Knicks Land Bogdanovic and Burks at Deadline for Run at East

Just hours before the trade deadline the New York Knicks traded Malachi Flynn, Quentin Grimes, Evan Fournier, Ryan Arcidiacono, and two second-round picks to the Detroit Pistons. According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski. In return, they will get Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks.

This is a big move and can help the Knicks fight for the number-one seed in the Eastern Conference.  

Bogdanovic has averaged 20.2 points per game and shot 41.5% from three so far this season. He will be great off the bench; he is a good shooter, and he can do more than shoot.  He could also jump into the starting role for either Anunoby or Randle while they are out.  

Burks was with the Knicks just a couple of years ago. Now he is back and has been good this season. He is averaging 12.6 points per game and shooting 40.1% from three this season. This is another guard that can take pressure off Brunson with his scoring.  

The Knicks are dealing with injuries to their top players. Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson, Jalen Brunson, and OG Anunoby are all injured. Thursday the team announced Anunoby will be out for at least three weeks. He had surgery to remove a loose fragment in his right elbow.  

The Knicks are poised for a run, and they did the right thing by making this move. The Knicks are fourth in the Eastern Conference but only 6.5 games back of the number-one spot. After the All-Star break when everyone is healthy, this team will have about 10 players that can be in rotation. They might be the deepest team in the East or even the whole league. At every position they can score and defend this team is complete. Expectations are high for a deep playoff run.  

I know it's probably early to talk about the Super Bowl for next season, but really, is it? I actually don't think it's ever too early to start speculating and wishing for your team to make it all the way next year. This year was so very close for my team, the Detroit Lions. But, no cigar. So, maybe next year will be our year. But, aside from the Lions, there are other teams that are on target to be major contenders next season. Some of them didn't even make the playoffs this year. So, what are some early Super Bowl contenders for next season?

Before we get into those contenders, let's look at why next season is already shaping up to be so exciting. For me, the main reason is because a whopping seven teams have new head coaches. That's really going to change the makeup of those teams. The Atlanta Falcons have brought on Raheem Morris. The Carolina Panthers have Dave Canales. The Las Vegas Raiders have knabbed Antonio Pierce. The Los Angeles Chargers have Jim Harbaugh. The New England Patriots have promoted Jerod Mayo. The Seattle Seahawks have brought on Mike Macdonald. The Tennessee Titans have hired Brian Callahan. Finally, The Washington Commanders have hired Dan Quinn.

Of those new coaches, the most interesting to me is Harbaugh for the Chargers. For Harbaugh, this is his final shot at the Vince Lombardi trophy. He just won a national championship with the Michigan Wolverines, and now, he wants a Super Bowl victory. He has a chance with the Chargers' stellar quarterback Justin Herbert. But, it will take time, in my opinion. I mean, it could take time with any of these teams with new coaches. That said, the Houston Texans had a rookie coach this year in DeMeco Ryans, and they almost went all the way, so all things are possible.

Let's get into seven early Super Bowl contenders for next season with my commentary.

One thing I like about this list is that I'm not necessarily even picking teams that made it to the playoffs this year. I'm picking teams that I think could be strong enough next season. The Seattle Seahawks are one of those teams. Their new coach, Mike Macdonald, is the former defensive coordinator for the Baltimore Ravens. Enough said. This guy is golden. Seattle's defense is going to improve drastically with him at the helm, and they could go all the way very soon.

The Buffalo Bills missed the playoffs by a hair. They played so well against the Kansas City Chiefs, but it just wasn't enough. Josh Allen is a Super Bowl-caliber quarterback, but he hasn't taken them there. Will next year be the year? Maybe.

The Houston Texans will be the team to beat very soon. They pulled off an incredible season with a rookie coach and quarterback. They're just getting started. The team got first place in AFC South this season but lost in the divisional round to the Baltimore Ravens.

Speaking of the Baltimore Ravens, I'm still shocked that they fell to the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship game. I think pretty much everyone was at least a little surprised. But, Lamar Jackson is back next year, and he's not going to let it slip away again. Next year could be their year.

It was a massive decline for the Philadelphia Eagles towards the end of last season. Everything fell apart at the seams. But, the Eagles have legacy, and they have Jalen Hurts. As long as he's healthy, the Eagles will be back next year ready to fight.

Yikes. Can the Green Bay Packers really be this good already? They almost upset the San Francisco 49ers in the playoffs this year. Jordan Love is the real deal. Watch out for this young team next year.

Okay, yes, I'm a Detroit Lions fan, born and raised. But, I think there's reason to believe that the Detroit Lions can and will be back next year. They've had a taste of victory, and they liked it. Plus, golden guy Ben Johnson is coming back to Detroit, and he wants to take the Lions all the way. Jared Goff is playing fantastic football, too. The Lions could really make it to their first Super Bowl next season. What do you think? Let me know here.