The New York Knicks have one roster spot left — and seemingly no intention of using it on 41-year-old LeBron James. The all-time NBA great is still looking for a team with which to spend the 24th season of his career. The Knicks, on the other hand, signed Dallas Mavericks center Moussa Cissé to a two-year offer sheet.
The Mavericks didn't take long to match the contract, keeping the Christ the King High School star from a homecoming. But the attempt at adding a third center signaled Leon Rose's front office has its sights set elsewhere with regard to James. The forward just led the Los Angeles Lakers to a playoff series victory over the Phoenix Suns, and is still quite the basketball player regardless of his age.
The Knicks' lack of interest in James still makes complete sense, even though he's both capable of playing at a high level and willing to sign a veteran's minimum contract. Simply put, the reigning NBA Champions should always be looking to get better — but they don't need to mess so drastically with success, especially in an era of parity.
Knicks' offseason was a bet on continuity as they mount title defense
While New York did watch Mitchell Robinson and Ariel Hukporti join division rivals to open free agency, the rest of their offseason mostly consisted of moves to keep members of their title-winning roster around. Jose Alvarado, Jordan Clarkson, Landry Shamet, and Mohamed Diawara all signed new contracts to stick around.
Clarkson in particular represents a bet on culture and continuity. The guard averaged just 10.8 minutes per game in the postseason, but only played so much in the first place because of a complete midseason reinvention of his game. The veteran bench scorer devoted himself to impacting the game as both a rebounder and defender, making way for him to earn back a nightly role in Mike Brown's rotation.
If the Knicks had launched a feverish pursuit of James and opted to add the four-time NBA Finals MVP over bringing Clarkson back, they'd definitely be a better basketball team on paper. But that isn't what defines this group in New York — nor has it ever been.
These Knicks are defined by wins, not words
Referees have never brought yardsticks to the opening tip to measure Jalen Brunson's height and deem him officially shorter than the superstar across him. Defenders have never been able to use Instagram comments from misguided teenagers to guard Karl-Anthony Towns. Those things don't matter once the ball gets thrown up — and the Knicks get control of their own fate.
Aside from the toughness and all-time resilience required to mount a 22-point comeback in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, and then outdo it with a 29-point comeback in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, the Knicks' postseason run was defined by their decision-making.
Clarkson made the decision last season to do what it took to contribute to wins. So did Brunson, Towns, and every other player on the roster. This offseason, the Knicks made the decision to bet on that group — their group — once again. Only time will tell if it was the right one.
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