Leon Rose Isn't Done

"You are what your record says you are." - Bill Parcells 

Through 31 games, the New York Knicks were 17-14. By no means were they a bad team; but in a top-heavy league like the NBA, they were hardly contenders. After an exhilarating win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Christmas Day, they had dropped their last two and had fallen out of the top six in the Eastern Conference.

Give Leon Rose credit. He knew it wasn't going to get any better, and with Mitchell Robinson lost for the season, it had every chance of getting worse; a lot worse. Since the starting center went down, the Knicks have gone from the 4th best defense in the league to 15th. C plus may cut it in high school algebra, but for an organization that hasn't been to the finals since 1999 - and is now staring at 51 years without a title - it might as well have been an F.

So he did what he any competent man in his position would've done: he pulled the plug. In what some are calling a blockbuster trade, he shipped RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and a second-round draft pick to the Toronto Raptors for OG Anuoby, Precious Achiuwa and Malachi Flynn.

The key piece in this transaction is Anuoby. The 6-7 small forward is the prototypical Tom Thibodeau player. Named to 2023 NBA All Defensive second team, he rebounds, blocks shots, gets the occasional steal, and is far-more consistent from both inside and outside the three point arc than Barrett, who in his five seasons in New York never quite realized his potential. He now gets a second chance in his native Toronto. 

Losing Quickley will deplete one of the few strengths of this team: its bench. But with IQ a pending free agent after the season, it was unlikely Rose was going to sign him anyway. Better to get what you can for a disappearing asset. The fact that the Knicks still have all their number one picks means they have plenty of draft capital with which to make other trades.

And you gotta believe Rose isn't done remaking this roster. With Jalen Brunson the only star, the Knicks desperately need an elite player to compete with the big boys. Julius Randle has the heart of a lion, but he's not that guy. And even when Robinson was healthy, he couldn't hold a candle to Joel Embiid, Kristaps Portzingis or Giannis Antetokounmpo. Face it: pick any contending team in the NBA the Knicks could go up against and they never had the best player on the court. 

Never.

The question isn't whether Rose will make another move, but with whom? The Utah Jazz could be a potential trade partner. They're clearly rebuilding. Last season, they dealt Donavan Mitchell to the Cleveland Cavaliers after rejecting a combination of players and draft picks from the Knicks. This time around, Rose could offer Danny Ainge four number one and three number two picks over the next two years that are fully conveyed for Lauri Markkanen. No matter how you slice it, that's a ton of draft picks. Even Ainge would have a hard time saying no to that.

Markkanen would give New York something they haven't had since Patrick Ewing: a center who can score and rebound. Just imagine this Knicks roster:

Starters:

C:  Markkanen

PF: Randle

SF: Anuoby

PG: Brunson

SG: Hart

Bench:

C:  Hartenstein

PF: Achiuwa

SF: Gibson

PG: Grimes

SG: DiVencenzo

If Rose can't pry Markkanen away from Utah, he can turn his sights south to Atlanta, where the Hawks might be willing to deal shooting guard Dejounte Murray for the right package. Can you imagine a back court of Brunson and Murray? It would harken back to the days of Walt Frazier and Earl Monroe. Rumor has it that the Los Angeles Lakers have the inside track on landing Murray, but you never know.

Bottom line, Knicks fans shouldn't get too attached to this lineup. I seriously doubt Rose acquired all these draft picks just to sit on them. And you can bet the ranch James Dolan is expecting something big. With the Rangers currently leading the NHL in points, he's not going to sit still while the other franchise that plays in his building is a second-tier team.

The next few weeks should be interesting.

Happy New Year.