New York Knicks: It’s time to finally rebuild the right way

Looking to the future

I am not an advocate for tanking, and from what we just learned about the Lakers and the Celtics, it’s not necessary. The best way to build if you’re in a high pressure/win-now market like New York is to outsource your rebuild.

Acquire draft picks and draft swaps from other teams, especially ones that are not well-run. The Lakers and the Celtics don’t have great draft records, but they have given themselves enough bites at the apple. Boston recently rebuilt their team on the backs of the Brooklyn Nets.

The one thing that has come from the consistent losing over the past two decades is that it’s been proven that New York fans are patient. As a kid I always heard that New York will not tolerate a rebuild, that the Knicks have to be in win-now mode all the time. Well, that myth has been busted. In fact, the opposite is now true. Fans are putting pressure on the franchise to focus on the team building process instead of trying to win press conferences.

While the Knicks do not have stars on the court, they seem to have assembled some in the front office and coaching staff. They also have draft capital for a change and are one of the few teams with cap space. They are also operating in a challenging economic environment which will force other franchises to make more financially motivated decisions than usual.

New York will be able to do what the Lakers and Celtics have done for years, put a competitive team on the court will also rebuilding. They will most likely be able to acquire a good veteran player like Chris Paul without having to give up quality draft picks. As for the draft, the Knicks missed the opportunity to secure a higher draft pick this season, but the 8th pick should yield them a good player.

Now looking ahead to the 2021 draft. It’s expected to be one of the best since 2003. The Knicks will have their pick, plus Dallas’ unprotected 1st and the right to swap picks with the Clippers. It doesn’t sound like much, but if you think about it, those assets could easily increase in value.

The Western Conference will be extremely competitive next season, Dallas could have a winning record and miss the playoffs. If Luka misses any significant time due to injury, then they will definitely miss the playoffs. So with the flatten lottery odds, the Knicks could have two chances at a top 3 pick.

As for the Clippers’ pick, the Knicks could use it in a trade with a team that finishes with a better record than the Clippers, which is possible due to Kawhi Leonard’s load management requirements.

So after 47 years, the Knicks might be doing things the right way for a change. Let’s hope we can celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1973 championship with a new banner.