Knicks Top 3 in Future Power Rankings

The New York Knicks have one of the best futures in the NBA.

Jeremy Brener | Oct 1, 2024

Feb 3, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) grabs Los Angeles Lakers guard Austin Reaves (15) during the fourth quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

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New York Knicks

The New York Knicks have high hopes for the upcoming season as they look to build off of their 50-win campaign from a year ago.

The Knicks did enough on paper to give them reason to be better this season, trading for Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets and Karl-Anthony Towns from the Minnesota Timberwolves and signing Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby to long-term extensions.

ESPN crafted a future power ranking that projects the next three seasons, and the Knicks came in at No. 3, five spots higher than the same ranking a year ago.

"Continued impressive work from coach Tom Thibodeau and president Leon Rose earned New York a jump up from a tie for ninth in management to fourth -- up from a tie for 20th two seasons ago. Between the salaries added to the books and the draft capital sent out in deals, New York predictably dropped in both money (tied for 13th) and draft (sixth) from where it was a year ago," ESPN contributor Tim Bontemps writes.

The only teams that rank higher than the Knicks are the Oklahoma City Thunder and Boston Celtics, who were both the No. 1 seed in their respective conference last season.

The Knicks have a lot going for them, especially with their star Jalen Brunson in his prime. Sure, there are some struggle spots, like the money and future draft capital going down, but that's because this team is in buyer mode.

If the Knicks' spending doesn't result in a championship, it should be considered a disappointment. However, they are making the effort, and that's more than what most teams can say at this point.

The Knicks' window is wide open, and that should be the case for the next several years down the line, which puts the team in a position that it hasn't been in since the 1990's.

Make sure you bookmark New York Knicks on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

Published Oct 1, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.