Knicks’ Road Ahead: Financial Decisions Loom
The Knicks Under Leon Rose have managed to avoid the luxury tax for four years. Despite being the team in the NBA’s biggest market, they’ve prioritized flexibility and managed to collect revenues from other teams paying the luxury tax. This cautious financial approach saw the Knicks holding the league’s lowest payroll in Rose’s first season and gradually increasing over the years, yet still below many other teams.
However, the Knicks are now at a pivotal point. If they aim to ‘run it back,’ they’ll face entering the luxury tax category. The primary financial dilemma involves OG Anunoby, who might reject his player option to test free agency. Re-signing Anunoby will be crucial, as losing him for nothing would be detrimental. Similar big-money decisions include Isaiah Hartenstein’s potential re-signing and the consideration of other key players, pushing the team toward that taxing threshold.
The predicament echoes past NBA scenarios, where teams faced similar financial crunches after high-value trades. Letting Anunoby walk would be disastrous, so retaining him is vital even if it means navigating deep into the luxury tax. Maintaining flexibility while facing significant payroll commitments is the challenge the Knicks must confront as they decide on future roster moves.
