The New York Knicks regime led by Leon Rose has learned from the previous regime’s mistake.
Steve Mills’ Knicks refused to take on an expiring last offseason and instead decided to sign every power forward available in the free-agent market.
Meanwhile, the Golden State Warriors were so desperate to get rid of Andre Iguodala’s contract, the Memphis Grizzlies were able to flip Julian Washburn, a career G-League player who has played 18 games in his NBA career, for Iguodala and a first-round pick.
Memphis then flipped Iguodala for Justice Winslow.
According to SNY’s Ian Begley, the Knicks are willing to take on an undesirable contract in exchange for assets.
This report shows the Knicks are on a crash course to yet another full-blown rebuild.
Rose is ready to break apart the team Steve Mills figured would lead the Knicks into relevancy again.
The Knicks have plenty of room in the cap to pull this off, but Rose will need to find the correct partner to dance with. If the Knicks decline the options on Bobby Portis, Wayne Ellington, Taj Gibson, and Reggie Bullock, New York will have over $60 million in cap space. Only the Knicks, Hawks, Hornets, and Pistons have this kind of cap space this offseason with many more watching their wallet due to pandemic-affected budgets.
Photo: —Trading for Chris Paul, Russell Westbrook, or even Victor Oladipo would probably cost the Knicks a few draft picks, which is against what they’ve been doing. The Knicks have four first-round picks over the next two years.
As painful as it sounds, this is absolutely the correct move for Rose and the Knicks. This is why they shouldn’t trade for Paul, Westbrook, or Oladipo. Who will they put around these guys? These guys could bring some wins to the team, finish 10th in the east and be in an average spot in the lottery and have these guys leave in three years, just to leave the Knicks back in the same hole.
It’s simply the wrong move. It does not make sense for the team in the long run.
The correct and smart move for the Knicks is to just continue to find what you can in the draft and develop them. Afterward is when you trade for a star on a struggling team for the drafted players that simply have not panned out. It isn’t rocket science.
It seems like Leon Rose sees this and recognizes this. He sees this team is not built to win right now.
Another new face in the front office is leading to another new full-blown rebuild for the New York Knicks.
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