Knicks Blueprint to Regain Contender Status in 2022

The New York Knicks aren't mathematically eliminated from the 2022 NBA playoffs, but that may be a formality at this point.

Even after Wednesday's win over the Charlotte Hornets, they are five games back of the final ticket to the Eastern Conference play-in tournament with only nine contests left on their schedule.

ESPN gives them less than a 0.1 percent chance of scoring an invitation to the playoffs.

In other words, it's time to start thinking about the Knicks' offseason and how they can get the bad taste of this campaign out of their mouth. Fixing this roster in a single summer won't be easy, but this three-step guide could put the 'Bockers back on the road to title contention.

Find a Floor General

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Apologies if you've heard this once—or a thousand times—but New York needs to upgrade the point guard position.

Kemba Walker wasn't the answer. A 33-year-old, oft-injured Derrick Rose isn't the solution, either. Alec Burks isn't even a point guard, so that's not it. Immanuel Quickley doesn't create for others, so he won't be the savior.

If the Knicks do nothing else this summer, they need to find a permanent fix to this long-standing problem. Is it breaking the bank for a Damian Lillard or a De'Aaron Fox? If either option is on the table, New York should explore it.

Could the answer come on draft night? Maybe if the Knicks capitalize on their 9.4 percent chance of jumping into the top four, per Tankathon, and have a shot at Purdue's Jaden Ivey, but otherwise probably not.

New York might have to turn to free agency for a fix, even if that would require dumping money or orchestrating a sign-and-trade. If the Knicks clear up the funds, they could get a lot of mileage out of prying Jalen Brunson out of Dallas. If not, a ball-mover such as Ricky Rubio or Tyus Jones might help unglue this offense, even if neither is much of a scoring threat.

Re-Sign Mitchell Robinson...at a Reasonable Rate

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Can the Knicks fix their issues by keeping a player who's been around for the worst of them? Yes. And no.

Superstardom probably isn't awaiting Mitchell Robinson, but that's fine, as long as his next contract doesn't pay him to be one. If he's paid for the player he is—impactful on defense, limited at the other end—then he can plug up some holes on the interior instead of opening one with his departure.

The 23-year-old erases a lot of shots around the rim and changes countless others. He's getting better at handling switches on the perimeter, and his combination of length and athleticism makes him tough to shoot over from anywhere on the floor.

This is also about New York's alternatives, or lack thereof. Nerlens Noel's injury issues won't let him be reliable. Jericho Sims probably isn't ready for a featured role. Obi Toppin could add offense at the position but at the expense of defensive protection, which is arguably more valuable in a frontcourt featuring Julius Randle. Deandre Ayton is almost assuredly out of the price range, and other free agents like Jusuf Nurkic and Mo Bamba aren't guaranteed upgrades over Robinson.

The Knicks have issues, but Robinson isn't one of them. Unless his next contract gets out of control, New York should have no trouble signing it.

Ace the Draft

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This might be tough to hear, but the Knicks probably aren't contending next season. Maybe not the year after that, either.

Actually, that shouldn't be the worst music to your ears—you probably knew this already. There are too many soft spots on this roster and not enough avenues to fix them this offseason.

The Knicks have one potential saving grace, though, and it's their draft pick that will almost certainly land in the lottery. If the basketball gods shine favorably on the 'Bockers, perhaps it will be high on the board, too. That aforementioned 9.4 percent chance of a top-four leap doesn't offer the greatest odds, but it's not nothing.

Climb the board, and New York can swing for the fences. Ivey is an obvious fit, but if the front office thinks more of Gonzaga's Chet Holmgren, Auburn's Jabari Smith or Duke's Paolo Banchero, the Knicks should chase the talent and worry about the fit later. If New York stays near the back end of the lottery, it can chase playmaking with Kentucky's TyTy Washington Jr., scoring with Wisconsin's Johnny Davis or shot-making from Arizona's Bennedict Mathurin.

Grab the right prospect now, and the Knicks could take a big step toward contending later.