The Knicks had a very solid 2022-23 campaign, earning the 5-seed in the East and then comfortably taking down the Cavs in the first round before falling to the eventual Eastern Conference champs in Miami in the conference semis. Last season’s moves paid big dividends, as Jalen Brunson cemented himself as a star-caliber starting point guard in the league — and one who shines when the bright lights of the playoffs turn on — and Josh Hart, their big trade deadline acquisition, likewise became an integral part of their playoff run.
This summer the Knicks had few major decisions to make with free agents of their own, particularly after Josh Hart picked up his player option to return for another year. While they mostly remained patient, they did make a few moves to shuffle the roster around and bolster their chances of being back above the Play-In fray in the East next year.
Here we’ll hand out grades for their work this offseason in the Draft, free agency and contract extensions, and on the trade market.
Draft: INC
Despite holding a number of future picks, the Knicks entered the 2023 Draft without a single pick and chose not to make a trade to get one. Next year they have four first rounders, though, so they’ll make up for a lack of action this year with plenty of moves to come.
Free Agency/Contract Extensions: A-
The only free agent the Knicks had on the main roster (not a two-way) this summer was Derrick Rose, who wasn’t part of the rotation last year and is now headed to Memphis. In his place, the Knicks signed their latest Villanova product, as Donte DiVincenzo joins Hart and Brunson on a 4-year, $50 million deal to bring them another 3-and-D guard. DiVincenzo is coming off of a very solid season with the Warriors, shooting 39.5 percent from three and averaging 9.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in 26 minutes per game. For a Knicks team that was dreadful shooting the ball in the playoffs — RJ Barrett’s 32.8 percent mark from distance was the team’s best in the postseason — adding a legit knockdown threat is huge. On top of that, being able to plug in a quality shooter without giving up much defensively is vital to a team that has built its identity on that end. For a team that wasn’t in a position to take any huge swings in free agency given how full their roster was and having just the mid-level at their disposal, DiVincenzo was a terrific get.
Trades: C
The Knicks also made just one trade this summer, flipping Obi Toppin to the Pacers for a pair of second round picks. With Toppin set to be a free agent next summer, it was clear they’d already made the decision they were not going to want to bring him back at what he would cost, and flipped him for at least something in return. Toppin never really fit what the Knicks needed, as he isn’t a knockdown shooter (although he did improve to be 34.4 percent from three last year) and isn’t a high-caliber defender. He’s at his best running the floor, cutting and slashing, but the Knicks had enough players cramping spacing as is. While there were times where he popped for New York that made you think maybe he could be a good rotation player, he clearly wasn’t a favorite of Tom Thibodeau and didn’t fit his ideal vision for the roster, fair or not. It’s always a bit disappointing to trade a former lottery pick for not much of anything while they’re still on their rookie deal, and you can wonder if they made this move too early considering they aren’t exactly bursting with frontcourt depth. The biggest issue this trade is going to run into is that the Pacers seem like a legitimately great fit for Toppin, and he’ll have a chance to shine there in a way he never did in New York. If that happens, the Knicks are going to get buried for it, but the truth is, that opportunity was never going to be there for him with the Knicks if they kept him.
Source: https://uproxx.com/dimemag/new-york-knicks-offseason-report-card-trades-signings-draft/