ESPN ranked all 30 NBA teams on their projected on-court success for the next three seasons and placed the Knicks at No. 8 overall, justifying their placement by saying:
“New York has collected future draft picks to add a disgruntled superstar via trade to a core built largely from within. That patient strategy, along with Tom Thibodeau getting the most out of the roster, lifted the Knicks’ management score nine spots,” Kevin Pelton noted.
The rankings factored in rosters, management, cap space, market, and draft capital in their ordering of each team. As it stands, the Knicks have nine first-round draft picks in the next two seasons combined, allowing them to go after top talent in the classes of 2024 and 2025.