One Knicks Offseason Move That Might Age Poorly

Nothing is guaranteed, but there's a chance that this offseason move by the Knicks won't look good down the line. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

One Knicks Offseason Move That Might Age Poorly

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Kento Kato | Last updated Aug 16, 2026 7:00 AM ET

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The Knicks have had a relatively quiet offseason compared to some of their rivals.

The Celtics made a splash by trading away Jaylen Brown, signing former Knicks center Mitchell Robinson, and extending Neemias Queta. The 76ers not only traded for the aforementioned Brown but also signed LeBron James while also bolstering their bench with Dean Wade and Anfernee Simons. The Raptors made headlines of their own when they traded for Kawhi Leonard (still pending). And although it's become a bit of an afterthought now, the Heat won what some would consider the jackpot of the offseason by signing Giannis Antetokounmpo.

Even "less active" teams like the Hawks and Pacers got better.

That said, outside of their inability to retain Robinson, most fans have been happy with the Knicks' moves. They brought back Mohamed Diawara, Landry Shamet, and Jose Alvarado on very reasonable to even team-friendly deals-ones that the fanbase has absolutely no complaints about. Those should all age pretty well, given their relative prices.

One move—or more precisely, the series of decisions—that might age poorly transpired during the draft.

Knicks' draft-night decisions could come back to haunt them

Back in June's draft, President Leon Rose, as he's done numerous times in the past, traded down in the draft. It's speculative at this point, but it's believed he did so to maintain as much cap flexibility as possible to retain Shamet and Alvarado.

Leon Rose sitting. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Now, hindsight is 20/20. In an alternate universe where Rose doesn't trade out of the first round and isn't able to bring one of those guys, he gets plenty of flak for it. But in the current timeline, the Knicks front office not being able to get a young and controllable rookie big man hurts.

In what was considered a loaded draft that was not just talented at the top but also very deep, the Knicks could've gotten their hands on a player like Tarris Reed Jr. Even if that ended up costing them more money, they could've found a salary dump trade for Tyler Kolek or Pacôme Dadiet to address a much more immediate need.

Instead, they'll likely have to begin the season with either one of the few remaining veteran free agents or a relatively unknown training camp invitee.

The Knicks could very well survive until the trade deadline with either of those options. Shoot, they could strike gold and be completely fine when it's all set and done. Of their very few moves, most are pretty safe. Their moves on draft night? It's understandable why they did it. It may not even have been the wrong move.

But it has the biggest potential to age poorly.

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This article first appeared on New York Knicks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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