Insider Offers Bittersweet Knicks Comparison

ESPN insider Brian Windhorst believes that the sun will rise on the New York Knicks (3-4) again … but it may require some patience.

The Knicks’ slow start amidst the hype around one of the most legitimately hopeful periods in recent franchise memory has garnered its share of headlines and multiple theories of diagnosis. Windhorst offered a recent comparison on Thursday’s edition of “NBA Today,” one that Knicks fans will likely view as bittersweet at best.

“When you look at the Knicks, I think you should really take a look at what’s going on with the Phoenix Suns,” Windhorst explained (h/t New York Basketball on X). “When the Suns made those big trades to get Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant, they really hallowed out their depth. They needed to go through last year’s trade deadline when they got Royce O’Neale and then go through this summer when they got Mason Plumlee and Tyus Jones and drafted Ryan Dunn.”

“Now that team is built out, they’re a completely different. When you look at the Knicks, they’ve hallowed out their depth making the acquisitions.”

The Suns traded for big-name talents Beal and Durant, pairing the two with Devin Booker in the desert. Phoenix’s lack of depth, however, stifled any major progress, and the Suns placed sixth on the final Western Conference leaderboard before they were swept by the Minnesota Timberwolves in the opening round of the postseason.

With the acquisitions mentioned by Windhorst, the Suns have won seven of their first eight this time around and are currently ensnared in a three-way tie for first in the West with Golden State and Oklahoma City.

Over the past calendar year-plus, the Knicks have made headlines for their marquee trades: OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Karl-Anthony Towns have all made their metropolitan debuts in 2024, leading many to place New York on their NBA Finals shortlists.

To Windhorst’s point, however, the Knicks have had to deal away depth stars to obtain their services: the deal for Towns was costly enough, as it sacrificed starters Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle. But New York has also sent away depth pieces like Bojan Bogdanovic and Immanuel Quickley in the process and the top-heavy approach has yet to yield any significant results in their favor.

Windhorst further argued that the Anunoby/Bridges/Towns triumvirate could still “work beautifully” but that restocking the depth beyond their opening endeavors could take “a couple of transaction cycles.” It might even take longer for the Knicks considering they emptied their well-stocked draft pick cabinet to acquire Bridges and Towns.

To be fair, the Knicks’ second unit, primarily consisting of three men in the early going, has dealt with its share of lasting injuries: the paint has been particularly pained with both Precious Achiuwa and Mitchell Robinson out indefinitely while backcourt man Cameron Payne has missed the last two games with hamstring issues. Fellow former Sun Landry Shamet seemed well on his way to a role in the rotation but he was waived after enduring a shoulder injury in the preseason.

Still, the Knicks better hope that their investments yield better results, especially considering that it could be a while before any form of realistic assistance arrives.

The Knicks have a chance to get back on track on Friday when they face the Milwaukee Bucks at home (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG).

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