7. New York Knicks | Future Power Rating: 583
PLAYERS MANAGEMENT MONEY MARKET DRAFT
220 (10th) 111 (13th) 152 (4th) 79 (3th) 21 (26th)
The Knicks didn't get LeBron James this summer, but they continue to skyrocket up our Future Power Rankings. This summer, the Knicks moved up a whopping 12 spots in our player rankings, the most by any team at that time. Since August, they've moved up another three spots to No. 8 thanks in large part to a terrific start to the season and what looks like the inside track to acquiring Carmelo Anthony.
Amare Stoudemire is having an MVP-worthy season, Raymond Felton has been terrific and the Knicks may have scored the steal of the draft in second-round pick Landry Fields. All are unanticipated developments that should help the Knicks' long-term future.
The Knicks continue to rank high in the money department not because they have the most cap space, but because we believe they'll get the most bang for their buck. With Chris Sheridan's recent report that Anthony wants to play for just one team -- the Knicks -- we're pretty confident that they'll add the All-Star, either at the trade deadline or this summer.
New York's long-term cap projections also look bright. Even if they are paying Stoudemire and Anthony the max, they should still have the cap room to make another big splash -- say, 2012 free agents Chris Paul or Deron Williams -- in two summers.
In short, despite some obvious setbacks, the future in New York has never seemed brighter. While it's doubtful they'll be able to compete with the likes of Miami or Chicago in the future, they should, for the first time in a long time, finally field a contender starting as early as next season.
(Previous rank: 11)