Knicks’ Top East Rivals Both Swing Trades Ahead Of Deadline

If there wasn't already enough pressure on the Knicks to make a move before the trade deadline, their top Eastern Conference rivals just applied more of it.

Tuesday marked a wild day of trades across the NBA, including notable moves by both the No. 1 seed Detroit Pistons and the No. 3 seed Boston Celtics. The Pistons agreed to a three-team trade with the Bulls and Timberwolves that sent guard Jaden Ivey to Chicago as part of it. Sharpshooting wing Kevin Huerter and forward Dario Saric are heading to Detroit in return (Shams Charania has the full trade details).

Charania later reported that the Celtics are making a swap to retool their roster, while saving some luxury tax money in the process. The Bulls are sending big man Nikola Vucevic to the C's in exchange for guard Anfernee Simons, a move that bolsters Boston's thin frontcourt while also clearing $22.5 million off their luxury tax bill. The C's were in the market for a big that can provide offense, and Vucevic fills that need while giving them someone that can at least compete with Karl-Anthony Towns in that department.

The Knicks, meanwhile, have yet to make a deal for the 2026 deadline. They're already reportedly out of the Giannis Antetokounmpo sweepstakes. They don't necessarily need to make that big of a move to keep pace with the Pistons or Celtics, who ultimately have made moves closer to retools than big-time improvements.

But this only underlines how the moves are certainly out there to be made for Knicks GM Leon Rose. All eyes are on him between the time of this writing and the trade deadline, which falls at 3 p.m. EST on Thursday.

If the Knicks are serious about getting back to the NBA Finals, they'll do something.