The way the New York Knicks have turned things around is almost unthinkable compared to how they’ve been run for much of this century.
For years, the Knicks were one of the biggest spending teams and one of the most disadvantaged. They were losing frequently, making bad trades, giving out bad contracts, giving away draft picks, and going through head coaches and general managers.
Fast forward to the Leon Rose era in the 2020s, and the Knicks have suddenly become one of the smartest and best-managed teams in the league.
On Wednesday, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver praised the Knicks for their “strong management.”
“We hear less about this market dynamic between big and small, especially with this new system that we’ve put in place where it’s not just about who’s willing to pay the biggest luxury tax, because there are competitive consequences even if you’re willing to pay taxes,” Adam Silver (via Stefan Bondy of the New York Post). “We are therefore seeing the effects of solid management in a positive way. And we can cite Oklahoma City, they managed to remain competitive. They have their ebbs and flows but an incredibly managed team. And now you see that with the Knicks too.
Silver specifically noted Jalen Brunson’s team-friendly extension, which helps give the Knicks financial breathing room to continue building the roster.
“Congratulations to the Knicks and Jalen for creating an environment he wanted to be in,” Silver said. “If he continues to play at his level he will make a lot of money, which is wonderful. But I think what he did with his contract is consistent with the way he leads on the field. I think he made it clear to his teammates that he cares about them too and he also realizes that to compete for championships he needs great players around him.
Imagining Silver praising the Knicks in this way five years ago would be impossible.
Think back to the 2018-19 season, when the Knicks went 17-65, traded Kristaps Porzingis in part because of his fractured relationship with management, then signed top free agents this summer. The Knicks then went 4-20 to open the 2019-20 season and David Fizdale. They finished the season 21-45 (it was cut short due to the pandemic).
They hired Leon Rose this March and Tom Thibodeau this offseason.
Since then, the Knicks have rebuilt the roster into one with potential championship hopes this season. Over the years, they’ve stacked their draft picks and used them effectively to trade for roster upgrades (like Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, and Mikal Bridges). They signed player-friendly contracts and built a deep, versatile roster with a rotation of players under 30.
Plus, the Knicks are destined to be successful for years to come. Although they have traded many first round picks for Bridges picks, they have their own first round picks in odd years (teams cannot trade first round picks in consecutive years), as well as many additional second-round picks. As mentioned, their rotation is all under 30 and many of them are on team-friendly deals that should age well.
ESPN recently ranked the Knicks are third in their future power rankings because of how they have set themselves up for the coming years.
This is a pretty dramatic turnaround from NBA laughing stock to a respected franchise with the best potential yet to come.
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