5 offseason needs for the New York Knicks
By Ian Levy
3. Make a decision on Dennis Smith Jr.
When Dennis Smith Jr. arrived in a mid-season trade from Dallas, he gave the Knicks a playmaking element that the roster had been lacking to that point. He only played 21 games for New York and still finished fourth in total drives and sixth in total points created by assist. He was not particularly efficient as a shooter or finisher but at least some of that can be chalked up to context — being handed enormous offensive responsibility on a struggling team with an uncertain rotation.
The Knicks still have two more years of control on Smith Jr.’s contract but if they land Kyrie Irving they’ll have some decisions to make about how they want to use Smith Jr. going forward. He didn’t seem keen on playing second fiddle to Luka Doncic in Dallas, although he did make significant progress as a defender and catch-and-shoot threat. He’s a great piece to have but depending on what else falls into place this summer New York needs to figure out whether he’s their point guard of the present, point guard of the future, or a complementary piece that needs to be molded more off the ball.