New York Knicks Chasing D'Angelo Russell Trade

The New York Knicks are going after D'Angelo Russell. Unfortunately, their pursuit of the young guard has been very Knicks-ian, as they have failed to propose a trade package that interests the Golden State Warriors.

The Knicks desperately need to find some flash. They're awful this year, with a 15-36 record and a roster that has failed to show any life. They need to find a scorer who could ignite things and possibly take some of the pressure off of rookie RJ Barrett. Russell could do that.

The 23-year-old Russell is already in his fifth season and is on pace to set several career-highs. He's averaging 23.8 points, 6.3 assists and 3.7 rebounds in 32.1 minutes per game. He's also hitting a career-best 38.3 percent from 3-point range and his PER of 19.68 is also a career-high.

Russell also spent two seasons in Brooklyn, so he knows what playing in New York is like. He's also under contract through 2023, and he could actually settle in long-term at Madison Square Garden. He'd be an ideal fit if the Knicks could somehow figure out a deal.

The Knicks would almost certainly refuse to include their 2020 first-round pick in any potential transaction. Right now they have the fourth-worst record in the NBA and are likely headed for a high pick in this year's draft. A look at their roster reveals the issue with figuring out a trade to the Warriors. There's really no one Golden State would want.

The list of guys who are under-26 and even mildly desirable are few and far between. Julius Randle, Frank Ntilikina, Dennis Smith Jr., Elfrid Payton, Kevin Knox, and Mitchell Robinson are the only guys who could potentially provide any value to the Warriors. But I'm not even sure that would interest them.

Other teams can offer Golden State more, which makes a deal to the Knicks unlikely, unless they include this year's first-round pick. I don't see that happening.