NBA Season Preview 2018-19: 5 best asset collections

4. New York Knicks

If you’ve been in New York over the last few weeks as the Jimmy Butler fiasco has been unfolding, you might have thought you were living in the twilight zone.

History says that the minute Butler’s “preferred teams” list became public, Knicks brass traditionally would have been on the phone with their former GM Scott Layden:

“What’s that? A second first round pick in addition to Knox?  But what if it’s not a good one? Let me throw in a pick swap too…and an egg roll, on the house!”

Times, though, they are a changin’.

Knicks general manager Scott Perry and president Steve Mills have both been adamant about protecting what is, for the first time in a while, a sizable collection of stuff that other teams around the league actually seem to want. How about that!

Kevin Knox is the obvious name here. Based off a summer league where he flashed the type of playmaking that rarely appeared at Kentucky, he’s the leading contender for 2018’s “How’d that guy fall so far?” NBA Draft award. Last year’s pick, Frank Ntilikina, is less of a sure thing, but is already a menace on defense, is still growing and has the tools to be a perfect hybrid ball-handler/wing for the modern game. Then there’s Mitchell Robinson, the mystery man of the draft, who’s still as much of an unknown as anyone.

So is their presence here deserved, or just me being a huge homer? Considering New York owns its first-round pick (and given KP’s extended recovery, it promises to be a good one), let’s call it 50/50. At the very least, New York would be able to get in the conversation if a huge fish ever became available. Enes Kanter’s massive expiring would also help grease the skids on any deal, and they figure to have max space by July.