The Knicks' Sunday victory over the Magic left them with a 16-7 record to start the year, their first with Mike Brown. Not every team around the league is on solid footing, however, with the Los Angeles Clippers atop the list of teams that may wish they had a "re-do" on their offseason. After shocking the NBA by sending Chris Paul home mid-road trip, the Clippers have given way to endless rumors surrounding a trade involving the veteran point guard. The Knicks need to resist the temptation to trade for Paul, a longtime target of Leon Rose's front office, and stay the course instead.
New York wanted to sign Paul in the offseason
This past offseason, the Knicks were reportedly interested in signing Paul to their roster. They were one of the teams Paul heard from amid his free agency, according to Jake Fischer of The Stein Line.
"League sources say Paul had interest from teams such as the Bucks, Knicks, Mavericks and Suns, but he was determined to stay as near to his family as possible even after playing (and starting) all 82 games in his lone season as a San Antonio Spur."
New York ended up adding two veteran guards in free agency in Jordan Clarkson and Malcolm Brogdon. Out of the two, Brogdon's game is much closer to the "floor general" archetype of point guard that Paul was a paragon of in his prime years. However, the former's surprise retirement right before the season left the Knicks without a table-setting guard outside of sophomore Tyler Kolek.
The Knicks like their current roster
The recent Giannis Antetokounmpo trade buzz prompted Knicks reporter Ian Begley to share what he had heard about the team. Begley reported from The Garden floor that Knicks decision-makers liked their roster as it stood, despite buzz surrounding potential acquisitions of both Antetokounmpo and Paul.
This is a good sign for Knick fans, who can't afford to see their team get sidetracked from its most potent championship quest in decades. The team is ready to contend and any potential trades or changes should come with undeniable benefits. Adding Paul, who can certainly still play, to a team designed to play a fast-paced brand of basketball may not be the best fit.
On top of anything schematic, the Knicks are already deep at the guard spot. Between Jalen Brunson, Deuce McBride, Jordan Clarkson, and the aforementioned Kolek, Paul would disrupt the current rotational hierarchy if inserted into it. If the veteran dime-dropper is willing to be a back-up guard without a guaranteed role, the Knicks could certainly kick the tires on bringing him in at a very low cost. But if it would be anything other than a flier, New York no longer has an expendable store of trade assets.
The team has to be prudent and decisive about any moves it makes going forward. Given Paul's situation in Los Angeles, New York shouldn't offer anything of value in a potential trade. If Paul wants to join the Knicks, he can sign with them after clearing waivers.