The New York Knicks’ playoff journey ended not with a bang, but a defensive whimper. After a season of gritty performances and unexpected highs, their Eastern Conference Finals aspirations were thwarted, exposing a fundamental flaw at the core of their roster. Now, the front office faces an offseason riddle: how to transform a promising contender into a genuine championship threat, particularly when their star duo poses as many questions as it answers.
The Ghost of a Bargain: How a Simple Contract Decision Haunts the Knicks
Rewind to the summer of 2022. The Knicks made a splash, securing Jalen Brunson, the dynamic guard who would soon become the undeniable heartbeat of the franchise. Yet, tucked away in the shadows of that pivotal signing was another, seemingly minor, acquisition: Isaiah Hartenstein on a modest two-year, $16 million deal. Little did anyone know, this seemingly astute bargain would become a long-term strategic blunder.
Hartenstein, the self-proclaimed “spine” to Brunson`s “face,” was more than just a backup center. He was a defensive anchor, a relentless offensive rebounder crucial for a team often operating with limited shot-clock efficiency, and a surprisingly adept playmaker. His quiet effectiveness was, ironically, his undoing. The two-year contract structure meant the Knicks only held “Early Bird Rights,” severely limiting their ability to offer a competitive raise. When the Oklahoma City Thunder swooped in with a $30 million offer, Hartenstein`s departure was all but sealed. The Knicks were punished for finding a bargain, losing a crucial component who “took nothing off the table” on either end of the floor.
The Big Swing: A “Five-Out Juggernaut” That Never Quite Roared
Hartenstein`s exit, coupled with Mitchell Robinson`s recurring injury woes, left a gaping hole at center. The Knicks, already heavily invested in future draft capital, felt the pressure to make another significant move. The Mikal Bridges trade, intended to fortify wing defense, somehow morphed into a radical roster re-theorization: Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, and a first-round pick for Karl-Anthony Towns (KAT). The team`s identity was to shift from “grit and defense” to a “five-out offensive juggernaut.”
However, theory didn`t quite translate to on-court triumph. While the offense improved in certain metrics, it never achieved the overwhelming dominance needed to compensate for newfound defensive vulnerabilities. The core problem, the one that ultimately cost them the Indiana series, was glaring: when Brunson and Towns shared the court, stopping opponents became an Olympic-level challenge. The data from the postseason was stark; lineups featuring both stars struggled defensively, turning a potent offense into a mere “good” one, rather than the “great” one required to overcome such liabilities. Opposing teams found a mismatch to exploit every time, whether they targeted a guard or a big.
The Offseason Crossroads: Three Paths to Redemption (or Ruin)
With their championship window compressed by the league`s financial aprons, the Knicks now stand at a pivotal junction, facing three primary paths for this offseason:
- Fortify the Defense: Surround the Brunson-Towns duo with enough elite defensive talent to mask their individual shortcomings. The Mikal Bridges experiment, while valuable, didn`t quite yield the elite wing defender the Knicks envisioned.
- Unleash the Offense: Amp up the offensive firepower to such a degree that their defense becomes an afterthought. This would require an unparalleled offensive efficiency, making every possession count.
- Break Up the Duo: A painful but potentially necessary decision. Given Brunson`s status as the franchise cornerstone and his personal ties to the front office, Towns is the far likelier candidate to be moved.
Internal Adjustments and the Thibodeau Enigma
One might wonder about simpler, internal solutions. Starting Deuce McBride over Josh Hart, for instance, offers superior ball pressure and much-needed five-out spacing, as McBride has quietly become an above-average three-point shooter. This could alleviate the clogged paint issues that often stymied the Brunson-Towns pick-and-roll. Yet, Coach Tom Thibodeau, known for his steadfast adherence to his system, rarely experimented with this lineup during the regular season, and in the playoffs, opted for Robinson when changes were needed. One can almost hear the collective sigh of a fanbase wishing for a touch more tactical fluidity.
Another internal avenue involves reimagining the frontcourt: making Towns a power forward again, paired with a healthy Mitchell Robinson at center. This setup, reminiscent of the defensive success Towns found with Rudy Gobert in Minnesota, could boost defensive rebounding and rim protection. However, Robinson is no Gobert, and Brunson isn`t Mike Conley. Recreating that defensive magic, while maintaining the offensive spacing, is a complex balancing act.
The “Heart”-Breaking Proposition: Trading a Fan Favorite?
Then there`s the truly tough call: trading Josh Hart. He`s the team`s metaphorical “heart,” a tenacious rebounder and emotional leader. Yet, if the Knicks are to fully embrace a new identity or generate the necessary assets for a major shake-up, moving Hart, particularly for a quality backup point guard, might be a necessary evil. The Celtics, after all, traded Marcus Smart and promptly won a championship. Could the Knicks, with Hartenstein gone and a new identity emerging, follow a similar, albeit painful, blueprint?
The Big Fish: Kevin Durant and Other Trade Fantasies
The name Kevin Durant inevitably surfaces in discussions about discontented stars. The idea of linking Durant with Brunson is certainly tantalizing, potentially giving the Knicks another elite shot-creator. Towns` supermax contract makes him a simple matching salary, and his college connection with Devin Booker makes Phoenix a plausible trade partner. However, Durant, at 37, is no longer the defensive anchor the Knicks desperately need at center, and his immense salary and age would significantly shrink their championship window in the unforgiving “apron world.” Trading for Durant might solve one problem only to create several others, leaving the Knicks as a slightly better version of the very Suns team he`d be leaving: a collection of stars with questionable depth and defensive cohesion.
The trade market for Karl-Anthony Towns himself presents unique challenges. While a prodigious talent, finding teams willing to pay supermax money for a center who doesn`t consistently protect the rim is a narrow proposition. His fit is niche. Perhaps a team like the New Orleans Pelicans, seeking to maximize Zion Williamson`s offensive potential with a floor-spacing big, could offer intriguing wing defenders and other assets. But such scenarios remain purely hypothetical, a testament to the difficulty of moving a player of Towns` stature with such a specific skill set and contract.
The Looming Decision: A Championship or a Compromise?
The Knicks` margin for error, already slimmed by Hartenstein`s departure, has all but vanished. To truly contend for a championship in the 2024-25 season, every roster decision, every lineup choice, and every schematic adjustment must be perfect. They need to either supercharge their offense to historic levels or elevate their defense just enough to be viable, all while navigating the treacherous waters of player contracts and trade complexities.
The current Brunson-Towns dynamic, while offensively potent, is defensively fragile. If the front office, with Leon Rose at the helm, believes this core, even with tweaks, cannot reliably navigate four rounds of playoff basketball, then a Karl-Anthony Towns trade becomes not just a possibility, but a growing inevitability. The city of New York, hungry for a title, watches with bated breath as the Knicks prepare to make their most crucial offseason moves in years.
Jasper Hawthorne