Here we are in yet another offseason for the New York Knicks, who came up short of reaching the play-in tournament. The silver lining from 2021-22 was RJ Barrett, who emerged as the team’s most dominant player in the second half of the year.
The Knicks’ young core has a lot of potential for the future, starting with Barrett. New York’s in pursuit of a point guard to add to the roster this summer, but if that doesn’t happen, Immanuel Quickley proved at the end of last season that he’s capable of growing into the starting point guard role.
There’s a lot to be excited about and because the Knicks are the Knicks, there’s been plenty of talk about moves that the team could make during the offseason. New York’s been linked to players like Donovan Mitchell and Jalen Brunson (to name a couple), but based on the past, fans shouldn’t get too attached to the idea of any player in particular joining the Knicks.
And based on what Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer wrote in his latest piece, New York fans need to temper their expectations. Let’s analyze what Fischer had to say.
5 main New York Knicks takeaways from Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer
5: D’Angelo Russell
D’Angelo Russell’s career started in 2015 with the Los Angeles Lakers and since then the point guard’s played for the Brooklyn Nets, Golden State Warriors, and now the Minnesota Timberwolves. Why not go ahead and add the Knicks to that list?
The 26-year-old is owed $31.4 million in 2022-23 before becoming an unrestricted free agent next summer. Russell played a big role in leading the Nets to the playoffs in 2019 and could return to New York to help get the Knicks back in the postseason.
He’s not at the top of the team’s list, but that doesn’t mean that he’s not a viable option. Fischer wrote:
"As the Knicks work down the list of their point guard options, rival executives have pointed to Minnesota Timberwolves starter D’Angelo Russell as a potential lower-level trade target. New York’s front office recently added former Minnesota president of basketball operations Gersson Rosas, who once chased Russell in free agency and later traded Andrew Wiggins to Golden State for the creative point guard."
Marc Stein reported (subscription required) that the Timberwolves are open to trading Russell during the offseason. The guard averaged 18.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 7.1 assists, and 1 steal in the 65 games that he played in this past year for Minnesota. Russell shot 41.1% from the floor and 34% from the 3-point line.
The Timberwolves advanced past the play-in tournament and faced the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs in an exciting matchup, but Russell was essentially a non-factor. Ever since leaving Brooklyn, he’s struggled to find his footing.
His price tag for next season is high, but it’s a more feasible option than trading for Mitchell or signing Brunson to a contract worth $20-$25 million annually. Let’s look at what Andrew Wiggins has been able to accomplish in Golden State. Maybe Russell could enjoy a similar level of success in New York.