The Knicks are bringing in reinforcements down the stretch as they attempt to secure a high seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.
Ahead of Thursday's trade deadline, New York acquired Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks from Detroit in exchange for Quentin Grimes, Malachi Flynn, Evan Fournier, Ryan Arcidiacono and two second-round picks.
This latest deal comes a month after the Knicks landed O.G. Anunoby in a trade with the Raptors. The 26-year-old forward has quickly established himself as an impact player in New York, averaging 15.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.1 blocks in 14 games.
Now, the big question: Can these new players help turn the Knicks into a legitimate contender? The expectations will be high because New York's trade history features an impressive list of stars who transformed the franchise.
(Note: The players below earned at least one All-Star berth with the Knicks. That's why Larry Johnson, for example, didn't make the cut. It may seem arbitrary, but the line had to be drawn somewhere.)
NBA TRADE GRADES: Live analysis for every trade deadline deal
Ranking biggest trades in Knicks history
8. The Bob McAdoo trade (1976)
- Knicks got: Bob McAdoo, Tom McMillen
- Braves got: John Gianelli, cash
McAdoo didn't stay in New York long, but he was productive. The sweet-shooting big man averaged 26.7 points and 12.0 rebounds in 171 games with the Knicks, leading them to the Eastern Conference Semifinals in 1978.
The Knicks later traded McAdoo to the Celtics in the middle of the 1978-79 season.
7. The Bernard King trade (1982)
- Knicks got: Bernard King
- Warriors got: Micheal Ray Richardson, 1984 fifth-round pick (became Scott McCollum)
King only played 206 games for New York, but similar to McAdoo, he made sure that he got buckets inside Madison Square Garden. He averaged 26.5 points per game and shot 54.3 percent from the field with the Knicks, including a league-high 32.9 points per game during the 1984-85 season.
He came up just short of the Eastern Conference Finals in 1984, falling to Larry Bird and the Celtics in a hard-fought, seven-game series.
6. The Carmelo Anthony trade (2011)
- Knicks got: Carmelo Anthony, Renaldo Balkman, Chauncey Billups, Corey Brewer, Anthony Carter, Shelden Williams, 2016 first-round pick (became Jakob Poeltl)
- Nuggets got: Wilson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Danilo Gallinari, Kosta Koufos, Timofey Mozgov, cash, 2012 second-round pick (became Quincy Miller), 2013 second-round pick (became Romero Osby), 2014 first-round pick (became Dario Saric), 2016 first-round pick (became Jamal Murray)
- Timberwolves got: Eddy Curry, Anthony Randolph, cash, 2015 second-round pick (became Richaun Holmes)
Anthony had a rather unceremonious exit from New York, but that shouldn't overshadow his early years.
In 412 games with the Knicks, Anthony averaged 24.8 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game. With Anthony on board, the Knicks reached the NBA Playoffs in three consecutive seasons (2010-13).
5. The Latrell Sprewell trade (1999)
- Knicks got: Latrell Sprewell
- Warriors got: Terry Cummings, Chris Mills, John Starks
Adding Sprewell was viewed as a huge risk for the Knicks after his infamous attack on Warriors coach P.J. Carlesimo. The gamble paid off, though, as he became one of the key figures on a New York team that advanced all the way to the NBA Finals in 1999.
Sprewell averaged 17.9 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists and 1.3 steals in 351 games with the Knicks. New York went to the NBA Playoffs in three of his five seasons.
![Charles Oakley Charles Oakley 05052023](https://library-staging.ng-sportingnews.com/styles/crop_style_16_9_desktop_webp/s3/2023-05/nba-plain--c0c8f880-de22-43de-8185-6da27db2deda.jpeg.webp)
4. The Charles Oakley trade (1988)
- Knicks got: Charles Oakley, 1988 first-round pick (became Rod Strickland), 1988 third-round pick (became Phil Stinnie)
- Bulls got: Bill Cartwright, 1988 first-round pick (became Will Perdue), 1988 third-round pick (became Derrick Lewis)
Oakley was never the No. 1 option for the Knicks, but he was an integral part of their success in the 1990s. He averaged a double-double (10.4 points, 10.0 rebounds) in 727 games, helping New York establish itself as a physical, defensive-minded team.
The most impressive aspect of Oakley's tenure? The Knicks never missed the NBA Playoffs while he was patrolling the paint, including a trip to the NBA Finals in 1994.
3. The Dick Barnett trade (1965)
- Knicks got: Dick Barnett
- Lakers got: Bob Boozer
Barnett is the first member of the title tier. He won NBA championships with the Knicks in 1970 and 1973.
New York's Hall of Famers may have grabbed the headlines, but Barnett wasn't simply riding their coattails. He contributed 15.6 points per game across nine seasons. During his first championship run, he averaged 16.9 points in 19 postseason games.
2. The Dave DeBusschere trade (1968)
- Knicks got: Dave DeBusschere
- Pistons got: Walt Bellamy, Howard Komives
DeBusschere was a five-time All-Star with the Knicks (1969-1974) and a member of two title-winning teams. He averaged 16.0 points, 10.7 rebounds and 3.1 assists in 435 games, and he never failed to make the NBA Playoffs.
Only one man stands above DeBusschere, and it happens to be one of his teammates...
1. The Earl Monroe trade (1971)
- Knicks got: Earl Monroe
- Bullets got: Mike Riordan, Dave Stallworth, cash
"The Pearl" tops this list, of course. Monroe and Walt Frazier formed one of the best (and most stylish) backcourts in basketball history when New York acquired Monroe in 1971.
Monroe was a two-time All-Star and NBA champion with the Knicks, averaging 16.2 points and 3.5 assists in 598 games. The Hall of Famer will always be remembered as one of the franchise's greatest players.