Knicks Stay Hot, Eye Trade Deadline as Internal Growth Fuels Surge
As the NBA trade deadline looms, the New York Knicks find themselves in a familiar spot - not just in the thick of trade rumors, but also suddenly one of the hottest teams in the league. Winners of seven straight after a 132-101 blowout over the Wizards, the Knicks are rolling, and the front office is watching closely as the market shifts around them.
Big names are already on the move. James Harden’s latest relocation - reportedly heading from the Clippers to Cleveland in exchange for Darius Garland - is the kind of blockbuster that signals the deadline is officially here.
Jaren Jackson Jr. is now in Utah. And of course, the biggest name floating around is Giannis Antetokounmpo, a dream acquisition for any contender.
Minnesota, for its part, made a cap-clearing three-team deal that could be a precursor to something bigger. Whether the Knicks follow suit remains to be seen, but the pressure is building as other Eastern Conference contenders make their moves.
Josh Hart, always one to keep it real, summed up the vibe around the league this time of year.
“I’ll be for sure tuned in,” Hart said. “It’s great entertainment for me.
I can’t wait for Thursday. It’s fun entertainment because you’re always going to see what’s happening, what’s going on.
Be messy. Talk about random trades that are just pointless behind the scenes.”
And if his name pops up in those rumors?
“Might as well,” he added with a grin. “Throw my name out there and see what happens.”
But not every trade deadline move has to be a headline-grabber. Sometimes, the quiet additions - the ones that don’t generate a Woj bomb - end up paying off in a big way. Case in point: Landry Shamet.
Shamet’s journey to the Knicks has been anything but linear. He’s bounced around the league, waived by four different teams, most recently the Wizards - a team he never even suited up for.
But now, he’s carving out a real role in New York, and it’s not just about filling minutes. He’s producing.
There was the 23-point showing against the Lakers on Sunday. Earlier this season, he dropped 36 on Miami. And in Tuesday’s win over Washington, he chipped in a smooth 14 points - one of seven Knicks to hit double figures - as the team built a lead that ballooned to 41.
The Knicks originally signed Shamet to a non-guaranteed deal before training camp. Then he dislocated his shoulder in the preseason, and the team waived him to preserve cap flexibility.
Three months later, they brought him back, this time for the rest of the season. His deal became fully guaranteed just last month.
“It’s part of the journey,” Shamet said. “There’s highs and lows in this thing.
You can’t get caught up on either end of that spectrum. Just take care of your work every day, try to be a good teammate and the rest will take care of itself.”
It’s a mindset that’s clearly resonated in the Knicks’ locker room.
“Yeah, to play devil’s advocate, he’s also a big asset,” Jalen Brunson said. “I think he does a lot for teams.
So a lot of teams see that. I think it’s who he’s been.
I’ve seen that from afar playing against him and it’s even better playing with him.”
Josh Hart echoed the sentiment, pointing to Shamet’s injury history as a possible reason he’s bounced around so much.
“Sometimes unfortunately that aids to kind of moving around,” Hart said. “But him being healthy, he’s a great player.
He’s something that we’re going to need and rely on. Especially down the stretch.
So surprised a little bit. But maybe shouldn’t be surprised.”
While the Knicks are certainly monitoring the trade market, what’s happening internally might be even more important. This seven-game stretch hasn’t just been about wins - it’s been about identity.
Over that span, the Knicks have transformed into the league’s best defensive team. They’re not just leaning on Brunson’s scoring or Karl-Anthony Towns’ inside-out game.
They’re getting contributions from the entire rotation - a sign of a team that’s not just playing well, but playing together.
Brunson (21 points) and Towns (19 points, 14 rebounds) didn’t even need to see the fourth quarter on Tuesday. Hart left the game early with a left ankle injury, but the Knicks were already in full control by then.
It’s hard not to notice the timing. This run came right after one of the ugliest stretches of the season - nine losses in 11 games, capped by a blowout loss to Dallas at home. There were reports that Brunson called a players-only meeting after that game, but he clarified that narrative.
“It wasn’t really a team meeting,” Brunson said. “It was just me voicing my opinion after the game against Dallas.
It wasn’t me calling a team meeting. We meet after games.
I said something before coach walked in. That’s it.”
No lineup shake-ups. No panic trades. Just a team getting back to what it does best - defending, sharing the ball, and playing with purpose.
Around the Locker Room
Rookie Mo Diawara sprained his left ankle in the first quarter and didn’t return. He came out after halftime to test it but eventually headed back to the locker room.
Meanwhile, Guerschon Yabusele remains in limbo. The Knicks have been shopping his contract in an effort to clear cap space, and a report out of Europe suggested he might be headed to Israel. Yabusele, for his part, isn’t committing to anything.
“I ain’t closing no door on nothing,” he said. “I don’t know what’s going to happen.
I don’t know what tomorrow’s going to be. So right now I can tell you nothing has been discussed or signed or anything like that.
I’m a Knicks player at the end of the day.”
What’s Next
With the deadline approaching fast, the Knicks have decisions to make. Do they chase a star?
Do they make a smaller move to solidify the bench? Or do they ride this wave, trusting the chemistry and defensive identity that’s taken shape over the last two weeks?
Whatever happens, one thing is clear: this team is finding its rhythm. And in a crowded Eastern Conference, that might be the most valuable asset of all.