5 Biggest Post-Deadline Questions

As expected, the Knicks didn't make a move on deadline day.

Good morning! It was all quiet yesterday as the Sims / Wright swap ended up being New York’s only move of the deadline (although we did find out yesterday that the cash considerations the Bucks sent to the Knicks amounted to $2 million, which just so happens to be Wright’s salary). I’ll get into all the questions remaining after the deadline below, but first…

…that’s right! We’re going back to the well one more time. It’s bound to have water one of these days.

Let’s ask some questions.

5 Biggest Post-Deadline Questions

For the first time since he took over as President of the Knicks, Leon Rose stayed mostly quiet at the trade deadline.

This may be a surprise to some based on how New York has handled past deadlines, but the key difference here is that the Knicks are coming off an earth-shaking offseason that left them with limited maneuverability and short on movable assets.

This summer should be a different story for a variety of reasons, but what the front office might be able to do in July doesn’t help them now. With that in mind, let’s look at the five biggest post-deadline questions for a team with lofty aspirations in April, May and June.

1. What’s the healthy rotation?

Assuming everyone is in uniform and able to contribute, the Knicks should be in pretty good shape despite not swinging a significant deal at the deadline.

The starting five is set, with a positive 5.4 net rating in 806 minutes that isn’t ideal but is far from a disaster. Assuming Mitchell Robinson returns, there should be more than enough bench support between him, Deuce McBride, Precious Achiuwa and Cameron Payne. If the starters all play somewhere around 36 minutes, then those four can easily fill in the gaps for the remaining 60.

But listing out minutes totals also makes designing a functional playoff rotation easier than it looks. How many minutes, if any, does Thibs plan to give to both Precious and Mitch at the same time? If the answer is “none” because of concerns about the offense, a heavy stagger is required. Thibodeau will also likely want to keep one of Jalen Brunson or Karl-Anthony Towns on the floor at all times, even if he’s deviated from that strategy in the regular season. Will Cam Payne stick once we get to the postseason? Will Precious, assuming Robinson is back?

At this point, everything is on the table, but my guess is that KAT will see time with both Mitch and Precious and that one of KAT or Mitch will be on the floor at all times.