The New York Knicks had a very busy offseason, acquiring Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns in two separate blockbuster trades.
Knicks’ ranks highly in recent league poll
Those deals capped off a complete retool of the roster that commenced during the 2022-23 season when they acquired Josh Hart and continued with the OG Anunoby blockbuster midseason last year. For these moves, executives ranked the Knicks’ front office sixth in a recent poll from The Athletic.
Knicks’ president Leon Rose and company have been praised for making moves that work out well through a combination of “savvy, smarts and connection.” However, they were also criticized for the offseason trades for Bridges and Towns based on a few factors.
“But the Knicks were the most divisive front office in the NBA among league executives. Rival executives lauded their work but also had questions about the two big swings the team took this past offseason. For some, the Towns and Mikal Bridges deals pushed them off ballots or stopped them from ranking higher,” The Athletic wrote.
Some executives were not fans of the Bridges and Towns trades
Some executives felt that the Knicks overpaid for Bridges in their trade with the Nets. New York traded away five first-round picks and a pick swap to Brooklyn to acquire the two-way standout wing. So far, Bridges is averaging 17 points per game and is shooting 34% from three in his first season with the Knicks.
Towns’ large contract was also a turn-off for some executives. He is currently set to make close to $50 million this season, and will be making $61 million in the 2027-28 season.
However, Towns is having his best NBA season yet and has entered the MVP conversation. He is averaging 24.9 points and 13.2 rebounds (second in NBA) while shooting 52.9% from the floor and 44.2% from three-point range.
The Knicks have played well, but slightly below expectations
The trades have worked out well for the Knicks so far, as they are 15-10 on the season and are fourth in the Eastern Conference. However, they are far from a perfect unit, as they have struggled defensively and have had games where they look as though they are still developing chemistry.
Given the high expectations they have this season, many would probably like to see the Knicks perform better to start the season. However, there is still plenty of time left in the season for them to take off and catapult towards the top of the East, and they are sure to be in contention for at least an Eastern Conference Finals appearance.
