No one would have blamed the New York Knicks for taking it easy this summer.
After making a massive swing last season to add OG Anunoby, the Knicks looked like a truly dangerous team for a precious few weeks before injuries started taking down their core players. They played injury roulette the rest of the year and throughout the playoffs until they finally collapsed under the weight of too many absences.
Running that team back healthy would have been an extremely reasonable move this summer, but instead, they swung for the fences, trading a massive package of draft picks for Brooklyn Nets wing Mikal Bridges, completing the Villanova quartet. They also moved up and down the draft board, filling out a pipeline of players to develop into their next set of role players.
How did the Knicks do this offseason?
The Knicks have transformed themselves from a laughingstock franchise to one of the best-run teams in the league, making incredibly competent decisions over the past couple of years. That included adding players like Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo at below-market value and seeing them blossom in New York.
Did their moves this summer follow that same trend? And how can they blossom in the Big Apple? Let's look at every significant move made by the Knicks this summer, from signings to trades to draft picks, and grade the Knicks move by move and overall. Was it a successful offseason? Did they accomplish their goals? And does it change their standing in the Eastern Conference?
Each pick is graded on a letter scale, where a 'C' move is fine, a 'B' move is really good and an 'A' move is outstanding.
We begin with the Knicks' best player and how intangibles played a part in shaping the future of the franchise.
1. Jalen Brunson extension
Jalen Brunson signed a four-year, $156.5 million extension, beginning in 2025-26 with a player option for 2028-29.
Jalen Brunson signed with the New York Knicks two years ago on a contract that has become one of the best bargains in the sport as he has blossomed into an MVP candidate and All-NBA point guard. Now he will remain on a below-market contract for the foreseeable future, a reality that unlocks the future for the Knicks.
Brunson could have waited until next summer and signed a longer maximum extension, making $11-13 million more per season than he will on this extension. That would have come with some risk of a significant decline in play or career-threatening injury changing his market next year. Yet that risk is relatively low; this move was more so about giving the franchise financial flexibility to build and maintain a contender in the midst of the new second tax apron era.
The Knicks believed in Brunson and made him their centerpiece star, they have employed his father for years, and they gathered Brunson's friends and college teammates to the team to compete around him. It must be awesome to go to work in such an environment and to play home games at Madison Square Garden. Clearly those intangibles played into Brunson's decision to sign such an extension.
For New York, that extra money saved will play a major role in staying under the second luxury tax apron, keeping their team-building options open even as new contracts for Mikal Bridges and Julius Randle come into play. It's a massive coup for the team and could be the difference between reaching the NBA Finals or not in the years to come.
Grade: A+
2. Drafted Tyler Kolek
Drafted Marquette point guard Tyler Kolek with the No. 34 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft
The New York Knicks used the No. 36 pick three years ago to draft West Virginia point guard Miles McBride, a move that has paid off spectacularly given McBride's growth and his well-earned spot in the rotation. This year, the Knicks may have pulled off the same move again, this time looking slightly further west to pluck Marquette point guard Tyler Kolek.
The Big East Player of the Year in 2023 and a Second-Team All-American this past season, Kolek was one of the most accomplished players in the draft this year. An incredibly savvy and calm passer, the 6'2" guard knows how to run an offense, speeding up or slowing down to find openings to get to the rim, pull up and shoot, or most often dime up a teammate in the perfect position for them to score.
Kolek is a knockdown 3-point shooter and can run off screens for catch-and-shoot opportunities, something many on-ball point guards are not comfortable doing. That will serve him well playing alongside Jalen Brunson or Julius Randle in a similar role to what McBride has filled over the past two seasons.
When Brunson sits, however, Kolek should be able to run an efficient offense with an array of two-way wings and forwards around him, and the pick-and-roll game with Mtichell Robinson should be on point. Kolek's primary weakness will be his size, potentially making him a target on defense, but if any team in the league were equipped to insulate him, it would be this Knicks squad.
Kolek was ranking Top-20 on many public draft boards heading into the draft, and the Knicks may have snagged another steal in the second round yet again.
Grade: A
Traded for Mikal Bridges
Traded Bojan Bogdanovic, Shake Milton, Mamadi Diakite, Unprotected first-round picks in 2025, '27, '29 and '31, Milwaukee's 2025 first-round pick, 2028 first-round pick swap, 2025 second-round pick for Mikal Bridges, Keita Bates-Diop, Juan Vaulet and a 2026 second-round pick.
There have been millions of words written about the Mikal Bridges trade already, including tens of thousands on this website. We won't attempt to rehash them all here. Suffice it to say, this deal is a massive swing for the fences.
