This time last year, the Knicks came from a competitive second-round exit — just like they do now. They decided to mostly keep their core rotation, betting on internal growth and continued chemistry to take them to new heights.
Now, three blockbusters later, New York has made it clear that just about anyone is expendable for the franchise’s first championship in more than 50 years — and that’s the singular goal they’re striving for.
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, Leo Rose and company saw the opportunity to improve this team further, and went for it.
They exchanged their accumulated stock of draft capital for Mikal Bridgesthen moved the player who led this rebuild from the beginning — Julius Randle — in agreement for Karl-Anthony Towns.
The hope for New York is that these massive swings will yield their best results in years.
It costs them some institutional knowledge and depth, but no cost is too great 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 highs and lows of the regular season and playoffs. This is probably 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 then. Michael Jordanthanks to four consecutive 40-point games.
The Towns trade was in part a doubling 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 received a high volume of uncontested rim attacks that had not been afforded to him in previous seasons. His two-man play chemistry with Cities clearly has massive potential.
They spent a solid quarter in one game just running one pick-and-roll after another, winning easily 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. Losing Randle and Donte DiVincenzothey have plenty of scoring and creation to compensate. They hope so AND Anunoby and Bridges is up to the task of making up that production.
Anunoby has always had a mild comparison to Kawhi Leonard and often showed glimpses of a reliable mid-range and off-the-dribble game. In Game 2 of the second round last season against Indiana, when he injured his hamstring and nearly ended his playoff run, he had 28 first-half points, showing a level of aggressiveness and offensive balance the Knicks hope to build on.
Bridges was a star three-and-D player in Phoenix before breaking out as a leadoff option in his first half-season as a Net. However, his next year saw a major step back. A nice midfield should exist where Bridges can effectively lead bench units and give Brunson a breather off the ball.
Despite the hits to its depth, New York still boasts Josh Hart and Miles McBrideboth coming off career years and tremendous playoff performances. Precious Achiuwa and Mitchell Robinson will make their eventual returns to the lineup, and the deeper rotation has looked surprisingly resilient throughout the preseason.
New York’s 19-year-old first-round pick Pacome Dadiet shined in two games, Cameron Payne looked like a terrible veteran pickup, newbie Tyler Kolek played 10 years his senior, and reserve quintet Jericho Sims and Ariel Hukporti look fit for the role. The Knicks just need a few smaller names to break out and be healthy for the postseason.
This team — whether on purpose or not — has also built itself to match up well with its main 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 as the championship race nears its conclusion. There are some questions that the pre-season can’t answer though.
New York made the right choice in trying to max out Brunson, but must work to not be too dependent on him for a second straight run. Not having Randle last year took its toll, and while Towns and Bridges are important additions, their results have been shaky as offensive starters.
Cities must also anchor a Tom Thibodeau and a Brunson defense that shouldn’t be a problem 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 to that end, it’s doable.
Unfortunately for the Knicks, there are some negative signs from the preseason — nothing to panic about, but noticeable if not resolved after 15 or 20 regular season games.
Bridges shot 2 of 19 from three during the warm-up games, with a markedly altered jump shot. Players play, and he’s still having 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 a rotation change is needed or not, don’t expect this attitude and production to continue.
Some things will just have to be rebuilt due to the material changes to this core. New York has lost a chemistry and an identity that will take a good portion of the early season to re-create.
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 result will come down to swinging games against the Celtics, Bucks, Sixers and Pacers of the world at borderline exhaustion, drip-check time.
Not finished trading?
That is, assuming this is what the team looks like come 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 a future waiver option to help fill out the rotation if they choose to do so. A Nassir Eta, Lonnie Walker IV or another pickup could be a surprising difference maker.
The Knicks also still have some future picks and tradeable assets in Robinson, Achiuwa and McBride. Moving them for additional depth or a taller player could be an option for them come midseason.
Prediction
Failing to reach the Conference Finals would be a disappointment for this team, considering what it is invested in. It uprooted an already powerful and established team, including a two-time All-NBA core piece, to get here. Now it’s time to deliver.
New York will finish as the third seed in the Eastern Conference and well over the 50-win mark.
It may take some time to click, but Brunson and Towns will be unstoppable at guard — and Thibodeau will get the best out of his defense and surrounding cast.
There’s no question that this team has enough paperwork to beat any team in the league in a seven-game series, but whether that translates on the court is anyone’s guess. We haven’t seen a fraction of what this team can do, but it will take every member of it playing to their fullest potential to reach that ceiling.
The Knicks will defeat the Celtics in the Conference Finals, 4-2, to advance to the NBA Finals, where they will fall to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
