New York Knicks' Future Outlook
I want this to be clarified right away: I am not looking into a Knicks' future with or without owner James Dolan. I'm looking into it as if I were the one running the roster, making all of those decisions and not having to be (too) worried about money. With that said, I have no idea what to expect from the New York Knicks since they have a ton of turnover. They need to be in a massive rebuild, but they seem to have been since the Patrick Ewing days. They got a top draft pick last season, although he hasn't been that spectacular. Who else do they really have to build around besides RJ Barrett? Mitchell Robinson? Kevin Knox? The Knicks probably don't even know what they are doing, which is why my future outlook, both short and long-term, is bleak.
WHO'S GONE: PF Bobby Portis, F Maurice Harkless, SG Allonzo Trier, SG Damyean Dotson
At least the overflow of slightly above average power forwards and below average shooting guards will be, at least temporarily, eliminated. They still will need to figure out the rest of the roster, and will likely try and trade away some players. Reggie Bullock, Elfrid Payton, Wayne Ellington and Taj Gibson don't have roles here in the future, and they all have somewhat friendly contracts that expire after the 2020-21 season. They should be traded and/or bought out. (note: Bobby Portis has a $15 million club option, but I'm assuming the Knicks won't want to pick that up).
WHO'S LEFT:
C-Mitchell Robinson, Taj Gibson
PF-Julius Randle, Ignas Brazdeikis
SF-RJ Barrett, Kevin Knox
SG-Reggie Bullock, Wayne Ellington
PG-Elfrid Payton, Frank Ntikilina, Dennis Smith Jr.
To be fair, all of these players either have potential or have been good, so the Knicks have that going for them. Barrett is who they have to start building around, and hopefully this awful season can help them get another relatively high pick. Getting rid of DSJ will help with the logjam at point guard, but they don't have a true point guard to rely on. This is just fascinating how screwed up the roster is, because even with RJ Barrett and some young pieces and trade bait, they have a tough read on their direction.
WHAT'S NEXT
Let's assume the Knicks don't make any trades for simplicity, and they draft a point guard in the 2020 draft. That will give them a young wing, point guard, and big man to build around. The Knicks likely will take a project in the second round, so they can try and develop and find a steal. Aside from that, the smart move would be filling the roster with minimum players or guys trying to find a second or third chance in the NBA, and letting the young players like Barrett and Robinson find themselves. They also need to determine which of these (four) point guards is worth keeping. Smith seemed like a potential star as a rookie, Ntikilina is a good defender who can guard multiple spots. Payton was solid in Orlando and New Orleans, and has been the most consistent in New York.
What the Knicks need to hope for long-term is that RJ Barrett makes a significant jump in year two for starters, and the rookie from this draft is another good option. Heading into the 2021 offseason, they will only have these draft picks, Barrett, Robinson, Knox and Randle on the roster, totaling around $45 million, meaning if they don't sign any long-term deals they will have plenty of cap space. If they hit on these next two drafts, and the past two drafts show more promise, the long-term future could look better in New York. But if they don't, it's really hard to see the Knicks becoming relevant again any time soon.
