the spotlight but rather lets his game do the talking. Under the Pelicans watch, the 29-year-old has remained a steady facilitator and a defensive lynchpin for a squad that is starting to rebuild around a couple of rising stars, namely Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson.

In his seven seasons in New Orleans, Holiday averaged 17.7 points, 4.2 rebounds, 6.9 assists, and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 46.2% percent from the field and 34.6% from beyond the arc. The former 17^th overall pick was coming off a blitzing year prior to the 2020 season as he notched career-best numbers of 21.2 points and 5.0 rebounds per outing in 67 games for the Pels.

Despite the arrival of Ingram and Williamson, Holiday's numbers remained solid this year, managing to put up 19.6 markers, 4.9 boards, 6.9 assists and 1.7 steals a night in 55 games before the NBA suspended the season in March.