New York Knicks
The Knicks do not like rebuilds. Unfortunately one of the most impatient franchises in the league, behind possibly only the Los Angeles Lakers, will have to exercise some patience. Team cornerstone Kristaps Porzingis may not see the court again until 2019, owner James Dolan has hinted that we may not see Porzingis at all next season.
There has never been a better time for the Knicks to embrace a rebuild. Although another late-season win against a resting playoff team has damaged their draft position, they still walked away from the draft with talented Kentucky forward Kevin Knox, who at 18 years old has plenty of time to grow.
New York does own all of their own future first rounders now, and with the 7-foot-3 Latvian Phenom on the inactive list for at least the first portion of the season, the time to tank is now. Useful rotation players like Courtney Lee and Lance Thomas should be turned into assets sooner rather than later to pave the way for Knox and Frank Ntilikina to see big minutes.
Phil Jackson’s fingerprints are still all over this team as evidenced by Joakim Noah’s disastrous contract still being on the books until 2020. With no way to possibly move him without losing one of those precious first round picks. That will give them plenty of time to see if Trey Burke or Emmanuel Mudiay will be part of their plans moving forward.
Verdict: Rebuild