Entering his fourth season as the Knicks’ President of Basketball Operations, Leon Rose has already brought New York more success than it’s seen in over a decade, with two playoff appearances and one playoff series win.
While there’s certainly a lot more to look forward to in the future, it’s important to look back on the most consequential moves of Rose’s tenure so far, regardless of whether or not their impact was positive. Here are the three best and worst moves Leon Rose has made during his tenure as Knicks president.
Worst Move #3: Trading for Cam Reddish
The Knicks traded for Reddish in mid-January of the 2021-22 season, giving up Kevin Knox, Solomon Hill, and a protected Hornets first-round pick in exchange. Reddish had been stuck in a crowded wing rotation with the Atlanta Hawks and was hoping to receive a fresh start elsewhere. However, New York turned out to be anything but.
Immediately, Reddish struggled to find a consistent role in the rotation, only logging 14 minutes per game in the 15 games he played with the team before suffering an injury that kept him out for the rest of the season.
Reddish returned the next year with an improved role, mostly coming off the bench with a few starts sprinkled in. He showed glimpses of what he could do with more opportunity, scoring 22 points on 9-15 shooting along with five rebounds and three steals on opening night. However, Reddish failed to bring this level of effort and production consistently, leading to his eventual departure after months of watching from the sidelines.
Ultimately, the Knicks took a flyer on Reddish, giving up little value for the potential of a contributing player. It simply didn’t work out, not causing too much harm to the franchise. However, Reddish did end up being traded for one of New York’s most important players in a move to Portland.
Best Move #3: The Knicks trading For Josh Hart
While the trade sending Reddish to New York turned out to be a disappointment, the aftermath of it was landing Josh Hart. The Knicks sent Reddish and a lottery-protected first-round pick to Portland in exchange for Hart at last year’s trade deadline and immediately went on a nine-game winning streak.
While Hart’s numbers of 10 points, 7 rebounds, and 3 assists per game might not jump out to you, his shooting percentages will. Although it was on relatively low volume, he managed to shoot 58% from the field and 51% from three across 25 regular season games with the Knicks. Unlike in Portland, Hart was given the green light to shoot from outside by Tom Thibodeau, and that decision absolutely paid off.
While his efficiency would dip in the postseason, Hart still had a huge impact on New York’s series win against the Cavs. He provided elite rebounding despite his lack of size at 6’4”, as well as lockdown defense and clutch shot-making.
Hart is now expected to receive an extension in the range of four years $75 million after picking up his $12 million player option for next season. Assuming the two sides agree on a new deal around that amount, it will be well-deserved, unlike another Knick’s most recent deal.
Worst Move #2: Signing Evan Fournier for four years $73 million
Fournier was brought in during free agency in 2021 after New York finished fourth in the East with a 41-31 record. While Julius Randle’s offensive prowess was enough for the Knicks to get by in the regular season, their lack of offensive talent surrounding Randle made them easy to stop in the playoffs.
With over $20 million in cap space, the Knicks aimed to add offensive firepower over the summer. Fournier, a career 38% three-point shooter who averaged 14 points per game across ten seasons, seemed like a perfect fit. New York’s front office agreed, signing the veteran sharpshooter to a four-year, $73 million deal.
While Fournier did match his career averages the following season, his overall field goal percentage dipped, and he was inconsistent on the offensive end. Not to speak of his defense, which was consistently terrible, making him a liability if he wasn’t knocking down every shot he took.
In 2022–23, Fournier played eight games as a starter before being moved to the bench and eventually out of the rotation in favor of younger players like Quentin Grimes and Immanuel Quickley. While Fournier’s contract does include a team option from last season, meaning New York should be able to get him off the books next summer if he’s not traded beforehand, the contract was still a tremendous overpayment for what Fournier provided.
Best Move #2: Drafting Quentin Grimes 25th Overall
New York selected Grimes 25th in the 2021 draft after trading back from their 21st selection. Grimes was previously a highly-touted prospect coming into his freshman year at Kansas but struggled there mightily. The following year, he transferred to Houston, where he developed into a solid player during his sophomore and junior years.
Having aged two years, though, his draft stock was lower than it had been, meaning the Knicks were able to steal an NBA-ready talent late in the first round. While Grimes didn’t play a huge role in his rookie season, he would see a big increase in playing time his second year in the league, logging 30 minutes per game across 71 regular-season games.
Like many of the Knicks’ players, the stats might not jump out to you at 11 points, 3 rebounds, and two assists per game, but Grimes’ impact goes beyond the stat sheet. He has a unique skill set, being able to impact the game while barely having the ball in his hands. Grimes ranks 5th in the league in making quick-decision passes, an underrated yet key skill in today’s NBA. Defensively, his impact is even greater, providing tenacity that few players can match.
Grimes is truly the definition of a team player, being able to play to his full potential no matter who he’s playing with. This should make him a long-term keeper for New York, no matter what the front office has in store moving forward.
Worst Move #1: Drafting Obi Toppin 8th overall.
In his first draft as president, Leon Rose selected New York native Obi Toppin 8th overall. Toppin had surprised everyone with his breakout season at Dayton, winning National Player of the Year with averages of 20 points and 8 rebounds per game on 63% shooting.
The front office must’ve thought his high-flying dunks and explosive drives to the basket would be a nice addition to a young Knicks team looking to give the fans some excitement. While this was reasonable thinking at the time, they probably weren’t accounting for Julius Randle’s breakout the following season, leaving Toppin with an undesirable role as Randle’s backup.
Toppin would ultimately spend the majority of his tenure with the Knicks watching from the sidelines, with occasional flashes of productivity in the rare event that Randle was out. The most impressive of these performances was when he had back-to-back 40-point games to close the 2021–22 season.
That was nice, but the time he spent as a low-usage role player wasn’t doing Toppin or the team any favors. Finally, he was sent to the Indiana Pacers this summer for minimal draft capital, a sad but inevitable ending to his time with New York.
Best Move #1: Signing Jalen Brunson for four years $120 million
If you’ve seen any Knicks basketball over the last year, you knew this was coming as the best move of Rose’s tenure with New York. Brunson was acquired during free agency of 2022, with hopes that he would be the solution to the Knicks’ point guard problem.
At first, fans didn’t know what to think of it, as Brunson had proven to be a good role player in the past but nothing special. Fans much would’ve preferred Donovan Mitchell to be the home-run move of the summer. Little did they know Brunson was the savior they were waiting for all along.
His 42-point point performance against the Jazz in the first round of the playoffs was no fluke. Brunson finished the regular season with four 40-point games, four more than he had ever had in the regular season. He averaged 24 points and 6 assists while shooting 49% from the field and 41% from three across 68 regular season games, somehow being robbed of All-star and All-NBA honors.
Brunson exceeded these numbers in the playoffs while leading New York past the Cavs, and putting up a one-man fight against the Miami Heat. No matter where the front office decides to go with the future, one thing is for sure: Jalen Brunson will be a part of it.