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Leon Rose reveals Knicks’ main goal amidst offseason trade rumors

ByJordanna Clark|
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 16: Josh Hart #11 of the Portland Trail Blazers goes to the basket as RJ Barrett #9 and Mitchell Robinson #23 of the New York Knicks defend during the first half at Madison Square Garden on March 16, 2022 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 16: Josh Hart #11 of the Portland Trail Blazers goes to the basket as RJ Barrett #9 and Mitchell Robinson #23 of the New York Knicks defend during the first half at Madison Square Garden on March 16, 2022 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

Leon Rose didn’t speak publicly at the end of 2021-22, but instead, an interview with MSG Network aired ahead of the New York Knicks’ regular-season finale. That was over five months ago, and since then, New York made a flurry of offseason moves and was then caught up in Donovan Mitchell trade rumors.

With the start of the 2022-23 season a few weeks away, an interview between Rose and MSG Network’s Alan Hahn aired on Friday night, three days before New York’s 2022 Media Day. There was added controversy about the media not getting to speak directly with Rose, which happened with Jalen Brunson and RJ Barrett, but at this point, it shouldn’t come as a surprise.

Rose, who took over as the President of the Knicks in March of 2020, has orchestrated a busy offseason for New York. The biggest move of the summer happened in early July when the Knicks officially signed point guard Jalen Brunson (Rose’s godson) to a four-year, $104 million deal. For the first time in a long time (two decades), New York has a true point guard.

In the interview with Hahn, Rose addressed the Knicks’ offseason and said that the organization’s main goal has been “to create internal stability.”

Leon Rose harps on importance of Knicks creating “internal stability”

Here’s what Leon Rose had to say:

"“One of our main goals all along has been to try to create internal stability. We signed RJ Barrett, first extension of a player since Charlie Ward. We retained Mitchell Robinson. Mitchell is another player who has been developed through the last few years and we felt very fortunate to be able to keep him. We got the number one point guard in free agency this summer in Jalen Brunson. We feel really good about the summer by not making a move. We are flushed with draft capital, which as you know, is great currency in the market and is something that will help us get better as we move forward.”"

Rose said that New York “made the decision to stay put” in terms of Donovan Mitchell. He added that he’s not allowed to speak about a player who’s under contract with another team, although the guard said in his introductory press conference with the Cleveland Cavaliers that he thought that he was going to end up with the Knicks.

After going back and forth with the Utah Jazz and Danny Ainge for weeks, New York seemingly believed that it would be best for the organization to not proceed with the talks. Along with OKC’s Sam Presti, Ainge is the last person that executives should want to engage in trade conversations with.

Rose appears to be confident in the direction that New York’s headed in, but of course, he should feel no different. If he did, he surely wouldn’t say it in an interview. For the most part, fans seem to feel the same way as Rose. The Knicks didn’t trade for a star this summer but instead extended two players that they drafted in recent years and didn’t have to part with players such as Obi Toppin or Immanuel Quickley.

The youth movement appears to be in full swing in New York, but we’ll have to wait until the 2022-23 season to learn if that’s the direction that Tom Thibodeau and the Knicks are truly headed in.

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