The Knicks have been amassing their assets for years, waiting for a big-time star to come available. That hasn't happened, but what did happen was Jalen Brunson becoming that star. This opened up an alternate path, one where the Knicks built up a truly elite collection of "role players" to surround Brunson with.
That ended up being Mikal Bridges, a player who has never been an All-Star nor averaged more than 20.1 points per game in a full season. On the other hand, Bridges was one of the premier 3-and-D players in the league who then leveled up into an on-ball shot creator in Brooklyn, and he hasn't missed a single game in four seasons. Add in that Bridges went to Villanova with the core of the Knicks' roster and a deal for Bridges made a lot of sense.
The cost was significant, at five first-round picks and a swap, but none of those picks looks to be particularly strong, certainly not the first few as the Knicks project to be a contender. Bridges is also on a low enough contract that the Knicks can reasonably stay under the second luxury tax apron for the next two seasons before a new deal kicks in; it's also possible he gives some money back in negotiations because of the Villanova connection.
Can Bridges be the No. 2 option on a contending offense? That's unclear and puts pressure on the Knicks to either keep Julius Randle or find another player to bring in, but he has more on-ball ability and shot creation than most 3-and-D wings, but he also can slide into that role and help elevate the team. It's a solid pickup, if an expensive one.
Grade: B+
Re-signed Precious Achiuwa
Signed Precious Achiuwa to a one-year, $6 million contract
When the New York Knicks traded for OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa seemed like something of a throw-in to make the salaries match. The fourth-year big man had essentially plateued in his development, averaging around 21 minutes per game and putting up 9 points and 6 rebounds. At just 6'8" he was undersized to play center but could compete at either big spot, so he gave the Knicks some emergency depth.
Then the emergency struck, with Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson and then OG Anunoby all going down with injury in the playoffs. Suddenly Achiuwa was thrust into a major rotation role, and he played well enough to earn some trust from Tom Thibodeau.
That didn't mean much heading into the offseason, however, as the Knicks made the swing for Mikal Bridges and were hoping to bring starting center Isaiah Hartenstein back. The Oklahoma City Thunder paid much more than the Knicks could offer Hartenstein, and once he left the Knicks were stuck looking for a starting center.
They haven't been able to find one yet, but being able to pivot and sign Achiuwa for one year and $6 million allows them to shore up the position while not handicapping their ability to make a trade for someone else. His market dried up quickly as other bigs changed teams, and his lack of size at the 5 and lack of a consistent 3-point shot to play the 4 leaves him somewhat without a home.
There's little chance that Achiuwa blows up and the Knicks can't afford to bring him back next summer if they so wish, and $6 million is very reasonable for what he can provide - and all the more valuable given the spot the Knicks were in.
Grade: B
Re-signed OG Anunoby
Signed OG Anunoby to a five-year, $212.5 million contract
Julius Randle is a two-time All-NBA forward with the New York Knicks and will make $28.9 million next season. Mikal Bridges just cost five first-round picks to acquire and makes $23.3 million. Jalen Brunson was an MVP finalist and makes $24.9 million.
OG Anunoby will make $36.6 million in the first year of his five-year, $212.5 million contract, the largest total value in the history of the Knicks franchise.
On the one hand, paying Anunoby that much more than the other core members of the team given that he will be the fourth option on offense seems insane; on the other, Anunoby brings so much value as a defender, rebounder and shooter and can fit into virtually any lineup makes him much more valuable than the average fourth option.
The Knicks were essentially backed into a corner with Anunoby, and his representation knew it. Philadelphia and Oklahoma City were both lurking with lucrative offers for Anunoby, and the Knicks had already given up two solid young players to bring him in. Having him walk for nothing would have been a brutal blow.
The bargain deals that Bridges and Brunson are on, not to mention Donte DiVincenzo and Miles McBride, allows the Knicks to handle overpaying Anunoby to elevate the total level of the team. It's not clear how teams will score against a wing duo of Anunoby and Bridges, and both shoot well enough not to take much away on the other end.
This is an overpay, but it's one the team had to make, and it opens a real window for them to push for a title over the next few years.
Grade: B
Drafted Pacome Dadiet
Drafted French guard Pacome Dadiet with the No. 25 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft
The New York Knicks were extremely active on draft night, moving up and down the draft board and coming away with four players and some future draft capital. Their lone first-round selection ended up being French guard Pacome Dadiet, selected with the 25th pick.
Dadiet has great size as a ball-handler at 6'7" and has the raw tools to be a plus defender, and his shooting stroke looks smooth and like it should one day be a weapon. On the other hand, Dadiet looked like a disaster in Summer League, shooting just 30.8 percent from the floor and 10.5 percent from 3-point range, and it's not clear how he creates separation for himself to score inside, get his shot off or even force defenses into rotation to become a top-tier playmaker.
