3 teams that could steal Gary Trent Jr. from Raptors in free agency

1. New York Knicks

The Knicks’ run to the postseason has showed they are well ahead of schedule in their pursuit of a championship team, and they have enough flexibility to make another big addition. While the Knicks will likely try to add the next disgruntled star, they could scrap those plans to make sure Trent comes to town.

With RJ Barrett quickly going from godsend to pariah among a vocal contingent of Knicks fans, they could bring in one more valued perimeter player, all while sticking it to a division rival by taking away one of their best talents. Leon Rose has to have his eyes locked on Trent in the early stages of free agency.

The Knicks could steal Gary Trent Jr. from the Toronto Raptors.

The Knicks fell off hard after their No. 4 seed in 2021, and paying for Jalen Brunson helped them reverse course. In a tough division, their front office might look to swap out some underperforming players for young, ascending stars like Trent that won’t be too financially crippling.

The Raptors will likely try to bring Trent back, but rivals have to know that Toronto is pushed up against the limits of a tax threshold they don’t want to pay. Trent in orange and blue would feel like a knife in the back, especially if the Raptors don’t find a replacement in the draft or free agency.