The Knicks had a fascinating offseason. It included a blockbuster signing (Jalen Brunson), a near blockbuster trade (Donovan Mitchell), a wild draft night of trades and two pricey re-signings (Mitchell Robinson, RJ Barrett).
Ultimately, the Knicks should be better than they were last season. But could they have improved even more? Let’s dig into what team president Leon Rose did and didn’t do over the past few months and hand out some early grades:
Jalen Brunson signs a four-year, $104 million contract
The Knicks finally have an in-his-prime point guard. While there is an argument to be made that they overpaid to land Brunson — he wasn’t even a full-time starter until this past December — there is no question he fills a decades-long void of a difference-making playmaker.
There have been too many stopgaps, over-the-hill veterans and journeyman types at this all-important position. The Knicks have had 12 different starting point guards since opening night in 2009. Only Raymond Felton, in 2010 and 2012, began a season as the lead guard more than once. Brunson stops that revolving door.
