Knicks Trade Predictions Ahead of Thursday's Deadline

Thursday's NBA trade deadline arrives at a tricky time for the New York Knicks.

Since last summer, they've desperately tried recreating the formula that led to last season's playoff breakthrough but have failed to gain traction so far. 

And after dropping eight of their past 10 contests (entering Monday night), they face some difficult questions about the likelihood of securing a second consecutive playoff trip.

Will these losses lead them to holding a fire sale ahead of the deadline? Or do they think the right player is out there who can help them turn things around in time to ride a second-half surge into the postseason?

We're peering into our trusty crystal ball for answers.

The Knicks bought into Julius Randle's All-Star emergence last season and rewarded the productive power forward with a four-year, $117.1 million extension over the summer.

Apparently, they are already having second thoughts, as the 27-year-old's stats have tumbled across the board. SNY's Ian Begley reported he could "be available for the right return."

For what it's worth, the big man himself isn't buying it.

"That sounds like gossip to me," Randle told reporters.

Randle is probably right, although not for the reasons he may have in mind. The problem with moving him isn't the squad moving on from its top scorer, rather it's the fact that New York would be selling low on a player it bought really big on less than 12 months ago.

If the Knicks sniff out the right offer, they could move on, but it's hard to see that offer coming to fruition.

Knicks fans don't need to be reminded of this, but it's worth remembering Randle wasn't the only player this front office paid last summer.

New York showered cash on several names, including Evan Fournier (four years, $73 million), Derrick Rose (three years, $43.6 million), Alec Burks (three years, $30 million), Nerlens Noel (three years, $27.7 million) and Kemba Walker (two years, $17.9 million).

Other than Rose—a favorite of coach Tom Thibodeau and among the team's most productive players before undergoing ankle surgery—the Knicks could field offers on the rest of that group.

The question, then, is whether New York can bring back value for any of them. The answer is...well, probably the shoulder shrug emoji, because there's just no telling how the market will react.

All of those players can handle regular rotation roles, but do any add enough value to justify picking up their contracts and sending back an asset (or more) to New York? That doesn't seem very likely, although Burks and Noel, in particular, might qualify for certain shoppers.

Point guard has been a position of need for as long as some Knicks fans can remember.

Despite ample activity from the front office, that hasn't changed. Rose is a placeholder (when healthy), Walker might not even be that anymore, and young players such as Immanuel Quickley and Miles McBride haven't shown they can cover that gap.

That's why the 'Bockers can't be ruled out of buying this trade season, even if their circumstances suggest selling is the way to go. If there's a move to be made for an impact point guard—think De'Aaron Fox on the top tier and Jalen Brunson on the next—that should have this front office's full attention.

It doesn't look great for now, as the Sacramento Kings and Dallas Mavericks don't seem in a rush to subtract Fox or Brunson, respectively, but strange things can happen at this point on the NBA calendar.

The Knicks gain nothing by abandoning their pursuits, so they shouldn't wave the white flag on their lead guard search until the 3 p.m. ET buzzer sounds on Thursday.

Salary information via Spotrac.