With the New York Knicks preparing to make a massive coaching move after moving on from Tom Thibodeau, a blockbuster trade could be in the works.
PFSN's Brandon Austin isn’t ignoring the fact that the Los Angeles Lakers could help reunite their star forward, LeBron James, with New York's soon-to-be four-time NBA champion coach by trading him to the Knicks in a monster deal.
"This blockbuster trade idea involving the Knicks and Lakers (Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, and Mitchell Robinson to the Lakers for the James clan and Dalton Knecht) would rock the NBA world in a way that could shift the power landscape in both conferences next season and beyond," Austin wrote Thursday.
"The Knicks acquire future Hall of Famer LeBron James and his 20-year-old son, second-year guard Bronny James, in a blockbuster deal that keeps the NBA’s iconic father-son duo in a major media market."
"The move gives New York a generational player who wants to win another championship before he retires, injecting the city with a storyline with unreal marketing appeal."
"New York also receives second-year wing Dalton Knecht, who played in 78 games as a rookie. The Lakers attempted to trade him as part of the Mark Williams deal before last season’s trade deadline, so including him seems like a realistic move."
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After the Cleveland Cavaliers fired Brendan Malone in 2005, Mike Brown assumed head coaching responsibilities, enabling him to mentor a young James.
Brown, James, and the Cavaliers reached the NBA Finals in 2007, but were swept by the surging San Antonio Spurs. Following the Cavaliers' Eastern Conference Semifinals exit in 2010, the organization relieved Brown of his duties, and James bolted for the Miami Heat.
Although Brown and James failed to win a title together in Cleveland, it’s no secret that the 2005 NBA Coach of the Year played a pivotal role in the 40-year-old forward’s development into a phenomenal player in the big leagues.
By giving James a chance to play through his mistakes and take control of the Cavaliers’ offense, Brown helped the four-time NBA champion ascend to superstardom in his early 20s.
James won two MVPs, earned four All-NBA first team selections, two All-NBA second team selections, and six All-Star selections with Brown as his head coach.
While it’s been 15 years since Brown and James have been a part of the same franchise, their previous success and chemistry could help them thrive alongside each other in New York.
As valuable as Robinson has been for the Knicks thus far, it would be virtually impossible to retain him in a deal for the four-time NBA Finals MVP.
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