The Knicks declined to discuss trading for Chris Paul, still want to sign Anthony Davis next year

The draft may be right around the corner, but thankfully the Knicks are also thinking long term. Reports on Wednesday said the team both recently rejected an invitation to talk about trading for Chris Paul, and is still hoping to sign Anthony Davis as a free agent next summer.

The tidbits came in separate stories. First, let’s get the CP3 situation out of the way. The Rockets, you may have heard, are in serious turmoil, and everyone besides James Harden is on the trading block.

The Knicks have been known for being somewhat... how shall we say this... shortsighted over the last two decades; for one example, take the time they traded Penny Hardaway and a 20-year-old Trevor Ariza for Steve Francis, who was already well on his way to being washed up. The current Knicks, however, are trying to break the mold.

Six paragraphs deep in this story from The Ringer on Mike Conley being traded to the Utah Jazz, Kevin O’Connor penned the following sentence:

The Rockets recently explored trading Chris Paul into New York’s cap space, but the Knicks refused, according to league sources.

Paul is still very good, but his career is closer to its end than its beginning, and it’s very good to hear that Scott Perry and Steve Mills had the sense to tell Daryl Morey they weren’t interested. CP3’s timeframe simply doesn’t make sense with what the Knicks are doing right now, which is leaning full-tilt into the youth movement — which, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, is likely to soon be joined by R.J. Barrett.

The youths will hopefully show some growth next season, because apparently the Knicks still have grand plans to land AD next summer.

That’s right! Although New York bowed out of the Davis sweepstakes, the team still aspires to sign the big man, according to Bleacher Report’s Howard Beck. In a story entitled “NBA Execs Skeptical Lakers Can Build a Title Team After Anthony Davis Overpay,” Beck noted that the Knicks “never had the assets to get a deal done.”

Additionally, he wrote this:

(In fact, the Knicks, recognizing the futility of a trade and fearful of getting shut out this summer, made overtures for Davis to join them as a free agent in 2020, according to a league source.)

If you don’t remember, the Knicks were the only other team Davis reportedly said he would consider signing with long-term. Thus, it can’t be that crazy to think that, if the Lakers fail to coalesce, and maybe LeBron and AD butt heads, The Brow might decide to take his talents to the Big Apple after next season. Actually, reading that back, it sounds pretty crazy.

Still, it’s nice to hear the Knicks didn’t fall for the trap of an aging superstar, and that they still have interest in a six time NBA All-Star who’s only 26 years old.

Now who’s ready for draft night?!