Los Angeles Lakers: Best trade in team history with the New York Knicks

The Los Angeles Lakers and New York Knicks have been trade partners seven times.

In an ongoing series here at Lake Show Life, we have been breaking down the best trade that the Los Angeles Lakers have made with every other NBA franchise. Today, we break down the only franchise that is more valuable than the Lakers, the New York Knicks.

The Lakers and Knicks have been trade partners seven times in franchise history and there really have not been any hugely impactful trades between the two teams despite the two massive markets.

The best trade in Lakers’ history with the Knicks was pretty big, though. It did not land the Lakers a superstar in the slightest, but it involved four teams, five draft picks and 12 players.

The Los Angeles Lakers’ best ever trade with the New York Knicks:

Typically, we use our handy trade shortcode right here but there is so much going on in this trade that it would just flood the shortcode and be unreadable. The four teams involved were the Lakers, Knicks, Seattle Supersonics and Phoenix Suns.

There were a lot of moving parts, but we are just going to look at what the Lakers traded versus what they received.

• Lakers traded: Travis Knight, Glen Rice and a 2001 1st-round draft pick (all to the New York Knicks)
• Lakers received: Emanual Davis, Greg Foster, Horace Grant and Chuck Person (all from the Seattle Supersonics)

Patrick Ewing was the biggest name in this trade, as he was traded from New York to Seattle in this deal, but that had nothing to do with the Lakers.

From a pure numbers standpoint, this trade is not that great for the Lakers and even when you break it down it still is not all that special, but it still is the best of a mediocre selection of trades.

The Lakers traded a disgruntled Glen Rice who fit stylistically with the team but was never a great lockerroom fit, Travis Knight, an inconsequential role player, and a late first-round pick for Horace Grant, who was a title-winning veteran and Greg Foster, another inconsequential role player.

Chuck Person and Emanuel Davis never suited up for the Los Angeles Lakers.

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While Grant has had his history of lockerroom problems he did give the Lakers a nice veteran addition and was a positive contributor to the 2001 title-winning team. He averaged 8.5 points and 7.1 rebounds as the team’s starting power forward and of anyone in this trade, had the second-highest win-shares per 48 minutes with their new team.

Grant’s familiarity with Shaquille O’Neal, who played with Grant in Orlando, was big for the team. Would they have won the title without Grant? Probably, but he still was a positive addition to the team.