East Rumors: Knicks, Pacers, Bojan Bogdanovic, Pacers

Knicks

Forward RJ Barrett implied he doesn’t think the Knicks are desperate to trade for a star, as has been rumored.

“First, we were never going to be good. Now, we’re good, and now, we’re not good enough,” Barrett said, via Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “I think we do, for not having the best player, we do very well for ourselves.”

• The Knicks have indeed told other teams they’re looking for a star player, per Fred Katz of The Athletic. “(But) they also don’t expect one to become available in the middle of the season,” Katz wrote.
• In case you missed it, we have more on the Knicks’ reported desire to land a star player right here.
• New York “checked in” on Timberwolves big man Karl-Anthony Towns earlier in the season, but did not make any sort of trade offer, per Katz.
• Finally, the Knicks have not expressed trade interest in Bulls guard Zach LaVine or wing DeMar DeRozan, Katz reported.

Pistons

• Just like last season, the Pistons appear to be seeking the sun, the moon and the stars (and perhaps an extra planet or two) for small forward Bojan Bogdanovic.
• More specifically, Katz wrote: “The situation with Bogdanovic is akin to the one with Jerami Grant from a couple of seasons ago, when Grant had two years remaining on his contract and Detroit held onto him despite its losing record. The Pistons eventually flipped Grant for a late first-round pick once the rangy forward was in the final year of his deal. Bogdanovic makes $20 million this season and is non-guaranteed for $19 million in 2024-25.”
• Detroit has no “immediate plans” to trade Bogdanovic, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv. 

Pacers

The Pacers have been one of the league’s hottest teams, advancing all the way to the first In-Season Tournament title game. But they may not view themselves as a finished product.

Per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, they would still like to find a “big, athletic two-way wing” to pair alongside star point Tyrese Haliburton.

“(The Pacers) are willing to give up picks and assets, because we believe we will be able to re-sign that player. They’re not going to lose him in free agency,” Wojnarowski said.

• The Pacers enter the championship game on Saturday night at 6-0 in the In-season Tournament, and 6-8 in all other games. More on their run here.