While this Knicks season didn’t end quite as hoped, it was a successful one all-around, setting the stage for a pivotal offseason that could set New York up to compete for a championship during the 2024-25 season.
Here are three priorities for the front office to tackle this summer…
Lock in the core
New York has a handful of contracts expiring this summer. AND Anunoby is likely to decline his player option for next season in order to sign a long-term deal, and Isaiah Hartenstein enters unrestricted free agency off a team-friendly deal.
Retaining both starters will be a key goal for the Knicks after their hugely impactful seasons. They wouldn’t have traded for Anunoby without anticipating coming to terms on a new deal, so expect that one to close quickly, likely somewhere around $120 million over four years.
Hartenstein is the bigger question mark — not because the Knicks may not want him, but because they may not be able to afford him. They don’t have his full bird rights and can only re-sign him with a minor raise, while other teams can throw $20 million-plus per year his way.
It will be on Hartenstein to weigh the value of more money versus the NBA home he’s seemingly found in New York. One way the Knicks could alleviate this issue is by signing him to a one-year deal and assuring him a larger extension would follow.
Jalen Brunson becomes extension eligible in mid-July, and although he won’t be a free agent for years, locking him in earlier can’t hurt. The Knicks originally signed him on a ridiculously team-friendly deal, and would likely end up with a discount on his MVP-caliber production on an early extension.
Julius Randle is another core piece eligible for an extension. Unfortunately, the Knicks were robbed of seeing him down the stretch of this season. But with multiple All-NBA campaigns in blue and orange and an incredible fully-healthy January, they could look to secure his future in New York as well.
Unless of course, they decide to use him to…
Trade for a top-20 player
Championship windows are smaller and more fleeting than ever. At some point, there’s diminishing returns on stocking draft assets and reliable players. And as good as these Knicks may be, cashing in their chips for the right star could catapult them into certified title contender status.
They could theoretically do so with or without Randle involved, but his salary is great for matching — and the fit between him and a new star could be shaky if it’s not the right one.
Prudent or not, this Knicks front office has at least partially operated towards this goal since the beginning, so expect them to target guys like Donovan Mitchell, Devin Booker, Paul George, Joel Embiidand Giannis Antetokounmpo vigorously.
There are alternatives, too.
Mikal Bridges isn’t of that caliber and may be inaccessible to his cross-river rivals, but New York may be willing to pay a premium to complete the Villanova alumni network and secure a high-end talent who won’t upset the status quo.
If none of these guys become available, the Knicks should still look to upgrade their roster with their bounty of picks. Packaging Bojan Bogdanovic and picks could net an impact guy like Kyle Kuzma or Bruce Brownwho aren’t stars but would be a big boost to the rotation.
Deepen the rotation/use the NBA Draft
A huge reason — maybe the reason — these Knicks are where they are is thanks to their drafting. Despite only picking in the top three once and the lottery twice, they’ve managed to hit on multiple legitimate NBA players, most of whom they’ve flipped in recent years to build the roster out.
After effectively not drafting anybody the past two years, New York should look to bring in a new crop of prospects, in hopes of finding the next Immanuel Quickley or Miles McBride.
Even if they fall short of that, filling out the end of the bench with more talent could help avoid a repeat of this postseason, while setting them up with friendly contracts for the future.
Besides the draft, New York has other means of bolstering its depth. Alec Burks and Precious Achiuwa are free agents, and if they’re willing to return without a guaranteed rotation spot, the Knicks should be quick to scoop them up.
They’ll have some kind of mid-level exception to use to pick up another body in free agency. Gary Harris, Royce O’Neale, Taurean Princeand Derrick Jones Jr. are names worth exploring.
New York can also make a call overseas to bring in Rokas Jokubaitistheir draft-and-stash point guard from 2021. He’s developed well and could add to their backcourt depth if he joins the league.
