We can and should debate the New York Knicks’ apparent decision to avoid the second apron next season, even though it means losing at least one of Mitchell Robinson and Landry Shamet. At the same time, when you take a moment to survey the rest of the Eastern Conference, you start to realize the Knicks might be on to something…because almost no one around them is significantly better.
Yes, the Miami Heat acquired Giannis Antetokounmpo. But that move actually helped New York’s title defense. Miami will be hard-pressed to build out championship depth after giving up so much for the two-time MVP, and the Milwaukee Bucks have now firmly pivoted out of attempting to win now.
The Giannis trade also weakened the Boston Celtics, a team the Knicks already weren’t fearing. Not only did they fail to land Antetokounmpo, but they’re still shopping Jaylen Brown anyway, in no small part because of New York’s climb up the Eastern Conference ladder.
And you know what? That’s not all.
The East is weaker than before after trades and signings
Good luck spotting the Eastern Conference riser who could blow up next season. The Charlotte Hornets loomed as a potential option after ranking in the top five of offense and defense after Thanksgiving, but they just traded LaMelo Ball to the Minnesota Timberwolves for a package built around Naz Reid. Say what you will about LaMelo; he was still far and away Charlotte’s best player.
The surprise riser isn’t going to be the Washington Wizards, either. They remain a deeply unserious team after giving Trae Young a four-year deal at the maximum value another squad could have offered.
If you thought the Brooklyn Nets had big plans for their cap space, the Knicks are here to happily inform you that their crosstown rivals most certainly do not. They added Julius Randle. That grades out as another win for the Knicks.
The Atlanta Hawks are a smidgeon better after getting Aaron Wiggins, but this is a move that speaks to their modest ambitions. The Toronto Raptors missed out on LaMelo Ball, and could be worse off if they enter the Ja Morant “sweepstakes.”
Though the Cleveland Cavaliers have intriguing names on paper, the Knicks just waxed the floor with them. They are not in a position to get much better with James Harden aging another year, and with a cap sheet that is harder to navigate than New York’s own.
The Indiana Pacers getting Tyrese Haliburton back is huge. Let’s wait and see what he looks like post-Achilles injury before making any bold declarations.
There is officially no team in the Knicks’ weight class
The Detroit Pistons currently profile as the biggest threat to the Knicks’ reign. Salary-dumping Isiah Stewart suggests they’re up to something big. But we need to see what that something is first.
Perhaps we are overindexing on the Celtics getting worse. They could keep Brown. Or trade him for more depth. Either way, their internal view of themselves is catnip for New York.
This doesn’t mean the Knicks are geniuses for (apparently) refusing to go into the second apron. There will be a real roster cost. But the toll extracted could be so very much worse.
More than that, the East has yet to give the Knicks a reason to act differently. For the time being, it makes more sense to meticulously manage their finances now, and consider entering the second apron later—if and when there’s another team that actually poses a serious threat.
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