The New York Knicks are primed for yet another busy offseason. Key players will enter free agency, the front office will dish out new contracts, and they could finally trade for a star. It should be a summer to remember.
There's a lot fans should be proud of from 2023-24. It was the first 50-win season in over 10 years, and even with a hobbled roster, the Knicks were one win away from making it to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000.
Leon Rose has nearly put together a perfect team, but he and the front office could make some key roster subtractions (and additions) to prepare for 2024-25.
3 Knicks who might not return next season, 2 who shouldn't be back
Player who might not return: Mitchell Robinson
Mitchell Robinson re-signed with the Knicks in 2022 free agency and is signed through the 2025-26 season, so the team doesn't have to make a decision about his future this summer.
He started 2023-24 on a tear and was in the Defensive Player of the Year conversation before an ankle injury in early December required surgery. He was out until the end of March when he returned at the end of the regular season. Robinson was instrumental in the Knicks' first-round series win over the Sixers but played only one game in the second round before being ruled out for the rest of the postseason.
One of New York's priorities this offseason is re-signing Isaiah Hartenstein. He'll be an unrestricted free agent this summer and will draw several suitors. He said he wants to stay with the Knicks but could make more money elsewhere.
If Hartenstein does stay, maybe opposing teams will reach out to the front office about a Robinson trade. Or, if they finally make their long-awaited trade for a star, the center could be included in the deal. Robinson could always be back in orange and blue next season.
This isn't to say that the Knicks should trade Robinson but with Hartenstein due for a payday, the front office could decide to move on from its 2018 second-round pick.