That may come with time, or he may turn into more of a 3-and-D wing with playmaking sauce, in the vein of former Knicks guard/wing Frank Ntilikina. He'll need to take a major step forward defensively in order to do so, but that avenue may be available to him given his frame.
It's a fine pick, but there were certainly better options available on the board. Getting Dadiet to take less than the rookie maximum was a short-term win, but it probably resulted in the Knicks both reaching to draft someone who would accept that arrangement and bringing over and using a roster spot on someone who isn't close to being ready. It's hard to think that's the best use of that pick.
Grade: C+
Drafted Kevin McCullar
Drafted Kansas wing Kevin McCullar with the No. 56 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft
Kevin McCullar was one of college basketball's best players last year, but as a complete non-shooter there isn't much of a place for him in the modern NBA. He is a rugged defender and plays hard, and his basketball IQ should help him find his spots as a cutter and in transition. There's the possibility his defense is good enough that the lack of a jumper doesn't kill his chances at becoming a rotation player, but it's much more likely he can't do enough on offense to see the court.
Grade: C
Drafted Ariel Hukporti
Drafted German center Ariel Hukporti with the No. 58 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft
Most of the time a team drafts a raw, athletic big when he is a teenager, molding his development as he grows into his frame. That is not the case with Ariel Hukporti, who is already 22 years old. In every other way, however, he fits that classic profile, a high-energy seven-footer who sets crushing screens, is athletic enough to put vertical pressure on the rim and is active defensively.
Hukporti has dealt with a number of injuries over his career in the NBL thus far; if he can get healthy and get experience playing at NBA speed, the Knicks could develop a long-term backup at the position. It's a fine pick, especially at No. 58, but it's also nothing exciting.
Grade: C
Signed Cam Payne
Signed veteran point guard Cam Payne to a one-year minimum contract
In a market where several extremely talented and capable point guards signed for minimum deals, landing Cam Payne seems like settling. Ideally, Payne will ride the bench and merely be a rotational fill-in when Jalen Brunson or Miles McBride miss time. At this point in his career, that's all a good team should rely on him for. More likely, however, Tom Thibodeau will fall in love with him in practice and find minutes for him, at the expense of better players.
Grade: C-
Full offseason report card and grade
The New York Knicks swung for the fences and completed the Villanova quartet. How does the big picture look?
Extended Jalen Brunson
Grade: A+
Drafted Tyler Kolek
Grade: A
Traded for Mikal Bridges
Grade: B+
Re-signed Precious Achiuwa
Grade: B+
Re-signed OG Anunoby
Grade: B
Drafted Pacome Dadiet
Grade: C+
Drafted Kevin McCullar
Grade: C
Drafted Ariel Hukporti
Grade: C
Signed Cam Payne
Grade: C-
Overall Grade
The New York Knicks have been biding their team for years, making smaller moves to shore up the team's depth and otherwise nailing free agency, signing Jalen Brunson, Isaiah Hartenstein and Donte DiVincenzo to bargain deals.
Rather than wait for a top-tier star to come available, they decided to make their move now, trading for Mikal Bridges. It was an expensive bet that the fit of Bridges - both relationally and as a two-way wing - will make him just as valuable to this team as a superstar.
That's an exciting bet for them to make from a team-building perspective, but it puts a skyscraper's worth of pressure on Jalen Brunson's shoulder. It's already historically difficult for a small guard to lead a championship team, and now Brunson has to try and do it without another on-ball star beside him.
In part, this offseason feels incomplete for the Knicks. They lost Isaiah Hartenstein because they only had Early Bird Rights available to re-sign him, and they haven't landed on an obvious replacement at center. Will they pull off another trade? Is Julius Randle on the move?
More questions spring to life looking ahead to this season. Who is going to start? The most likely answer would be a jumbo-sized lineup with Mikal at the 2, Anunoby at the 3 and Julius Randle at the 4 between a traditional center and Brunson. Does that group have enough shooting? Is Randle or Bridges the No. 2 option? Will Tom Thibodeau get out of his comfort zone and play either Randle or Anunoby at the 5?
The Knicks have an incredibly deep roster, and they have the kinds of players you want to go to war with. It remains to be seen whether that gives them the top-end firepower required to knock off the Boston Celtics or the new-look Philadelphia 76ers, but it's reasonable to think that is in reach.
The Knicks have given themselves a chance, and in doing so they may have put together a group of players who fit together so well it elevates this team to new heights.
Grade: B+