As the New York Knicks walked off the floor at Madison Square Garden following their first-round five-game defeat at the hands of the Atlanta Hawks, it was evident that there was still work to be done.
Julius Randle and RJ Barrett had career years as the former won the Most Improved Player award and Barrett took significant strides in his efficiency as a second-year player. On the sideline, Tom Thibodeau proved why he’s a top-notch coach, winning his second Coach of the Year award.
But this wasn’t enough to defeat the Hawks, and if the Knicks hope to run it back with a similar roster, they’ll find themselves in the same or even a worse position than last season.
So, the Knicks’ front office will need to explore the free agency and trade markets in order to position the team for a deeper playoff run in the 2021-22 NBA season.
The New York Knicks need to maintain core pieces and add another All-Star caliber player to make a deeper playoff run.
Luckily for the Knicks, they — once again — have an abundance of cap space entering free agency which begins Aug. 2. According to Spotrac, the Knicks are projected to have roughly $52 million in practical cap space.
It gives the organization flexibility to chase an All-Star level talent, while also retaining some key role players hitting the unrestricted free agency. And if it’s not done through free agency, the Knicks have assets to offer via the trade market.
Whichever route New York takes, it needs to maintain its core while adding an All-Star caliber player to pair with Randle. That way, the Knicks have two potential All-Stars. If they can manage this, the Knicks will put themselves in a position to take the next step and advance further in the NBA playoffs.