Subscribe
Follow Us
The New York Knicks are still bouncing back after losing to the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals. Ultimately, they fell short of their NBA Finals goal. The Knicks fired Tom Thibodeau after losing that series. Shockingly, the Knicks' offseason moves started with the firing of a coach who helped them get to the Final Four. After losing in the Eastern Conference Finals, New York needed more to improve their chances in the 2025 NBA offseason.
New York had one of the best starting lineups in the league. Conversely, they also had one of the worst benches. Indiana exposed that in the Eastern Conference Finals, too often. Therefore, the team obviously needed to do something to remedy that in the 2025 NBA offseason. While the Knicks signed Guerschon Yubesele to a two-year deal, is it enough?
New York currently has the third-best odds to win the NBA Title. However, not having depth behind Towns cost them dearly. Although Mitchell Robinson was a solid defender, his lack of any offense proved detrimental in the series loss to Indiana.
Not signing a backup for Karl-Anthony Towns was a mistake
The signs indicate the Knicks plan to move forward with Robinson as the backup. Alarmingly, that could be disastrous if anything were to happen to Towns.
Towns does well at spacing the floor, thrives in the mid-post, at the top of the key, and hits his shots beyond the arc. Conversely, Robinson can only play in the paint. Even when he clogs the paint, he does not do much on offense. Additionally, it limits what the offense around him can do.
If something were to happen to Towns, it would create a lot of uncertainty or force the Knicks to play small ball. Robinson just cannot replicate Towns' skill set. His limited offensive ability hurts him and his teammates. Often, he would even miss out on catching lobs or finishing dunks. Defenders do not fear him and likely see him as someone who is not a threat on offense.
Robinson has also been injury-prone. Over the past five years, he has dealt with a broken hand, a foot fracture, an ankle injury, and other ailments. Opponents also know how poor a free-throw shooter he is and have often fouled him purposely to force him to beat them at the charity stripe.
Robinson is also very pricey at $14-15 million for a backup who can only defend. Unfortunately, he eats into the roster flexibility, and it is tough to trade him.
What the Knicks could have done
The Knicks did not need to make a massive trade to acquire a backup for Towns. They could have found a cheaper backup who could score and defend.
Trading for Jonas Valančiūnas was a consideration. He averaged 11.5 points for the Washington Wizards and 8.7 points per game with the Sacramento Kings. He had already proved that he could score and was dangerous all over the paint. Unlike Robinson, Valančiūnas is dangerous all over the floor. Also, he is a danger from all over the floor, giving opponents reason to pause.
The Knicks' offseason moves would have received a perfect grade if they had traded for Valančiūnas. Instead, the Denver Nuggets traded for Valančiūnas, and the Knicks lost out on a big-time big man.
Did the Knicks do enough in the 2025 NBA offseason?
The Knicks are contenders because of all the misfortune that has happened to the Boston Celtics and the Pacers. However, they will still have to deal with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Do they have enough bulk and power to beat the Cavs?
Jalen Brunson is still the point guard running the show, while Mikal Bridges remains the shooting guard. Likewise, Josh Hart and OG Anunoby return as forwards while Towns paces the paint. But the Knicks' depth chart still has questions. Yes, the signing of Yabusele will help, and Jordan Clarkson and Miles McBride are both solid. However, not getting a proper backup for Towns might haunt them.
The Knicks may still find a long-term solution to back up Towns down the line. While they did not achieve that goal in the 2025 NBA offseason, there is still time to make it happen. For now, the Knicks will enter the 2025-26 season with no real backup to Towns. If something were to happen to him, they would be in deep trouble and have to stretch their current depth.
The Knicks have hired Mike Brown as their new coach, which may change some things in New York. Ultimately, this means the Knicks will need to play faster. Not signing an adequate backup center for this new system might expose them again in the playoffs.
