After a disappointing 2021-22 campaign, the New York Knicks came into the offseason with a chance to quickly retool this team, and for the most part, the front office has done a good job so far. Sure, they haven’t immediately made themselves a top contender in a seemingly crowded Eastern Conference, but with a talented young roster, Leon Rose has put this group in a position to succeed and grow together as a unit.
The team as a whole hasn’t been overhauled, but a few smart decisions and additions have a healthy Knicks squad primed and ready to compete for a genuine playoff spot in the 2022-23 season.
Obviously making good, solid moves in the offseason doesn’t always translate to success in the regular season, but at this point, it’s hard for Knicks fans to not have a positive outlook on the present and the future of this team.
Not everything was a win, but it’s safe to say this was a good offseason for the team representing The Big Apple, and today, we are going to take a look at five ways this offseason was a success, and why fans should be cautiously optimistic ahead of the 2022-23 season.
5 reasons why the offseason has been a success for the New York Knicks
5. The Knicks didn’t cave to the Jazz’s demands
All the talk in Knicks land over the past few weeks has been the potential trade to bring Donovan Mitchell home to New York from the Utah Jazz. Unfortunately for the Knicks fans that are eager to land ‘Spida’, the man now in charge of the Jazz is Danny Ainge, who just received a historic haul for Rudy Gobert. He has seemingly made it clear that he wants another, perhaps even bigger haul for No. 45.
While landing a huge star like Mitchell would certainly help this team in the present, the fact that Leon Rose and Co. haven’t completely caved into Ainge’s demands is a sign of progress for this franchise. Ultimately, the team should be looking to acquire a 24 PPG career scorer, but if Danny Ainge isn’t willing to lower the price to something that’s comfortable for the Knicks front office, they should be confident in the team they’ve got heading into the 2022-23 season.
In recent years, New York likely would have already given up several young players and a historic haul for Mitchell, but it’s clear right now that the front office has a plan, and with the young core looking to build together, there’s no reason to give up all their future pieces if there’s no plan in place.