The New York Knicks are very clearly undermanned against the elite teams in the NBA. Granted, Mitchell Robinson will return in short order. But the Knicks’ depth will still inevitably be a problem for the remainder of this season—and that’s fine because New York took care of their starting lineup last offseason. So, the unfortunate truth is this, the Knicks are probably not built to compete for a championship this year. They can make some noise in the playoffs. But there is still a ceiling on how far they can go. However, if they re-tool their reserves correctly, that could change as soon as next season.
Where Knicks stand looking to next season
While upgrading their bench is the plan, it requires some borderline genius maneuvering from Leon Rose and the Knicks front office. Why? Because New York is up against the second apron. For 2024-25, the second apron is $188.931 million. New York is thankfully on pace to stay just below that. Exceeding the second apron has punitive, longer-term ramifications, and the Knicks likely prefer to remain below it again next season as well.
Every contributor for the Knicks is locked up for the foreseeable future—except Precious Achiuwa, Cam Payne, and Landry Shamet. All become free agents this offseason.
The second apron is projected to be $207.8 million for 2025-26, and the Knicks are projected to land at $194.365 million. Thus, New York can spend about $13 million to replace those three relatively important role players who combine to make approximately $10.6 million.
So, how might the Knicks make upgrades? Their 2025 first round pick is owed to Brooklyn from the Mikal Bridges trade. So, there’s no obligation to add more salary there. The Knicks would probably like to bring back all three free agents, especially Achiuwa. But that is easier said than done.
Knicks could add former All-Star this season
Currently, New York cannot sign anyone who entered the 2024-25 season making $12.8 million or more. That is restrictive, and it probably means they’re not getting a major differentiator. Or, maybe not.
Victor Oladipo is one free agent who the Knicks can sign. Oladipo’s signed a two-year, $18.4 million deal before the 2022-23 season. He was waived by the Memphis Grizzlies in February 2024 after a trade landed him there. And it was recently suggested that the Knicks are favorites to sign the former All-Star.
Oladipo was last seen on the Miami Heat in 2022-23. He averaged a respectable 10.7 points and 3.5 assists in 26.3 minutes per game, and he even appeared in two playoff games on the way to the NBA Finals.
Granted, Oladipo’s athleticism is almost certainly not what it once was, and he was slightly less efficient than he’s been for much of his career. But taking a flier on Oladipo means that New York is looking to fix one of its biggest problems, bench scoring.
The Knicks are at the bottom of the league in bench scoring. Oladipo can help while adding limited risk given how much he’d likely earn.
Other free agent options exist now and in offseason
Adding a top-end free agent is out of the question now and in the offseason, at least from a salary standpoint. The Knicks could consider adding James Wiseman, the former second-overall pick from 2020, immediately. He would add size, which the Knicks are currently lacking. Although if they are confident in Robinson’s ability to remain healthy, he might not be utilized enough to justify the investment.
Free agent options open up this Summer, but New York is still constrained by how much they can pay. Guys like Bobby Portis, Nickel Alexander-Walker, Luke Kennard, Dennis Schroeder, Ty Jerome, and Gary Trent Jr. are all in play.
However, the Knicks might want to take a closer look at Russell Westbrook and Guerschon Yabusele. Westbrook seems happy and well-suited to the Denver Nuggets, a team he has helped re-establish itself as a serious title contender. Westbrook has a player option and while he’ll probably seek a bigger deal, Denver has the inside track.
Yabusele is an interest piece as well. He’s less likely to remain in Philadelphia given the uncertainty around how competitive they will be. His size and physicality could replace some of what New York might lose in Achiuwa at (likely) a fraction of the price.
Knicks’ starting center could shake up NBA landscape
This is the most immediate need— and thankfully, it’s the one that will manifest the fastest. Mitchell Robinson is set to return from injury any day. Coach Tom Thibodeau’s recent statement about the Knicks playing without their starting center sent a clear message; the intention is for Robinson to join the starting unit.
How he balances Robinson’s reintroduction to the starting lineup has to be handled delicately. After all, it means someone else has to go to the bench.
Josh Hart has thrived in a starting role, but he’s a candidate. The other likely candidate, Mikal Bridges, hasn’t come off the bench since the 2019-20 season. But the Knicks are in need of a boost to their effort and output, especially against elite teams, and Thibodeau will have to experiment to find the right mix.
Objectively, New York is in need of size. They rank 22nd in defensive rating and 20th in offensive rebounds. Those are areas in which Robinson will almost certainly help. So, getting him more minutes is for the best, so long as he’s handled with care.
Further, moving Karl-Anthony Towns to the power forward, at least part of the time, will unlock him in different ways. While he’s feasted on centers on the perimeter so far this season, he’ll be able to lock in on the block and in the midrange, overwhelming defenders with his size—assuming Thibodeau is able to create schemes that keep Robinson out of his way.
These are just a few of the ways that the Knicks can improve now and in the immediate future to better compete with the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Oklahoma City Thunder. Remember, the above suggestions don’t even consider the possible roles that Pacome Dadiet and Tyler Kolek may play.
Still, the idea of waiting another year is understandably disappointing to Knicks’ fans. But if they execute correctly, New York will be all-the-more dangerous next season.
The post How Knicks can improve now, this summer to become legitimate title contenders appeared first on ClutchPoints.
