After taking big swings on OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns over the past 13 months or so, do the New York Knicks have another meaningful deal in them entering the 2025 NBA trade deadline?
Their sheer amount of roster churn since last December suggests not. But their depth chart begs to differ.
New York's core lineup—Anunoby, Bridges, KAT, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart—is etched in stone. Its options beyond them is a different story. Trustworthy reserves top out at Deuce McBride, Cameron Payne and Precious Achiuwa. And on many nights, even this is a stretch.
Moves on the margins are relatively straightforward to finagle, even with the Knicks inside $600,00 of the second apron. They might even be inevitable.
Constructing larger-scale scenarios requires more creativity. And to be sure, this is basically shorthand for "a willingness to trade Mitchell Robinson, who has yet to play this season, while sussing out a team and return that won't treat him as net-negative value."
Have we checked all the necessary boxes here? Scroll on to find out.
Full Trade Scenario

Bulls Get:
- Tyler Kolek
- Mitchell Robinson
- Philadelphia 76ers 2025 first-round pick (top-six protection; top-four protection in 2026 and 2027; turns into Philadelphia's 2027 second if not conveyed; via Oklahoma City)
- Washington Wizards 2025 first-round pick (top-10 protection; top-eight protection in 2026; turns into Washington's 2026 and 2027 seconds if not conveyed; via New york)
- 2026 first-round pick (second-most favorable from Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Clippers and Oklahoma City; via OKC)
- 2027 second-round pick (second most favorable from Houston, Indiana, Miami and Oklahoma City; via New York)
- 2030 first-round swap (top-four protection; via New York)
Knicks Get:
- Ayo Dosunmu
- Kenrich Williams
Thunder Get:
- Coby White
- 2028 second-round pick (less favorable from Indiana and Phoenix; via New York)
Why the Bulls Do It
In
Tyler Kolek, Mitchell Robinson, Philadelphia's 2025 first-round pick (top-six protection), Washington's 2025 first-round pick (likely 2026 and 2027 seconds), 2026 first-round pick (second-most favorable from Houston, Clippers and OKC), 2027 second-round pick (second-most favorable from Houston, Indiana, Miami and OKC), New York's 2030 first-round pick (swap rights; top-four protection)
Out
Ayo Dosunmu, Coby White
No recent reporting suggests the Chicago Bulls are looking to move White. They should be. He is cheap now—so much so he's unlikely to extend off his current contract. By the time he enters free agency in 2026, the Bulls won't be good enough to justify paying market value.
Picking up two first-rounders from Oklahoma City is beyond rock-solid value. Especially when one of them (Philly's) currently profiles as a lottery pick. Moving White, specifically, also increases the chance Chicago retains its own pick, which will convey to San Antonio if it lands outside the top 10.
The second leg of their return is more debatable. Despite the first-round language on that Washington pick, the Bulls are effectively shipping out Dosunmu and Williams for Robinson, Kolek, three seconds and a first-round swap.
That feels like juuust enough. The swap is far enough into the future that the Bulls can convince themselves they'll use it. Kolek has flashed nifty playmaking and overarching on-ball chops, making him a useful flier with both White and Dosunmu leaving town. Robinson is someone the Bulls can use if they trade Nikola Vučević, and with his salary declining below $13 million next year, he becomes a valuable re-trade candidate if he gets and stays healthy.
Chicago sheds $2.6 million in this deal as well, giving it extra breathing room beneath the tax. It can save even more by having New York take on Talen Horton-Tucker or Torrey Craig (via minimum-player exception).
Why the Knicks Do It
In
Ayo Dosunmu, Kenrich Williams
Out
Tyler Kolek, Mitchell Robinson, Washington's 2025 first-round pick (likely 2026 and 2027 seconds), 2027 second-round pick (second-most favorable from Houston, Indiana, Miami and OKC), 2028 second-round pick (less favorable from Indiana and Phoenix), 2030 first-round swap (top-four protection)
Wing depth, point-of-attack defense, on-ball creation and additional 4-5 minutes loom as the Knicks' biggest needs ahead of the deadline. This return addresses most of them.
Dosunmu is just 6'5", but his capacity to defend at the point of attack as well as guard up—he has experience covering 3s and 4s—ensures he'll check two of the four boxes. Though it would be a stretch to call him an on-ball creator, he has ferried floor-general responsibilities for Chicago in a pinch. His drive-and-dish game should shine amid New York's spacing.
Williams is an ideal frontcourt addition for almost any team. In the Knicks' case, he can play next to Karl-Anthony Towns or Precious Achiuwa and even as the lone man in the middle with OG Anunoby or Josh Hart at the 4.
Listed at 6'6", Williams is undersized. New York is getting smaller with Robinson on his way out. So be it. Robinson isn't playing right now, and Karl-Anthony Towns sponges up nearly 35 center minutes per game. The Knicks should be able to fill traditional-big reps on the cheap if Jericho Sims and Ariel Huckporti aren't doing it for them.
Unloading nearly all of New York's best remaining assets for two non-starters won't sit right with some. But that's the reality of your best remaining assets being so nondescript.
Getting two players who project as part of the postseason rotation while increasing room ($2.7 million) beneath the second apron is a big deal—particularly when you're flipping Robinson at the nadir of his market. And this is an even easier sell for the Knicks knowing Dosunmu (one year, $7.5 million remaining) and Williams (two years, $14.4 million) are on bargain-bin deals that extend beyond this season.
Why the Thunder Do It
In
Coby White, 2028 second-round pick (less favorable from Indiana and Phoenix)
Out
Kenrich Williams, Philadelphia's 2025 first-round pick (top-six protection), 2026 first-round pick (second-most favorable from Houston, Clippers and OKC)
Adding White's on- and off-ball skill set more than playoff-proofs the Thunder offense. His overall efficiency has slipped since last year, but he's still drilling 38.9 percent of his spot-up triples, and the work he can do off the dribble takes on new meaning when he's your No. 3 option or getting to work against a bunch of second-stringers.
Oklahoma City can build different permutations of this deal if it doesn't want to part with Williams amid Chet Holmgren's spotty health bill. But they'll need to include another contract if they use Ousmane Dieng as the primary salary anchor.
White's third contract may be the larger sticking point. He is on the books for $12 million this season and $12.8 million in 2025-26. That puts him in line for a raise just as new deals for Holmgren and Jalen Williams take effect and with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's next deal on the horizon.
Whatever. The Thunder can figure it out as they go. In the meantime, they're getting a major postseason boost without touching their primary nucleus or even leaving noticeable a dent in their available draft equity.
Dan Favale covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter (@danfavale), and subscribe to the Hardwood Knocks podcast, co-hosted by Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes.
Unless otherwise cited, stats courtesy of NBA.com, Basketball Reference, Stathead or Cleaning the Glass. Salary information via Spotrac. Draft-pick obligations via RealGM.
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