Future Moves? #AsktheWriters Fan Mailbag #2

Geoff: I’m gonna go out on a bit of a limb and say yes – having KAT and Mitch in the starting lineup is best for the Knicks. The sample size is small, but in 33 minutes where both KAT and Mitch have shared the court, the Knicks net rating is 25.1. I think having Mitch in there takes care of rebounding and frees up KAT to not have to worry about guarding so many pick-and-rolls. I would shift Josh Hart to the bench and rock with JB, Mikal, OG, KAT, Mitch, Deuce, Hart, Cam Payne (maybe Shamet, and Precious is situational).

Remi: I’ll cheat and say, “it depends.” The two bigs lineup could be crucial in a series against a big frontcourt like the Cavs. But I don’t picture it holding up against a five-out offense like Boston deploys. So, the matchup decides what the most optimal approach is. If Mitch starts, I’ll co-sign Geoff on Josh Hart moving to the second unit.

Omar: There has been a track record in the Thibs era of young players seeing a minute uptick in their second years, presumably after some trust is built. I think that this will definitely be the case for Kolek and Hukporti, as both players have shown flashes when given extended run due to injury this year. McCullar feels like a longer term project to me, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see he get some looks post All-Star Break next season.

Remi: I expect the rookies to have much better chances at earning rotation roles next season. But I also suspect that the Knicks will bring in competition for them. Kolek seems ready to take the reins as a backup, and Hukporti flashed plenty before he got hurt. But I’d expect to see minimum contract vets brought in as insurance if they stagnate. McCullar barely had a rookie season, so his case is more complicated, though I felt he was the most Thibs-friendly draft pick.

Omar: I think there are two answers to this question. The Knicks have not been to a Finals since 1999, and have not been to a Conference Finals since 2000. So the impatience is in wanting to finally having a winning team after years of either mediocrity or not quite being to the level. There are fans that are now entering their 50s that have never seen a title, so that creates impatience.

The other aspect to me is a byproduct of us as a society. Everything is on-demand and microwaveable, so we kind of want our sports teams to be that way too. So when winning isn’t immediate, I think people get frustrated and lose all sense of patience.

Remi: Omar covered two of the main points in my eyes. But I’ll add a couple more. Leon Rose has moved a lot of pieces to get to this product. There were five picks for Bridges, Randle and Donte for KAT, and RJ and IQ for Anunoby. That’s a lot of pieces that fans may have been attached to, and it can create higher expectations.

Second is the cap situation. New York is over the first apron, so there’s some concern that “what you see is what you get” for the foreseeable future. Rose and Brock Aller are creative enough to tweak things, but the core seems set in stone.

Remi: That’s a great question, and I actually had to do a bit of digging to find a worthwhile answer. According to Adam Silver, referees are held accountable but it’s not publicized. They get fewer assignments, so you won’t be seeing the refs with bad track records during important playoff games.

At least, that’s the theory. There’s at least one ref that I know I’ve seen ref Finals games whom I always take issue with. I won’t name-drop him, but here’s a hint: “Australian for beer.” 

Jalen: I’m not sure. I think Adam Silver gives them a call or something. But it’s not a healthy aspect of the game to obsess over. Stick to the scripture of Ball Don’t Lie instead.

Omar: Assuming that early means a first-round exit, I think there will be some uncomfortable conversations about Thibodeau and his future with the team. From a player perspective, it feels like they are locked into the main guys for next season (KAT, JB, OG, Mikal, Hart), so I would expect some operating at the margins. I think an upgrade from Landry Shamet is realistic, maybe Bruce Brown depending on what his market looks like this off-season.

I think the dream pick-up for many has to be Giannis right now. The cost to get him, however, will likely be exorbitant. Equally uncertain is him actually requesting a trade from the Bucks. The defensive versatility that he and OG could provide is endless, and that would be a dream come true for a lot of Knicks fans.

Jalen: My dream pickup has forever been Devin Booker, and right when it seems like he might be his most available, the Knicks have their lightest chest of assets. If the Knicks have a non-competitive second-round series—or even worse: lose in the first round—I think Tom Thibodeau gets officially put on the stove, and I think the Knicks try to add pieces to make Karl-Anthony Towns a full-time power forward.

Chris Boucher is a more realistic option, depending on his price in free agency. I also like Larry Nance as a backup big, both being with Mitchell Robinson getting the promotion to starting center again. A 2025-26 season with a full offseason of marginal moves around the Brunson/Mikal/OG/KAT core will be pivotal.

Would they even consider trading Josh Hart at the right value? 🤔