The way the New York Knicks have turned things around has been almost unthinkable compared to how they've been run for much of this century.
For years, the Knicks were one of the highest-spending teams and one of the most down-trodden. They lost frequently, made bad trades, gave out bad contracts, gave away draft picks, and cycled through head coaches and GMs.
Fast-forward to the Leon Rose era in the 2020s, and the Knicks have suddenly become one of the smartest, most well-run teams in the league.
On Wednesday, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver praised the Knicks for "strong management."
"We hear less about this big-small market dynamic than we used to, particularly with this new system we’ve put in place where it’s not just a question of who is willing to pay the greatest luxury tax because there are competitive consequences even if you’re willing to go into the tax,” Adam Silver said Wednesday (via Stefan Bondy of the New York Post). "And so we’re seeing in a positive way the effects of strong management. And you can mention Oklahoma City, they managed to stay competitive. They have their ebbs and flows but an amazingly managed team. And now you’re seeing that with the Knicks as well."
Silver specifically noted Jalen Brunson's team-friendly extension, which helps give the Knicks financial wiggle room to continue building the roster.
"Compliments to the Knicks and Jalen for creating an environment that he wanted to be in," Silver said. "If he continues to play at the level he is, he’ll make an enormous amount of money, which is wonderful. But I think what he did with his contract is consistent with the way he leads on the floor. I think he made it clear to his teammates that he cares about them as well and he also realizes that in order to compete for championships, he needs great players around him."
To imagine Silver praising the Knicks in this way five years ago would be impossible.
Think back to the 2018-19 season, when the Knicks went 17-65, traded away Kristaps Porzingis in part because of his fracturing relationship with management, then struck out on top free agents in the summer. The Knicks then went 4-20 to open the 2019-20 season and David Fizdale. They finished the season 21-45 (it was cut short due to the pandemic).
They hired Leon Rose that march and Tom Thibodeau that offseason.
Since then, the Knicks have rebuilt the roster into one with potential championship hopes this season. Over the years they stacked draft picks and used them effectively in trading for roster upgrades (like Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, and Mikal Bridges). They have signed players to team-friendly deals and built a deep, versatile roster with a rotation of players all under 30 years old.
Furthermore, the Knicks are set up to be successful for years. While they traded away many first-round for picks for Bridges, they own their own first-round picks in odd years (teams cannot trade first-round picks in consecutive years), plus many extra second-round picks. As mentioned, their rotation are all under 30 years old and many of them are locked into team-friendly deals that should age well.
ESPN recently ranked the Knicks third in their future power rankings because of the way they have set themselves up for years to come.
It is quite a dramatic U-turn from NBA laughingstock to respected franchise with the best potentially still to come.
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Knicks' under-the-radar coaching hire may already be paying off
Ranking the Knicks' eight most important players this season
