The 2021-22 NBA season could not be going much worse for the New York Knicks than it is right now. The team has sunk to 12th place in the Eastern Conference, four games behind the Atlanta Hawks for the final spot in the NBA Play-In Tournament.
This is quite a disappointment for a team that finished fourth place in the Eastern Conference last season and looked to finally be on the right path to building a contender. However, this season has been lacking when it comes to the three pillars Leon Rose wanted to build the franchise upon; stability, continuity and flexibility.
They tried to keep continuity by re-signing Alec Burks, Derrick Rose, Nerlens Noel and Taj Gibson last offseason. While Burks has been solid even if forced to play out of position and Gibson is the consummate professional, Rose and Noel have been sidelined a majority of the season.
The signings of Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker haven’t looked great, either. Fournier has had his flashes, but his defensive shortcomings have been difficult to overcome. Walker is a shell of himself as knee problems have sapped him of his quickness and will not be with the team for the remainder of the season.
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However, while the signings haven’t panned out, the Knicks have maintained one thing; flexibility. Rose and the front office have done a great job stockpiling draft picks, a foreign concept to the regimes before them. Every player they signed in free agency also had a player option in the final season of their contracts except Walker.
That means the New York Knicks could have a ton of cap space to use in 2023 or 2024 depending on how they play things. The end game is landing at least one if not two, star players to truly become contenders. But, obtaining those players, is easier said than done.
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“If they are going to give up their picks and swaps to get someone, it doesn’t matter who they are trading,” a Western Conference executive said. “But if their hope was to turn these guys into good players by themselves, I’d be hard-pressed to see a team thinking they’ll take that for a star.”
Julius Randle’s regression to the mean this season has slightly adjusted the team’s plans as he may no longer be looked at as the go-to player. RJ Barrett has shown the potential to carry that load, flashing some immense potential.
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But, the New York Knicks need at least one more bonafide start to help get things back on track. They will likely have to part with more than just the veteran players, as some of the luster has been removed with the season the team is having. However, there are still more than enough assets to build a compelling deal.
If that certain star player is a point guard, even better. A lot of the team’s issues would be solved with the addition of a point guard as the offense routinely stalls at the end of the games without someone to get things organized. Damian Lillard, as long as it doesn’t cost Barrett, is likely still the player that the front office and fans would love to see land in The Big Apple the most.
