When Paul George shockingly went to the Los Angeles Clippers for five first-round picks, it caused the Oklahoma City Thunder to start an unexpected rebuild and trade Russell Westbrook to the Houston Rockets to continue it. This was seemingly a chance for the New York Knicks to target a superstar, but they opted otherwise.
Per USA Today’s Jeff Zillgitt, the Knicks never had interest in acquiring Westbrook, with the intention of sticking to their rebuild and not trading assets.
While the Rockets sent Chris Paul and his big salary for the next three seasons, they also gave the Thunder first-round picks in 2024 and 2026 and the right to swap first-round picks in 2021 and 2025.