Believe it or not, the New York Knicks are actually trending in the right direction as a franchise. They are currently 8-11 and if the season was to end today, the Knicks would be in the playoffs for the first time since the 2013 NBA season. 

A large part of the Knicks’ success this year has been because of the play of Julius Randle and second-year guard RJ Barrett, but a lot of credit has to be given to Tom Thibodeau and the job he has done. In his coaching career, Thibs has had just one losing season and this Knicks team has bought into his defensive-style of play. 

Currently, the Knicks are allowing the least amount of points to their opponents per game and are one of the best all-around defensive teams in the league. If they can continue their success on the defensive side of things, then there is no reason why they won’t wind up making it back to the playoffs in the East. 

This season, it is extremely important that the Knicks finish with a winning record and at least contend for a playoff spot because they have a legit chance to land some big names in free agency and via trades in future years. Plenty of big time players have wanted to come to New York and play in MSG, but none of them want to play for a losing organization.

By proving they can win this year and moving forward, the Knicks could have the opportunity to land one of these three big time players in the future. With that being said, let’s take a look at three intriguing future trade targets for the New York Knicks.