With two big offseason moves, the New York Knicks could establish themselves as a perennial championship contender in the Eastern Conference.
Even though it is a huge bummer that Julius Randle is not going to be able to make a return this season, there's still hope that the New York Knicks could emerge as a dark horse threat to make a deep playoff run in the Eastern Conference. If OG Anunoby is able to return from injury before the start of the playoffs, the Knicks still going to emerge as a real headache to deal with in the first or second round of the NBA Playoffs.
No matter how this season ends for the Knicks, this is a team that will have plenty of momentum heading into the offseason. And with two huge summer moves, there's a very real chance that New York will be able to establish their championship window this summer.
The first of these two huge moves includes the re-signing of Anunoby, who is a free agent after this season. When the Knicks acquired him from the Toronto Raptors before the NBA Trade Deadline, the overwhelming belief was that New York had plans to give him the big contract that he was likely going to seek on the open market.
That idea is only going to be cemented this offseason as he prepares to hit the free-agent market.
Will Jalen Brunson sign a long-term extension with the New York Knicks?
Additionally, there is another big move that the Knicks could pursue in an attempt to establish themselves as a contender to win the NBA championship over the next few seasons. That move includes signing Jalen Brunson, who has become the heart and soul of the team over the last couple of seasons, to a long-term contract. Currently, Brunson has one guaranteed year on his contract before he can opt-out and test free agency. However, the Knicks could lock Brunson up long-term with an extension this summer. And if Brunson does end up accepting said extension, it will lock the Knicks into a championship core for the foreseeable future.
There is a very real chance that the Knicks could exit this offseason with an established championship core while also adding to the build around them. And over the next couple of seasons, the Knicks will be able to go all in on this championship quest. For a team that has been out of the championship picture for quite a while, there's a chance that the Knicks could establish themselves as a perennial contender with a couple of smart moves, in addition to locking up their core for the next few seasons.