This time last year, the Knicks were coming off a competitive second-round exit — just like they are now. They had decided to largely maintain their core rotation, betting on internal growth and sustained chemistry to carry them to new heights.
Now, three blockbuster trades later, New York has made it clear that nearly anybody is expendable in pursuit of the franchise’s first championship in more than 50 years — and that is the singular goal they’re striving towards.
Even after a dominant 14-2 January in which the Knicks ran roughshod over the league and a postseason that saw them fall one game short of the Eastern Conference Finals with a half-healthy roster, Leon Rose and company saw the opportunity to improve this team further, and went for it.
They traded their accumulated stockpile of draft capital for Mikal Bridges, then moved the player who led this rebuild from the beginning — Julius Randle — in a deal for Karl-Anthony Towns.
The hope for New York is that these massive swings will yield its best results in years.
They cost them some institutional knowledge and depth, but no cost is too large for a championship — if they deliver.
The Rose gambit
Here is the championship case for the 2024-25 Knicks:
Jalen Brunson is a certified superstar, one worth building an entire offense around and carrying said unit through the ups and downs of the regular season and playoffs. This is likely the safest assumption to make about this team after Brunson averaged 32.4 points and 7.5 assists in the 2024 postseason, hitting marks untouched since Michael Jordan, thanks to four consecutive 40-point games.
The Towns trade was partly a double down on Brunson’s stardom, pairing him with one of the most dynamic offensive big men in the game and, more importantly, a center who can stretch the floor and offer him more avenues to work than before. Although it was only the preseason, Brunson got a high volume of uncontested rim attacks that were not afforded to him in prior seasons. His two-man game chemistry with Towns clearly has massive potential.
They spent a solid quarter in one game just running one pick-and-roll after another, scoring with ease despite trying to learn each other’s tendencies on the fly. With these two at the helm, this Knicks offense can be the best in the league.
Much of that will fall on their supporting cast. In losing Randle and Donte DiVincenzo, they have a lot of scoring and creation to make up for. They’re hoping that OG Anunoby and Bridges are up to the task of making up that production.
Anunoby always had a soft comparison to Kawhi Leonard and often showed glimpses of a dependable mid-range and off-the-dribble game. In Game 2 of the second round last season against Indiana, when he injured his hamstring and all but ended his playoff run, he had 28 first-half points, displaying a level of aggression and offensive poise that the Knicks hope to build on.
Bridges was a star three-and-D player in Phoenix before exploding as a lead option in his first half-season as a Net. However, his follow-up year saw a major step back. A nice middle ground should exist where Bridges can efficiently lead bench units and give Brunson a breather from the ball.
Despite the hits to its depth, New York still boasts Josh Hart and Miles McBride, both coming off career years and huge playoff performances. Precious Achiuwa and Mitchell Robinson will make their eventual returns to the lineup, and the deeper rotation looked surprisingly resilient during the preseason.
New York’s 19-year-old first-round pick Pacome Dadiet shined in two games, Cameron Payne looked like a terrific veteran pickup, rookie Tyler Kolek played 10 years his elder, and backup fives Jericho Sims and Ariel Hukporti look fit for the role. The Knicks just need a couple of lesser names to pop and be healthy for the postseason.
This team — whether purposely or not — also built itself to match up well with its top conference threat, the defending NBA champions. Boston is built around its two star wings, an All-Star caliber stretch five, and elite two-way guards. Naturally, New York responded with two incredible defensive wings and a better stretch five around Brunson.
Outstanding questions
The vision is entirely justifiable, and in a perfect world the Knicks check every box and are in it when the championship race nears its conclusion. There are some questions that the preseason can’t answer, however.
New York made the right choice trying to maximize Brunson, but need to work towards not being too reliant on him for a second straight run. Not having Randle last year left its toll, and while Towns and Bridges are major additions, their results have been shaky as offensive initiators.
Towns also has to anchor a Tom Thibodeau and Brunson defense, which shouldn’t be an issue en route to 50-plus wins in the regular season, but three rounds deep against the league’s best in May? If Anunoby and Bridges play up to their potential on that end, it’s doable.
Unfortunately for the Knicks, there are some negative signs from the preseason — nothing to panic over, but worth noting if not resolved after 15 or 20 regular season games.
Bridges shot 2 of 19 from three during the warmup games, with a noticeably altered jump shot. Players tinker, and he’s yet to have a bad shooting season, but it’s concerning.
Hart had a quiet preseason and described himself as “lost” on the court — not the right message from your energy and culture guy. Whether it takes a rotation change or not, don’t expect this attitude and production to linger.
Some things will just need to be rebuilt given the material changes to this core. New York lost a chemistry and identity, which will take a good chunk of the early season to create anew.
That’s the price you pay for trying to compete for a championship. There will be bumps in the road and euphoric highs, but ultimately the outcome will come down to swing games against the Celtics, Bucks, Sixers and Pacers of the world at borderline exhaustion, gut-check time.
Not done dealing?
That is, assuming this is what the team looks like come the spring. Despite flirting with the second apron, the Knicks still have some flexibility between now and the trade deadline to further boost its chances.
The Knicks have open roster spots for a free-agent veteran or future waiver option to help fill out the rotation, should they choose to do so. A Nassir Little, Lonnie Walker IV or other pickup could be a surprise difference-maker.
The Knicks also still have some future picks and tradable assets in Robinson, Achiuwa, and McBride. Moving them for additional depth or a superior player could be an option for them come midseason.
Prediction
Failing to reach the Conference Finals would be a disappointment for this team, given what it’s invested. It uprooted an already-potent and established team, including a two-time All-NBA core piece, to get here. Now it’s time to deliver.
New York will finish a top-three seed in the Eastern Conference and well above the 50-win mark.
It may take some time to click, but Brunson and Towns will be unstoppable to guard — and Thibodeau will get the best out of their defense and surrounding cast.
There’s no question that this team has enough on paper to beat any team in the league in a seven-game series, but it’s anybody’s guess if that translates on the court. We haven’t seen a fraction of what this team can do, but it’ll take every member of it playing to their fullest potential to reach that ceiling.
The Knicks will beat the Celtics in the Conference Finals, 4-2, to advance to the NBA Finals, where they’ll fall to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
