Paul has been nothing short of a revelation in Oklahoma City this season, turning a team that was an afterthought before the season into a playoff team in the West. For as great as he’s been, the 35-year-old point guard probably isn’t part of the Thunder’s future. He’s also owed about $85 million over the next two seasons, making him a difficult player to trade.

The Knicks are one of the only teams with the cap space to trade for Paul while also needing his services on and off the court. New York hasn’t had a stable point guard this millennium and could use a strong veteran leader to help develop young star R.J. Barrett. Paul is just the man for the job.

New York can offer one or more second-round picks, as well as any combination of Kevin Knox, Frank Ntilikina, Dennis Smith Jr., Elfrid Payton and Bobby Portis (player-option) for Paul. The Thunder have so many draft picks already that they’re likely looking for more future depth and youth, so the Knicks should do everything in their power to accommodate Oklahoma City’s wishes.

With Paul, the Knicks could finally be on track to reshaping their image and defining a winning culture.