Knicks roundtable: Is the offseason a disappointment for not signing stars?

Part One of this New York Knicks offseason roundtable looks at if not signing any superstars makes free agency disappointing.

With the Reggie Bullock signing earlier this month, the New York Knicks have seemingly wrapped up their offseason. This includes seven free-agent acquisitions to try to improve a 17-65 roster, which finished last in the entire NBA.

The dust settled, so where does it leave the Knicks? In this first offseason roundtable on Daily Knicks, the staff looked at if free agency was a disappointment, since no superstars signed with the team:

Jayson Kleinman: No, definitely not. Even for the majority of the fanbase (myself included) who thought the Knicks were going to land Kevin Durant, as soon as the Kyrie-to-Brooklyn rumors started popping up, the front office made clear that they had a back-up plan. The fact that they were able to execute that plan effectively and position the team in a favorable free-agent position for the coming years is a success.

Matt Budkofsky: Absolutely. After losing Kristaps Porzingis for nothing, James Dolan publicly promised the Knicks would land a marquee free agent this summer. To add insult to injury, the Knicks not only struck out but also lost two coveted players to cross-town rival Brooklyn. This off-season was a gut punch as well as a wake-up call that the lure of the Garden is not enough to overcome the dysfunction that has engulfed the franchise.

Teresa Powe: The Knicks free agency was in no way a disappointment. Knicks owner James Dolan was within his rights to ask for Kevin Durant’s medical records for the past five years. Many Knicks’ fans lamented his decision, not considering the fact that Durant had already sustained a serious injury to his right foot resulting in two surgeries, ending his 2014-2015 season. After the series of broken players the Knicks have signed in the past, this was a move in the right direction.

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Anirudh Subramanian: The Knicks offseason should be considered a failure because all season it was talked about how important this summer was and landing stars. They even traded Kristaps Porizngis to get that cap space. I will say that they did rebound well and not overspend but take good players on good contracts, giving them flexibility going forward.

Michael Petreski: Were the New York Knicks ever going to truly get a superstar? Every major offseason always seems to go something similar to this, Superstar X wants to play for the Knicks, and do they ever get Superstar X? No, with that said, I find it hard to say I wasn’t disappointed.

The Knicks essentially cleared house to make a splash this offseason, yet here they are and no splash has been made. So, I would consider this offseason a bit of a disappointment.

Rhys Smith: Yes, considering all the rhetoric and what seemed like substantiated stories floating around the Knicks landing Durant and Irving leading up to free agency, the fact that they didn’t sign them is disappointing.

With that said, I still believe the Knicks had a decent offseason. Julius Randle has the potential to be an all-star and he was signed on a team-friendly deal. Every other player they signed is either a veteran, who will provide solid mentorship for the Knicks young prospects and a valuable role player that will make the Knicks way more competitive than they were last year or a young prospect with upside.

All of these deals are short term as well, giving the team the potential financial flexibility for next offseason but, more importantly, 2021, when the free agency market features guys like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Bradley Beal and potentially even Paul George, LeBron James and Kawhi Leonard

Eric Gonzalez: I don’t think this was a bad offseason for the Knicks. They gave short term deals to good and serviceable players. It seemed to many like an underwhelming offseason due to what the rumors and expectations were for the Knicks to be able to get a top tier free agent.

Rob Wolkenbrod:  The public confidence for a greater offseason made not signing the biggest names a letdown, but it does not mean the New York Knicks had a terrible summer. This may not be a playoff team, but they will be more competitive than last season, with the mix of the returning and new young players added. The lottery showed that bottoming out was not worth it, either.