Trade #2 - RJ Barrett for Jordan Clarkson and picks
RJ Barrett has been in trade rumors for over a year now, and was rumored to be coming to Utah for Donovan Mitchell before the Jazz pivoted to Cleveland in September 2022, so there is established interest that could lead to a new trade.
Jordan Clarkson may not seem like a Tom Thibodeaux type of player, but the Knicks have been trying to sort out their rotation for years and RJ Barrett just doesn't seem to fit with Julius Randle very well. Getting Immanuel Quickley into a bigger role and freeing up minutes for Quentin Grimes would solve a lot of their rotational issues. Clarkson as a 6th man who can get buckets on demand would really help the Knicks down the stretch and in a playoff run.
Barrett would slot in well as the starting 2 in Utah and should play much better off Lauri Markkanen. He is averaging 19.1 points on the season on 43/35 shooting. And he is 24 years young, much more in line with Utah's timeline than New York's. This would be a move that would allow Utah to exit their rebuild, with a legit supporting scorer to Markkanen. Trading an unprotected 1st rounder or two (whether ours or one of the Cleveland picks) would be well worth getting a player of Barrett's caliber.