The New York Knicks had a great 2020-21 season. With the likes of Julius Randle stepping up, the Knicks were a playoff team. Bringing in the likes of Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker, the Knicks hoped to continue their form in the 2021-22 season. But the season certainly didn’t pan out in the same manner.
Randle, who was an All-Star in the 2020-21 season, fell off. Fournier and Walker didn’t work out, as they were defensive liabilities on the court. The Knicks, who were the 4th seed in the 2020-21 season, fell out of even the play-in spots and finished the season in the 11th position of the Eastern Conference. Given the results of last season, the Knicks were expected to make some big moves in the offseason.
New York Knicks GM Pleased With Team’s Offseason Moves
The Knicks have been one of the most active teams in the NBA offseason. Trading off players like Kemba Walker and Alec Burks, the Knicks had free cap space to bring in guard Jalen Brunson. While they couldn’t trade for Donovan Mitchell, they secured RJ Barrett’s signature for an extension.
GM Leon Rose recently sat down for an interview and spoke about all the moves the team made in the offseason.
https://twitter.com/MSGNetworks/status/1573465804842090496
“We’re thrilled with where we are… We’re thrilled with the team we have and we feel like we are positioned very well for the future.”
“We feel really good about the summer,… By not making a move, we are flush with draft capital, which as you know, is great currency in the market, and something that will help us get better as we move forward.”
Rose also addressed the Knicks’ pursuit of Donovan Mitchell.
“We went through that process there and ultimately, at the end of the day, we made the decision to stay put.”
While the Knicks not trading for Mitchell might be a bummer to many Knicks fans, it would have turned into a similar situation of Carmelo Anthony being with the Knicks, good enough to make it to the playoffs, not enough to win a championship.
With the current roster, the Knicks have some wiggle room. This season the team will hope that Randle and Barrett step up their game. If at least two of their stars can perform at an All-Star level, the Knicks will be hopeful for playoffs. What do you expect from the Knicks this season?
