A top NBA insider believes the New York Knicks will get the superstar player they are hoping to eventually add to the team, unfortunately, it won’t be this summer.
When the New York Knicks added future Hall-of-Famer Carmelo Anthony at the start of the previous decade, there was hope that he could be the man to finally lead them to their first championship since 1973. However, he could not deliver on those lofty goals and once his tenure with the organization ended, they began a new hunt for their next superstar.
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The team has been unable to find a game-changer talent through the NBA Draft over the last decade, and during that time their focus has shifted to building up a massive amount of trade assets to eventually acquire the player that can finally push them into the upper echelon of the league and into being a serious title contender.
New York Knicks record (’22-’23): 47-35
With the acquisition of Jalen Brunson in NBA free agency last summer, the team took a major step closer to that ultimate goal. For many New York Knicks fans, the hope is the organization can land that final impact piece they need this summer.
However, during a chat with Sportsnaut on Tuesday, ESPN NBA insider Nick Fridell poured some cold water on the fanbase’s hopes for this summer, while also leaving them with a reason to still dream big.
“Patience [is the Knicks summer strategy], and I know that’s something Knicks fans don’t want to hear at all but that’s the reality of where they’re at. They’ve just got to wait. I don’t see that difference-maker coming available this summer. They’ve done such a good job of holding onto their picks, holding on to the assets, [and] they added Brunson.
“You would think in year four under [head coach Tom] Thibodeau, that groups going to get a little better. Especially defensively. I believe that the Knicks will be able to land the star that they hope for down the line. I don’t think that’s going to happen at any point in the next year. Especially this not summer.”
-Nick Friedell
The New York Knicks have recently been linked to a potential trade for oft-injured eight-time All-Star Paul George in recent weeks. And the team has also been at the center of speculation on a potential trade for Karl-Anthony Towns at some point in the near future.