New York Knicks are the perfect situation for a disgruntled superstar

The New York Knicks had an excellent bounce-back year last season, but are they talented enough to go further?

With last summer’s addition of Jalen Brunson, it’s clear the New York Knicks have their point guard set in stone for the future. Brunson had his best season for the Knicks, recording a career-high in scoring at 26 points and six assists per game.

Julius Randle recorded a bounce-back season after his future with the team looked bleak in 2022. Randle represented the Knicks in the 2023 all-star game. Randle struggled in the postseason to the Knicks fan’s demise. However, it’s worth noting he played injured for most of it.

Josh Hart was a deadline move that boosted the team to have an excellent second half of the season and push through to the 5th seed of the playoffs, where they embarrassed the talented Cleveland Cavaliers.

However, the Knicks’ lack of shooting derailed them against the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

The harsh reality for Knicks fans is that the move for a star has to come soon, whether by free agency or trade. The team is just not talented enough to contend in the Eastern Conference.

As good as Randle is, his game seems to fit more for a regular season setting. When teams scout every day on him, he takes more contested shots, and his poor decision-making can really hurt the team.

Randle still deserves credit for the regular season success the team has had over the years, but Brunson was the reason the Knicks had success in the postseason, winning a round for the first time since 2013.

The New York Knicks are tailor-made for a superstar

In a vacuum, New York is the perfect situation for a superstar looking to compete for a title. The Knicks have a great supporting star in Brunson and have excellent depth pieces like Immanuel Quickley, Mitchell Robinson, Quentin Grimes, and Hart. Their offseason consisted of adding Donte DiVincenzo and losing Obi Toppin. It was a relatively quiet summer, like most in the NBA.

The Knicks were heavily involved in the Donovan Mitchell trade talks last summer but hesitated. It ended up being the right move in hindsight. Maybe the front office wasn’t willing to push their chips for Mitchell, but they will be willing to sacrifice for a better star.

The coming years can see several tier-one stars ask out. Players like Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, and Joel Embiid could all seemingly be available on the trade block over the next few seasons. The Knicks are right there at the top to trade for one, considering their young talent, draft assets, and the attractive market they have.

The Knicks front office hasn’t been perfect, but there is no question they have built things correctly for a big market team. In the past, they relied on their market and ignored the draft and free agency to build an attractive group for star-free agents.

Now, they’re building a team perfectly for a disgruntled star to look their way. With that passionate fan base, it’s only a matter of time before they get that tier-one superstar they haven’t had in some time now. At this point, it’s more of a “when” and not an “if” for the Knicks.