Even in the winter of 2022, while mired in another losing season, signs that these were no longer the same, old Knicks flashed. And they came from Texas.
The Mavs deemed New York their strongest competition for Jalen Brunson, whom Dallas drafted in 2018 and was set to become a free agent in the upcoming summer, but they also identified a roadblock for the Knicks, who had spent most of the previous three decades hungry for a competent point guard. New York projected to be above the salary cap in the ensuing season. It would not have the money to sign its guy.
So, the Mavs made a call.
Not long before the 2022 trade deadline, they and the Knicks began negotiations on a deal that would have brought Brunson to New York, league sources told The Athletic. The two sides discussed various constructions. One included young bench guard Immanuel Quickley. Another incorporated promising rookie Quentin Grimes. Numerous other iterations emerged. But across all of them was one common denominator:
The Mavericks wanted first-round picks.
More specifically, they wanted their own first-round picks.
But New York would not budge.
Because these were not — and especially now are not — your same, old Knicks.