Three-Team Blockbuster?

Could LeBron exert pressure on the Lakers by demanding they go "all-in" on the upcoming season and requesting they attach future draft picks to Westbrook in order to immediately upgrade their roster?

Happy Friday, y'all. Hope everyone has had a wonderful week! 

And happy 60th birthday Patrick Ewing, who I still maintain is the most under-appreciated athlete in the history of New York sports. (More on that when we wrap up the "Top 75 Knicks Of All Time" series later this month.) The Big Fella turns 60 years old today. 

Tommy Beer @TommyBeer

Happy Birthday to Patrick Ewing. The Big Fella remains the most under-appreciated athlete in the history of of New York sports.

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And before I get into the latest rumors making the rounds, I wanted to invite you guys to shoot me some questions (via email, in the comments, or on Twitter, etc.), as I plan on rolling out a Mailbag Q & A next week. 

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Okay, with that out of the way... 

Although the Knicks and Jazz are still at a stalemate, we've had some interesting reports over the past few days. 

On Wednesday, The Athletic's Tony Jones appeared on ESPN 700 radio in Salt Lake City to discuss Donovan Mitchell. As expected, Jones confirmed reports that Utah and New York haven't spoken recently, as neither side is willing to budge from their current positions. As I have noted, this should be considered welcomed news for Knicks fans, as it shows Leon Rose is content to remain patient and wait until Danny Ainge lowers his asking price. 

However, Jones intimated New York would be amenable to trading away Obi Toppin but reported that among the young prospects on the Knicks roster, Quentin Grimes is Ainge's primary target. This is unsurprising for several reasons. First, Grimes played well as a rookie, as the 25th overall pick in the 2021 draft exceeded expectations right out of the shoot. Grimes then boosted his stock in Las Vegas last month, averaging a team-high 22.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 4.0 assists, 1.2 steals and 3.4 made three-pointers while leading New York to the championship game.

Furthermore, unlike Immanuel Quickley or Obi Toppin, who are entering their third NBA season, Grimes is just one year into his rookie contract, meaning he won't sniff free agency until 2026. Grimes' base salary next season is $2.3 million and will rise to just $2.4 million in 2023-24.