Biggest Needs and Bold Predictions for New York Knicks' 2025 NBA Offseason

After losing Saturday's Game 6 to the Indiana Pacers, 125-108, the New York Knicks' 2024-25 campaign is in the books.

And though they finished just two wins shy of an NBA Finals appearance, it still feels like we could be in for a dramatic offseason in the league's biggest media market.

We'll break down what's to come through a pair of lenses: New York's biggest needs and some bold predictions on how they'll address them.

They Need Depth

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In true Tom Thibodeau-ian fashion, New York boasted five of this season's top 20 players in minutes per game.

Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns were first, third, fifth, 14th and 20th, respectively.

So, it's probably not a shock to learn that the Knicks were 30th in bench points per game at 21.7. What may be a little surprising, though, is the fact that that number is 4.5 shy of 29th place.

New York wasn't just the worst in this category. It wasn't even close.

And while Thibodeau seemed to eventually trust some reserves a bit more toward the end of the conference finals, the Knicks were still 15th (out of 16 playoff teams) in postseason bench points per game. And their average in that category dropped from the regular season.

There's just no question that New York needs more firepower off the bench, and not just so it can climb those digital leaderboards.

There is too big a workload on the legs of each of New York's starters. And that really started to show up toward the end of the series against Indiana, a fast-paced, run-and-gun team that eventually exhausted the Knicks.

And They'll Trade One of the Starters to Find It

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Expect the Knicks to be in plenty of trade rumors throughout this summer. With Giannis Antetokounmpo potentially available, New York is almost guaranteed to be tied to him at some point. Plenty of other stars will wear imaginary blue and orange, too.

But just last summer, New York gave up four unprotected firsts, an unprotected first-round pick swap and a top-four protected first-round pick for Bridges. Later, they gave up two starter-level players (Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo), another first-round pick and multiple second-rounders (among other things) for Karl-Anthony Towns.

Barring other moves that might rebuild the asset stash, the Knicks just don't have the assets to meaningfully get in the mix for this summer's biggest available stars.

So, instead of another splashy move for a big name, expect one of those high-minute players to be part of a trade package that brings multiple helpful players back to New York.

They Need a Coach Who'll Develop a Full Rotation

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You can't teach an old dog new tricks. Old habits die hard. A Leopard can't change its spots.

You pick the cliche, it probably fits Thibodeau. He's been a head coach since 2010, and his tendency to run his best players into the ground has been the primary gripe about him the entire time.

You almost certainly have to have more than five or six trustworthy players to win a title. And while a front office would get plenty of blame for not assembling a roster with more than that, a coach who doesn't develop his own players throughout the season deserves some blame too.

Whoever is on the bench for 2025-26, New York needs him or her to give some real minutes to up-and-comers during the regular season.

But They Won't Address that by Firing Thibodeau

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As tempting and easy as it sometimes is to blame the coach, we probably need to reestablish some perspective here.

Thibodeau just brought the Knicks to within two wins of the Finals. Their regular-season winning percentage with him at the helm over the last five seasons is 56.5.

Over the 19 (yes, nineteen) years that immediately preceded Thibs' arrival, New York was dead last in winning percentage at 39.0. It made the playoffs in just four of those 19 seasons.

Thibodeau almost immediately took the Knicks from league-wide laughingstock to perennial postseason team. They've gotten out of the first round in each of the last three years. And in 2025, they made the conference finals.

This summer, ownership and the front office may need to stress to him the importance of playing more of his roster. And it may be fair to put him on the hot seat at some point in the next 12 months, but he's earned the opportunity to address the concern.

They Need to Get Under the First Apron

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Right now, the Knicks are on track to be about $4 million over the first apron line. And if they stay on that side of it, their access to the mid-level exception for potential free agents is limited. Math for trades is a little tighter for apron teams, too.

And if you're that close to the line, it's worth it to try to dip under it. The depth-building trade forecast above could also be one to shed a little total salary.

If the Knicks can check both of those boxes with one deal, they'll have more flexibility to flesh out the roster even further.

Given the glamour of the New York market and how far this team just went in the playoffs, there should be more than one solid player willing to sign there for the taxpayer's mid-level exception this summer.

And if the Knicks come back with four of their five most important players from this season, plus two or three more rotation players after them, they'll be more likely to take the next step and make the Finals.