This is the first season that this version of the New York Knicks have been together and it won’t be their last. Though it hasn’t always been pretty, they still sit at 42-24, third in the Eastern Conference standings. That’s the type of success that most, if not all, franchises should be happy with.
That’s why, on a podcast co-hosted by two of his players, Knicks owner James Dolan expressed his desire to keep their momentum going.
Knicks Owner James Dolan Imparts Roster-Building Knowledge
“We have a team that’s going to be together for a while,” Dolan says. “Leon (Rose) has done a good job of lining up the contracts and everything else. So this isn’t our only season. We’re going to play a bunch of seasons together.
“You take a look at teams like (the Boston Celtics) that have played together, they get to draw off of something that they built over that period of time,” he adds. “And for this team, that’s the challenge, really… to build that inside of the team. Something we can draw on.”
As Dolan notes, Knicks president Leon Rose has been shrewd in making sure that many of their core player’s contracts align.
Mikal Bridges and Mitchell Robinson’s contracts expire in 2026. Josh Hart and Karl-Anthony Towns’s contracts expire in 2028. Jalen Brunson could become a free agent that same year or wait until 2029, when OG Anunoby’s contract expires.
Bridges, whom they traded a bevy of first-rounders for, will likely re-sign. Robinson’s future is more uncertain but there will probably be mutual interest on a new deal. Hart, Anunoby, Towns, and Brunson will all be in their 30s the next time they become free agents. To that point, they probably won’t be rushing to leave, especially if New York is still competitive.
With that being said, don’t expect the Knicks to chase down stars like the Los Angeles Lakers, who in some ways are their Western Conference counterparts. Stars flock to big cities and glamour markets. Franchises in those areas are usually looking for stars. However, everything that glitters isn’t gold.
Better Late Than Never
After 25-plus years in the business, Dolan knows that now.
“There were times when (we’ve) sort of reached for that shiny, sparkly object. ‘Maybe this is what we need.’ Especially when things weren’t going well,” he admits. “‘Let’s bring in this guy and maybe he’ll turn it all around for us.’ Sometimes it’s players, sometimes it’s a coach.”
“What I learned over time is that doesn’t work,” he tells Brunson and Hart. “It really doesn’t. You really have to do the fundamentals, the basics. You’ve got to build a team, you’ve got to build an organization. There is no waving a wand over a team and all of a sudden make it a great team. It doesn’t happen.”
Given that Dolan signed or traded for every member of the Knicks’ core rotation besides Robinson and Miles McBride, his assessment might be met with skepticism.
After all, it’s not like he drafted his best players. The Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, Memphis Grizzlies, Denver Nuggets, and even the Orlando Magic can boast about that. New York can’t.
Nonetheless, he’s right about the process of actually building a team. The NBA isn’t like 2K, where pressing a button in GM Mode could transform a franchise, taking them from a bottom-feeder to top-tier organization. Teams have to work at being great. In practice and in games.
That takes time.
How much the Knicks need to win a championship remains to be seen. However, with Thibodeau’s principles and the team’s chemistry, their talent won’t be wasted. Not when they’re doing all they can —individually and collectively —to build themselves into a great team.
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