The NBA free-agency period officially starts Friday at 6 p.m., but the trade market is really what Knicks fans should keep an eye on.

It is the avenue that offers the Knicks the best chance to really improve the team this summer.

With plenty of assets, from young players to draft picks, team president Leon Rose has the ability to upgrade his roster coming off the franchise’s best season in a decade.

It doesn’t mean the Knicks will definitely make a significant move.

But the opportunity is there to do so with several difference-makers expected to be available.

Let’s take a look at some of the most compelling options:

Damian Lillard

This would obviously be a surprise, considering the Knicks already have an established lead guard in Jalen Brunson.

Lillard may not get traded, either. He is reportedly taking a wait-and-see approach to how Portland handles free agency.

If he is made available, there is a belief the Heat will go full throttle for him. Unless something significant changes, he would be, by far, the best talent available, and maybe the Knicks take a look at formulating a super-backcourt with him and Brunson.

RJ Barrett, Quentin Grimes and multiple first-round picks would at least get them in the conversation.

OG Anunoby

It feels as if Anunoby has been on the trading block for years.

The Knicks were linked to him back in February, but the Raptors held on to the skilled, defensive-minded wing. Anunoby only has one year left on his contract, though, and the Raptors just drafted sharpshooting wing Gradey Dick 13th overall.

The Knicks need shot-makers, and Anunoby is a career 37.5 percent 3-point shooter.

He won’t come cheap. But the Knicks have the pieces to get a deal done if the Raptors are motivated to move him and shake up their core after last season’s dismal 41-win campaign.

More breadcrumbs were laid Wednesday, when it was announced Anunoby was switching agents and joining CAA. The Knicks have close ties to CAA thanks to Leon Rose’s time there and the plethora of players on the roster who are represented by the agency.

Zach LaVine

LaVine has reached the All-Star Game in two of the past three years, and would improve the Knicks’ offensive profile.

But there are major question marks about his defensive chops, and the fact the 28-year-old has helped take a team to the playoffs just once in a nine-year career. He may not be a winning player.

Then add in his hefty contract — he’s entering the second year of a five-year, $215 million deal — and the Yahoo Sports report that the Bulls want a significantly bigger haul than what the Wizards got for Bradley Beal, and the case for acquiring him becomes somewhat complicated.

The Wizards received Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, four first-round pick swaps and six second-round picks. This feels like a mistake if the Knicks even consider it.

Karl-Anthony Towns

Similar to LaVine, there would be a major financial component to adding Towns that should scare off Rose and Co. after the versatile big man signed a four-year, $224 million supermax extension last summer.

The Edison, N.J., native is thought to be available, and though he is a dynamic inside-out offensive player, his defensive shortcomings and playoff failures are major red flags.

The Knicks obviously would have to trade either Mitchell Robinson or Julius Randle to make a trade work financially, and there is no evidence the 27-year-old Towns would move the Knicks closer to being a legitimate title contender.

DeMar DeRozan

Like Anunoby, DeRozan has only one year left on his contract, and fits a need as a big two-way wing.

He isn’t a very good 3-point shooter, and is coming off a season in which he shot just 32.4 percent from distance. He might be too similar to Barrett in that regard.

But the 33-year-old, 6-foot-6 DeRozan is experienced and is a shot creator, something the Knicks need to relieve pressure on Brunson. He also wouldn’t necessarily cost a ton in the long run, due to his contractual status and age.

It’s likely Derrick Rose has played his last game as a Knick after the team decided not to pick up his $15.6 million option for 2023-24. It really was a no-brainer after the veteran guard saw extremely limited minutes (12.5 per game) last season.

Rose’s impact on the club shouldn’t be forgotten or dismissed, though.

He was a vital part of the playoff team in coach Tom Thibodeau’s first season after coming over in a mid-season trade, and teammates such as RJ Barrett, Jalen Brunson, Quentin Grimes and Miles McBride raved about Rose’s leadership in a mentorship role this past season.

Rose’s second go-around with the Knicks was extremely beneficial to the franchise, from his on-court production that first season to his presence helping younger players in difficult times this past season. It spoke to his maturity that he handled his demotion in early December so well, to the point that other players — unprompted — lauded how much his calm response helped them.

At the age of 34, the former MVP is clearly near the end of the line as a player. He figures to get a rousing ovation in his return to the Garden, whenever that may be, and it will be well deserved.

Old friend Kristaps Porzingis is back in the Atlantic Division after the Celtics traded for the 7-foot-3 former Knick before the draft last week.

The 2015 No. 4 overall pick is coming off arguably his best season as a pro: He posted career highs in points (23.2) and field-goal percentage (49.8) for the Wizards, shot 38.5 percent from deep and appeared in his most regular-season games (65) since his second year in the league.

But the deal may leave Boston worse defensively, since it required them to send Marcus Smart, the 2021-22 Defensive Player of the Year, to the Grizzlies. Though Porzingis is a capable rim protector — he averaged 1.5 blocks last season — his 114.8 defensive rating was hardly inspiring.

Still, Porzingis has thrived against his former team, averaging 21.1 points, nine rebounds and two blocks in eight games against the Knicks, and now he will get a chance to face them four times next season as a member of the rival Celtics, adding another quality offensive weapon to a roster that includes All-Stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum.