Jalen Brunson and RJ Barrett will again play pivotal roles if the Knicks hope to make a deep postseason run.
Having won a playoff series for the first time in 10 years, the New York Knicks are running it back. They’ve retained 12 players who accounted for 90% of their 2022-23 regular-season minutes — the league’s second highest rate as training camps opened.
The most important returner is Jalen Brunson, who established himself as the franchise cornerstone with a terrific regular season and some big performances in the playoffs. The Knicks are still a piece or two away from contention, but they have a clear direction and the potential to trade for another star.
What’s new?
- The Knicks, who got just eight total minutes from rookies last season, didn’t have a pick in the 2023 Draft.
- They used the mid-level exception to sign Donte DiVincenzo, adding to their wing depth with a guy who can shoot (39.7% from 3-point range last season) and defend.
- Obi Toppin, who probably wasn’t getting as many minutes as he deserved playing behind Julius Randle, was traded to Indiana, with the Knicks getting only two second-round picks in return.
How far can the Knicks go?
The Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics are the favorites, but the Eastern Conference could be wide open after that. Having won a playoff series last season, it would be a disappointment if the Knicks don’t do it again. But as currently constructed, their first trip to the conference finals since 2000 would be a surprise.
1 player that must take a leap
RJ Barrett. It’s fair to say that, after being selected with the No. 3 pick in the 2019 Draft, Barrett has had a disappointing first four seasons. Among 139 players with at least 2,000 field-goal attempts over those four seasons, only Dillon Brooks (50.8%) has a lower true shooting percentage than Barrett (51.7%). The Knicks don’t need the 23-year-old to be a star, but they do need him to be a more efficient secondary scorer.
In-Season Tournament
The Knicks are in East Group B. Here’s a refresher on how the In-Season Tournament works.
Upcoming free agents
The Knicks have 11 potential free agents in 2024:
- Evan Fournier (team option)
- Isaiah Hartenstein
- DaQuan Jeffries
- Nathan Knight (two-way player)
- Miles McBride (restricted)
- Immanuel Quickley (restricted)
- Isaiah Roby
- Jericho Sims (team option)
- Dylan Windler (two-way player)
- Jacob Toppin (restricted)
- Duane Washington Jr. (two-way player)
Despite his playoff struggles, the Knicks surely hope to sign Quickley to an extension before opening night. The most important business next summer will be possible extensions for Brunson and Randle. But Hartenstein (who’ll be 26 next year) is also a valuable rotation piece who should have other suitors.
New York’s full roster can be found here.
* * *
John Schuhmann is a senior stats analyst for NBA.com. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Warner Bros. Discovery.
