Knicks Rumors: Roster could have ‘heavy veteran presence’ next season

What will the New York Knicks roster look like next season?

It’s no secret that the arrival of Leon Rose as president of the New York Knicks means change is coming beyond just the head coaching position.

Ian Begley of SNY talked about how he thinks the Knicks roster will look next season while appearing as a guest on ESPN Radio in New York with Larry Hardestry on Monday.

"“I think you are going to see a heavy veteran presence on the roster,” Begley said. “It’s not like they are going to roll the ball out and have a bunch of 19, 20, 21 year olds in the rotation.”"

Begley noted Tom Thibodeau remains the frontrunner for head coach, and while Rose will likely look to beef up the roster regardless of who is leading the team along the sideline, it’s logical to believe Thibs would be a proponent of adding some veteran pieces. Coaches want to win, and it’s very difficult to win with a team full of teenagers and players in their early twenties.

While this might concern Knicks fans at first glance, it actually makes complete sense. The Knicks have a young core in RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson, along with their upcoming lottery pick and two additional draft picks, who will all be part of the 2020-21 roster unless something completely out of left field emerges on the trade market.

However, it’s hard to imagine any of the other young players already on the roster have secure standing under Rose, either to remain with the team into next season, or to play prominent roles.

Didn’t the Knicks just sign a bunch of veterans last year?

The problem with the veteran free agents acquired last summer wasn’t that they were veterans, it was they were the wrong mix of players to move the needle and help New York’s young, developing players shine.

There’s a difference between Taj Gibson as a veteran addition versus Danilo Gallinari. There’s a difference between signing Bobby Portis versus Carmelo Anthony. I don’t think Leon Rose is looking to add experience for the sake of it; I think he will try to find complementary pieces who will make sure the rotation has enough horses to carry the young players through the season without finishing near the bottom of the league again.

If the Knicks end up drafting LaMelo Ball, as an example, it would make sense to add veteran shooters to a lineup that would include three non-shooters in Ball, Barrett, and Robinson.

So the headline of the Knicks having a “heavy veteran presence” next season doesn’t really mean anything until we know which veterans they add to the roster. I suppose it does signify, and Begley pointed this out in the interview, that Leon Rose isn’t here to take the Sam Hinkie approach in playing only his young players until he strikes gold in the lottery. Rose is going to do his best to push the Knicks up the standings whenever next season can be played.