A new report claims some inside the New York Knicks organization believe they have been a far better team of late because they ‘”got rid of the softies” in some of their recent trades.
The Knicks seem to finally be back. They have reached the playoffs in two of the previous three seasons and are on track to return to the postseason in 2024. The organization clearly learned from their failings in 2021-22 and revamped the roster a great deal since then.
Over the last year-plus, Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Isaiah Hartenstein, and — most recently — OG Anunoby have been additions that have played huge roles in their success during that time. It also seems like certain subtractions may have been just as pivotal in the eyes of some around the team.
New York Knicks rumors: RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley were considered ‘soft’ players
On Sunday New York Post NBA reporter Steve Popper spoke with a team source who had a very interesting perspective on the trades that sent young former Knicks Obi Toppin, RJ Barrett, and Immanuel Quickley out of town.
“One team source pointed out that in moving out Obi Toppin in the summer, then Barrett and Quickley recently, ‘We got rid of the softies.,'” Popper wrote. “The Knicks roster now consists nearly completely of hard-nosed defenders.”
Toppin and Barrett are both former first-round picks, and the organization gave the latter a sizable contract extension two summers ago before making him a centerpiece of the OG Anunoby trade last month. Immanuel Quickley was New York’s top scorer off the bench the last few seasons and was also a key part of the blockbuster deal with the Toronto Raptors.
Toppin often had a difficult time landing a consistent spot in head coach Tom Thibodeau’s rotation, often due to his play of defense. Barrett and Quickley were not the defensive liability that Toppin was but the strength of their game was their scoring. It is probably no coincidence that the team has taken off when they were traded and an elite defender like Anunoby was added to Thibodeau’s system.
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