The New York Knicks did not inspire much confidence among fans and pundits entering the 2022-23 season. After all, they only added Jalen Brunson to the core of their 37-win team the past season. But Brunson, despite not having the longest track record of stellar play, proved to be a transformative force as the Knicks won 47 games and made it to the second round of the playoffs.

The story of the Knicks' second-round downfall against the Miami Heat was their lack of consistency on the offensive end outside of their main man Brunson. Julius Randle, the team's All-Star in 2023 and a third team All-NBA selection, and RJ Barrett, he of the $120 million extension, disappeared when the Knicks' season was on the line. Randle and Barrett combined to shoot 4-24 from the field in the decisive Game 6, all the while Brunson was left to fend for himself by dropping 41 points in a losing effort.

Simply put, the Knicks have a long way to go before they can fancy themselves as legitimate contenders to win an NBA championship. The roster has too many holes at the moment. They must not fret, however, for they have a plethora of assets at their disposal that they could use to rectify the situation.

Blockbuster trades are always what seems to elevate a playoff team from a middling one to a title-contending outfit. These three deals in particular could turn the Knicks' fortunes around. But with those trades in mind, let's take a deeper dive into what fixes the Knicks must make this offseason to become a legitimate contender to win the 2024 NBA championship.

Knicks need a game-changing presence on the wing

Three-level scoring is a hard art to master, even for the best and most gifted scorers in the world. Usually, players who can stroke it from deep and from the perimeter don't usually live above the rim, while those who can jump out of the gym are rarely the best marksmen. Thus, if you combine those skillsets, you usually get one of the most impactful players in the entire association.

That player archetype, especially when it comes from someone who can play on the wing, is usually one of the most coveted players in the NBA. The Knicks don't have that kind of player. The four remaining teams in the playoffs, perhaps, with the exception of the Denver Nuggets, have that incredible offensive force to lead the way for them. And the Nuggets have Nikola Jokic, one of the greatest and most unique players in league history.

Jalen Brunson is a great player, make no mistake about it. But as good as he is, one would have to back decades to find the last time an NBA team, other than the Golden State Warriors who boast a generational, league-breaking guard in Stephen Curry, won an NBA championship without a game-changing presence on the wing.

Julius Randle, as talented as he is, doesn't look like he's good enough to lead the Knicks to a championship if he's the team's second-best player. Moreover, the Knicks relied too heavily on RJ Barrett, who was extremely inefficient against the Heat, Quentin Grimes, a player who specializes in catching and shooting, and Josh Hart, a rebounding dynamo who functions as more of a connective piece on both ends, not a featured one.

The Knicks badly need an upgrade on the wing. If they can find a way to swing a trade for the likes of Jaylen Brown (close to impossible), Mikal Bridges (will the Brooklyn Nets want to deal their best player to their in-state rivals?), or OG Anunoby (one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA whose offensive game may be too limited for the Knicks' liking relative to the price it'd take for them to acquire him), then the Knicks must do so to address perhaps the most glaring need of an NBA team in this day and age to compete for a championship.

Quality depth

Head coach Tom Thibodeau and depth don't exactly go hand in hand. Thibodeau, throughout his coaching years, has built a reputation for being someone who relied heavily on his starters. This was evident during the Knicks' series against the Heat, when he played Jalen Brunson and Quentin Grimes for the entire game because he simply couldn't trust anyone on the Knicks bench.

Stars are what dictates games, but depth is what allows them to remain fresh throughout the grueling eight-month stretch it will take to win a championship. Beyond that, quality depth also takes center stage in the playoffs, especially when teams need to find the right combinations or find the requisite spark to ignite a sleepwalking team, like Lonnie Walker IV did for the Los Angeles Lakers.

Move the basketball

It's hard to argue with the Knicks' results. They finished the season fourth in offensive rating, even though they rarely shared the ball. They finished with the third-least assists this past season, which is a testament to the Knicks players' ability to create shots for themselves.

However, for the team to reach new heights, they will have to learn how to play more team basketball to prevent the offense from bogging down in the playoffs like it did for them against the Heat. Part of it is with the offensive system in place for the Knicks, but the players must do their part as well in spreading the rock more evenly to avoid diminishing returns when the game crawls to a halt.