The New York Knicks' season is over after a six-game Eastern Conference Finals loss to the Indiana Pacers. After an ambitious offseason, which saw New York sacrifice the majority of its assets to trade for Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns, the Knicks are back to the drawing board. Leon Rose and the front office will have difficult decisions to make over the coming months.
It's hard to imagine the Knicks breaking up this core — you'd struggle to find a better top-four in terms of pure talent than Brunson, KAT, Bridges and Anunoby — but everything else is on the table. The Knicks' second unit was a big (positive) factor late in this series, but the Knicks need to find a way to take things to the next level with limited assets and a complicated cap sheet.
This will be a fascininating offseason in NYC. Here are the Knicks who feel as good as gone after Indiana's historic victory.
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Delon Wright can probably snag a bigger role elsewhere
Delon Wright made sporadic appearances for the Knicks this season and in the playoffs, but the 33-year-old can probably find greener pastures elsewhere. He's a minimum contract candidate, so it's not a financial issue, but Wright still has something left in the tank. His rangy defense, slashing and solid game-management skills can stick in a rotation somewhere, just not behind Jalen Brunson and Miles McBride.
The Knicks love defense. Wright fits the culture and scheme Thibs likes to run. But there just isn't room for him in the rotation. He has averaged a hair below 16 minutes per game in each of the last two seasons. Wright won't be a featured option, of course, but he's a real ninth or 10th man, which tends to mean a complete loss of minutes in the playoffs when you're a Knick. He ought to look for a contender with a lighter backcourt depth chart.
Landry Shamet just played his way to a new contract, but not in New York
Landry Shamet came alive in the fifth and sixth games of this series. He gave New York 14 excellent minutes in their Game 5 victory. Even without scoring much (five points on 2-of-3 shooting), Shamet made plays on defense and bought extra rest for Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges. In Game 6, he exploded for 12 points in 16 minutes, drilling 4-of-7 attempts from 3-point range.
Shamet's career has been a roller coaster, but he occupies a role every NBA team covets. He's a combo guard with real touch as a movement shooter and a scrappy defensive persona. These games were proof that Shamet can be a 16-game player, not just a regular season sponge for garbage time minutes.
The Knicks probably want Shamet back, but if he can convince a team to cough up more than the veteran minimum, New York will probably focus its limited resources elsewhere. Still 28 years old, Shamet feels like a smart under-the-radar bet for a contender. Just not the Knicks.
Mitchell Robinson was great in the playoffs, but his Knicks tenure is coming to an end
Mitchell Robinson is approaching the final year of his contract, worth $12.9 million. That is great value for him, but the Knicks need to consider his future. With so much money wrapped up in KAT, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges in the frontcourt, odds are the Knicks won't keep Robinson on the open market. He can get starting center money somewhere.
He is probably New York's best trade chip, too, not including the core pieces. Still 27 years old, Robinson is a 100th percentile athlete who oozes upside, even if it feels like he's a known commodity. Consistency has been an issue over the years, but Robinson covers a ton of ground defensively and is a major vertical spacer with his ability to finish above the rim. He might have the widest catch radius in the NBA.
There will be teams willing to cough up real assets for Robinson (lookin' at you, Lakers). Quality bigs are still surprisingly sparse and the league seems to be embracing size in a way it was not even a couple years ago. If the Knicks can recoup draft capital or shake up the rotation with another meaningful depth piece, flipping Robinson might be the right move for all parties.