NEW YORK, NEW YORK – APRIL 05: (NEW YORK DAILIES OUT) Head coach Tom Thibodeau of the New York Knicks in action against the Brooklyn Nets at Barclays Center on April 05, 2021 in New York City. The Nets defeated the Knicks 114-112. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)
The New York Knicks depth chart looks much, much different after just one day of free agency.
The Knicks most notable moves included signing Evan Fournier to a much-maligned four-year contract, and bringing back established veteran point guard Derrick Rose. Both have value — Fournier as a shooter and Rose as a solid point guard familiar with Thibs’ system.
New York has a little more money to play with, but the roster is coming together nicely. Improving upon a season in which they exceeded expectations and made the playoffs as the No. 4 seed in the East won’t be easy, but give Scott Perry credit for not sitting on his hands.
Tom Thibodeau should have plenty of options.
NBA Free Agency: Can the Knicks make another leap in 2021-22?
That’s the end goal, of course.
The Knicks managed to get a home playoff series last season, a surprise considering they’re just a few years removed from the draft lottery. Yet, a steady improvement and reluctance to give into the demands of star players have aided the Knicks attempts to build a more complete roster.
Julius Randle made the jump to an All-NBA player last season. Should he build upon his All-Star status, rather than giving into holes in his game which were exposed come playoff time, perhaps New York doesn’t need to look elsewhere for a star player to build around.
The likes of Immanuel Quickley, RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson are all young, exciting players who should only improve with time. There’s plenty of reason to be excited about New York basketball at the moment, and next season should prove to be a good one at the Garden.