This last week has possibly been the biggest week for Knicks fans in the 21st century. Frankly put, the New York Knicks are all in. But in a way that isn’t like the 2017 trio of Carmelo Anthony, Derrick Rose and Kristaps Porzingis. It isn’t like when they traded for Tracy McGrady. Or even when they shelled out a big contract to Joakim Noah and traded for Andrea Bargnani.
This is different. On Tuesday, the Knicks sent Bojan Bogdanovic, four unprotected first-round picks, a protected 2025 Bucks first, and a 2028 pick swap to the crosstown rival Brooklyn Nets for Mikal Bridges.
This move added the championship-winning college teammate of current Knicks, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo. The Villanova alumni have even been dubbed the “Nova Knicks.”
Then on Wednesday, it was announced that OG Anunoby would be resigning with the Knicks on a five-year, $212.5 million deal. That move guaranteed a two things for the future of the Knicks. The core of the team will be together for at least the next two seasons. And the “Nova Knicks” are not only real, but they can be a real problem.
Outlook for the Offseason
Now that the Anunoby signing and Bridges trade are official, the next step for the Knicks is to try and save as much money as possible for luxury tax purposes.
In the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft, the Knicks traded down twice in a return for six second-round picks. They also drafted French wing Pacome Dadiet, who could potentially be a draft-and-stash for next season. All of these moves were done to save just enough money in the CBA’s new rules to avoid the first apron.
With this, they can pivot to free agency, where they’ll be competing to re-sign Isaiah Hartenstein. According to Jonathan Macri, the Knicks are prepared to offer Hartenstein a four year, $72 million deal.
For some more financial feasibility, they could possibly add additional cap relieving players to the Bridges deal. In terms of filling out the rest of the roster, I’d expect the Knicks to target some veteran minimums in free agency. Andre Drummond and Goga Bitadze seem like early favorites to backup Mitchell Robinson. They also still have two draft picks in the second round.
The Ideal Lineup
I don’t expect any trades involving Robinson or Julius Randle, as their experience with Tom Thibodeau is a large reason why the Knicks are expected to be great.
By trading so many assets for Bridges while simultaneously giving Anunoby max money, it’s obvious that the Knicks are doubling down on their defensive identity. Many who criticize the wing duo of Anunoby and Bridges say they are essentially the same type of player, and it’s true. But it’s also why this unit works.
Bridges and Anunoby are both defensive specialists who excel at corner threes. In fact, no player has hit more corner threes this decade than Bridges. They also seem like the ideal matchups for Boston’s wing duo of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Bridges is also an iron man, never missing a single game in his career. Considering injuries derailed the Knicks in the 2024 playoffs, this is extremely valuable.
This lineup also replenishes the depth they lost with the initial Anunoby trade. In fact, three starters from most of the playoffs now making up the bench unit. I don’t think the Knicks will be able to keep Hartenstein, so I envision the lineup to look like this.
Potential Starting Lineup: Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson
Bench Unit: Deuce McBride, Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Hart, Pacome Dadiet, Goga Bitadze
Only time will tell, with more clarity in the coming days with free agency. But I think it’s safe to say that the Knicks are legitimate contenders for the first time in a long time.
***
Check out some more basketball content!
Follow Fantom Sports on Twitch!
Follow Us on X!