The New York Knicks have completely overhauled their roster over the course of the Jalen Brunson era, and it appears that their current core of players is set. Behind Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Karl-Anthony Towns, New York is convinced that this is the group that can finally bring a title back to the Big Apple.
Knicks have a tough cap space situation to navigate
However, they are limited in terms of what more they can add to the roster, and Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus ranked them as having one of the worst salary cap situations in the league.
“That the team got returned to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000; the heavy investment may be a positive, provided New York can take that next step to the NBA Finals,” Pincus wrote.
“While the Knicks had banked multiple first-round picks, most were cashed out to assemble the current squad. Outside of potential swaps to offer, New York has just one selection available to trade, but it’s from the Washington Wizards and is all but certain to convert to a pair of second-rounders when the Wizards presumably miss the playoffs again.”
New York has made two free agent additions this summer, signing Jordan Clarkson for the minimum and Guerschon Yabusele for two years and $12 million. That leaves them with $3.7 million left in cap space below the second apron, meaning that if they want to add more than a player for the minimum, they would have to make some trades.
The Knicks will have some tough decisions to make
The Knicks are in a great position to dominate the Eastern Conference and potentially represent the East in next year’s NBA Finals. They made the Eastern Conference Finals last season despite having several flaws, and the hope is that now they will be able to have a smoother season that fulfills their expectations.
They are still expected to sign another depth piece, but who that player will be remains a mystery. Nevertheless, the Knicks are tied to their main core for the next few seasons, but they will have some tough decisions to make in the near future with Mitchell Robinson’s contract expiring.
Some have suggested that the Knicks sign Robinson to a cheaper discount, while others have suggested trading him if he accrues enough value on the market. Either way, New York will have to sacrifice one or possibly multiple key pieces to stay below the second apron at some point.
For this upcoming season, they will likely roll behind this current group of players in hopes that they can get the job done.