Fans of the New York Knicks celebrated when Tom Thibodeau led this year’s team to the playoffs — and deservedly so. The Knicks hadn’t been in the postseason since the 2012-2013 NBA season, so being able to secure the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference was an impressive feat.
Sadly, for New York, the Knicks’ time in the playoffs was short lived as the Atlanta Hawks eliminated them in five games on Wednesday.
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Throughout the series, Julius Randle struggled to find his shot, and aside from Derrick Rose, the Knicks didn’t get consistent production from anyone. Despite the underwhelming performances from the majority of the roster, fans in New York finally have something to look forward to when it comes to the Knicks.
Randle was the Most Improved Player in the NBA, RJ Barrett showed tons of improvement in his game, and Thibodeau instilled a winning culture within the franchise. The next step for the Knicks is to bolster the roster in the offseason.
Given the team’s newfound success, New York’s front office should be aggressive in targeting big-name players via trade or in free agency. In this article, I’ll be pinpointing a few names that the Knicks should pursue via trade in hopes it helps them reach another level in the 2021-2022 season.
