Indiana Pacers conference rival offseason check-in: New York Knicks

A theme in the top half of the Eastern Conference during the 2024 offseason was small improvements. The Boston Celtics added to their team via the draft, the Milwaukee Bucks brought in cheap yet effective veterans, the Cleveland Cavaliers made a coaching change, the Indiana Pacers are banking on continuity, and the Miami Heat made some small moves. All of those teams hope to be better and are following different paths to make it happen.

The New York Knicks, meanwhile, made dramatic changes. After falling to the Pacers in the second round of the 2024 postseason, the Knicks made a huge trade to acquire two-way wing Mikal Bridges, a premier talent. Bridges doesn’t have the flashy plays or big scoring nights that are typical of high-value players, yet he is still one of the most impactful guys in the league. He can shoot, defend, and score at a high level.

That’s why New York had to give up five first round picks and three players to bring in the iron man — Bridges almost never misses a game. But he’s a terrific fit and will make New York significantly better. It’s a worthwhile deal, and the trade didn’t cost them a single key rotation player from last season.

But the Knicks did become hard capped in that transaction, and that made it impossible for them to keep talented center Isaiah Hartenstein. He left New York for the Oklahoma City Thunder, which is a big loss for last year’s second seed in the East.

Still, the Knicks got better this summer. None of their other departures are crushing, and they added three rookies on top of Bridges and veterans Keita Bates-Diop, Chuma Okeke, and Cameron Payne. Between their high-end talent and good-enough depth, the Knicks should be a tough out every night next season.

Madison Square Garden’s team also retained OG Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa while extending the contracts of Jalen Brunson and head coach Tom Thibodeau. All of the Knicks moves point toward the same goal: competing for deep playoff runs for the next half-decade.

Brunson, Anunoby, Bridges, Julius Randle, and Mitchell Robinson is a terrific starting lineup. Should the Knicks want to add more ball handling into that mix, they could try putting Randle at center and insert Josh Hart or Donte DiVincenzo. If they want to keep a big man on the floor and still have more shot creation, one of Bridges or Anunoby could be a reserve in lieu of the aforementioned guards.

Those players create a terrific top-seven in a rotation. Achiuwa and Miles McBride make it a reliable top nine. New York may need one more piece beyond that, but between their few remaining draft picks and multiple rookies, they have the juice to make one more trade if need be.

Indiana beat New York in seven games during the postseason in 2023-24. The Knicks dealt with injuries to Anunoby, Robinson, Hart, Brunson, Randle, and Bojan Bogdanovic during that best-of-seven set, and now they have re-tooled. They will want to take down the Pacers this season, and the two teams play on national television early in the campaign.

It will be a must-see battle. The Knicks and Pacers will be at their best for that one. New York’s peak should be higher than last year’s after their offseason moves, and that will make things harder for Indiana. Their longtime rival is going for it and will be a contender for the next few years after an aggressive offseason.