When NY Knicks President Leon Rose met with Knicks beat writers in late September, he said, and I’m paraphrasing, “The team will be patient but will strike when the right superstar becomes available.”
When the usually monk-like Rose tosses morsels to the media, the Knicks fan base–and the league at large–would be wise to pay heed.
The Knicks will cash in their chips for a superstar at some point during the Leon Rose tenure; it’s merely a matter of timing and opportunity when the right superstar becomes available.
Which leads directly to the question at the heart of this piece: Who is the right superstar?
Who is the right Superstar for the NY Knicks to acquire one day?
The right NBA superstar is like the right Uber in that the best one is the one that is available when you need it. That has to be the beginning of the conversation.
The right superstar is the one who has made himself available.
The list that ensues will keep the likelihood of becoming available at the forefront of the ranking process.
For example, given what is being built in Phoenix right now, Devin Booker will not be on the list. The likelihood of him asking to leave feels low right now.
The right superstar is also one who fits from a roster construction perspective. That means several things as it relates to the Knicks.
They should fit what head coach Tom Thibodeau wants to run. As I’m ranking these players, that will carry weight.
They should also fit from a cultural perspective. Trae Young will not make that top three for the last two reasons. Ask yourself if you could picture him playing for the Knicks.
Right. So, there you go.
Finally, the right superstar should fit alongside RJ Barrett and Julius Randle.
They should be 25 or younger and mix well from a basketball perspective.
Zion Williamson will not make the list for that reason. There are too many redundancies between Williamson and Randle.
The three names that follow check all these boxes to varying degrees.