Believe it or not, the New York Knicks are actually trending in the right direction as a franchise. They are currently 19-18 and if the season was to end today, the Knicks would be in the playoffs for the first time since the 2013 NBA season. Not only would they be in the playoffs, but they would be the 5-seed in the Eastern Conference! 

The job head coach Tom Thibodeau has done in his first year with this young Knicks team is quite remarkable and defense has been at the forefront of their success during the first-half of the season. The Knicks are currently giving up the least amount of points to their opponents per game (104.4 PAPG) and are one of the most efficient defensive teams in the league. 

As much as defense has played a part in their success this year, first-time All-Star Julius Randle has also elevated the play of this entire Knicks team. Randle leads the team in scoring, rebounding, assists and player efficiency rating and is the driving force of this team. 

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.

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With a bunch of young, highly talented players and some key veteran players, this New York Knicks team has a chance to make some noise the rest of the season and they could potentially make some noise in the playoffs if they make a move to bring in more talent at the trade deadline. 

Let’s take a look at three under-the-radar trade targets that could greatly improve the Knicks chances of not just making the playoffs this year, but potentially being a tough team to beat the rest of the way.