With the first month of the 2022-23 season in the rearview mirror, the New York Knicks sit at 9-10. For the most part, the Knicks have performed as expected after not making a major trade over the summer.
New York did make an upgrade at point guard though after signing Jalen Brunson to a four-year, $104 million deal. Not only has it been pleasant to watch a Knicks team with an actual point guard, but Brunson’s off to a solid start.
However, even though it was known that New York would be headed toward another mediocre finish in the standings, the Knicks still have quite a few worrisome issues that could’ve been better addressed during the offseason. Those issues have run over into the start of the season and are continuing to plague New York.
3 offseason regrets Knicks have after first month of 2022-23 season
3: Not trading Evan Fournier or Derrick Rose
Over the summer, Knicks fans were hoping to see veterans such as Julius Randle and Evan Fournier traded. Instead, both Randle and Fournier entered the season in the starting lineup, but that’s since changed.
Fournier was removed from the starting lineup ahead of the Nov. 4 win over the Sixers. Since then, he’s played a total of 89 minutes and has racked up six straight DNPs. Fournier is averaging a career-low 6.9 points and is shooting a career-low 33.3% from the three-point line. Last season, he broke John Starks’ single-season record for made three-pointers, but his inconsistency on the offensive end was one of New York’s biggest problems before he was removed from the rotation. Now, the Knicks are tasked with finding a trade partner for Fournier, which will be easier said than done due to his contract and drop in production.
Similar to Fournier, Derrick Rose is averaging only 6.8 points and a near career-low of 13.2 minutes per game. Rose is another piece of New York’s logjam at guard that has held back younger players like Immanuel Quickley and Miles McBride.
Because the Knicks didn’t trade Fournier over the summer, the front office will have to work harder to locate a trade partner and agree on a deal that works for both sides. Dealing Rose will be easier than finding a trade partner for Fournier, but New York needs to trade both ahead of the deadline.