The New York Knicks took a much different approach to this offseason than they did last year. Last summer, they made two blockbuster trades that shook up the entire makeup of their roster, whereas this summer, they focused solely on upgrading the bench.
Knicks earn strong offseason grade
New York has not made a trade yet this offseason, though one could be made to open up cap space for the signings of Landry Shamet and Malcolm Brogdon. As of now, all of their moves have occurred in free agency and the draft, and they have made very strong additions.
Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report gave New York a 3.4 grade point average for their offseason, while also giving them an A grade for their new additions.
“The New York Knicks didn’t really need to do anything drastic this offseason. They have one of the best starting fives in the league, so supporting players were all that made sense, and they landed a pair of good ones. Guerschon Yabusele returned to the NBA in 2024-25 and shot 38.0 percent from deep. And though Jordan Clarkson’s assist numbers tailed off this season, he averaged 5.0 in 2023-24. Both could be critical components of an improved second unit,” Bailey wrote.
Knicks made a potentially good change at head coach
The Knicks also made a significant change in the coaching staff. They fired Tom Thibodeau after five seasons and replaced him with Mike Brown, who will serve as their new head coach this upcoming season.
Bailey gave them an A grade for continuity despite the head coaching change.
“The Tom Thibodeau firing could still be the subject of some mild criticism, but the Knicks did well to keep much of the rest of their conference finalist together. The starting five of Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns will be back and ready to make another run at the title,” Bailey wrote.
The Knicks have huge expectations this upcoming season
The Knicks are coming off their most successful season in 25 years, and they are hoping to continue taking steps forward by making a serious run at a championship. Many believe the team is talented enough to go on a run, so they will now have to reach those expectations on the court.
The team has an abundance of talent across the board, so the key to success will be if they can stay healthy throughout the year.