The Knicks’ best season in a decade came to a close Friday night in Miami.
A promising year that started without much expectation and then suddenly seemed full of possibilities ended in disappointment, a hard-fought six-game Eastern Conference semifinal series loss to the Heat in which they just didn’t have enough.Â
From Jalen Brunson emerging as the team’s leader and a legitimate star to Julius Randle finding his All-Star form and several of the team’s younger players making major strides, this was a successful campaign under Tom Thibodeau.
A team that was projected prior to the season to at best reach the play-in round was one of the final eight teams standing.Â
Now comes the next step: Building on it. It’s not so easy.
The last two times the Knicks reached the postseason, in 2012-13 and 2020-21, they followed it up with 37-45 campaigns. Â
The Post’s Zach Braziller breaks down the offseason storylines:
Does Josh Hart return?
The acquisition of Josh Hart on Feb. 9 took the Knicks to another level, a move that resulted in an immediate nine-game winning streak.
He fit this team like a glove as the perfect Thibodeau player: Hard-working, selfless and a tenacious defender.
They went 17-8 with him in the regular season and he played a major role in the opening-round series win over the Cavaliers.
He has a player option worth $12.9 million for next season, which the former Villanova star is expected to decline.
Hart has until June 24 to decide.
He is looking for a permanent home after playing for four different teams in his first five years in the league and has said he prefers to stay here as a Northeast guy who grew up in Silver Spring, Md. and is fond of New York City.
Follow The Post’s coverage of the Knicks vs. Heat NBA playoff series
- Vaccaro: Knicks’ failure to help Brunson is why their season’s over
- Knicks battle but fall in season-ending Game 6 loss to Heat
- Knicks couldn’t survive two minutes without Brunson
- Brunson’s heroic night spoiled by late turnover
A four-year deal worth around $80 million seems fair to both sides.
Big star hunting
The Knicks clearly need to supplement their core with a difference-maker, potentially even a superstar, to become a true title contender.
That player may not be out there. For the time being, he isn’t, unless something changes.
The Celtics figure to try to lock up All-Star wing Jaylen Brown, who has one season left on his contract. There have been whispers that Joel Embiid could want out of Philadelphia, if free agent-to-be James Harden goes back to the Rockets as has been rumored.
But Embiid — who was once repped by Knicks president Leon Rose — is under contract for three more seasons.
A lower-level star, such as DeMar DeRozan/ Zach LaVine of the Bulls, Karl-Anthony Towns of the Timberwolves or Pascal Siakam/OG Anunoby of the Raptors, may be more realistic.
They are all believed to be potentially attainable, especially DeRozan and Siakam, who have just one year left on their respective contracts.
The Knicks are loaded with first-round picks over the next seven years. They own 10 of them.
Young players such as Immanuel Quickley, Quentin Grimes and Mitchell Robinson are coming off strong seasons that have raised their value. They have plenty of assets to improve the roster.
Lottery worth following
The Knicks will be watching next Tuesday’s NBA Draft Lottery, but not for the usual reason.
Typically, they are hoping their pick bucks the odds and moves up. This time, a move down is the preference, since it is the only way they will own a first-round pick after sending theirs to the Trail Blazers in the Hart trade.
The Mavericks currently are slotted to pick 10th, but if the pick falls at all, the Knicks would own the rights as part of the Kristaps Porzingis trade. There is a 20.8 percent chance of that happening.
In a loaded draft, the Knicks would be able to select someone of value at No. 11.
Then again, for a team in win-now mode like the Knicks, they could also choose to move the pick, as they did last year to free up salary cap space.
Decision time with Immanuel Quickley
On July 1, Quickley is eligible for an extension coming off his rookie contract, a likely move for the Knicks to wrap up one of their top young players despite his shaky postseason.
But will Quickley want to be here long-term, knowing that his future will likely come off the bench with Brunson locked in as the team’s starting point guard for years to come?
Quickley was one of the biggest bright spots to this enjoyable Knicks season, emerging as one of the top reserves in the sport.
He finished second in Sixth Man of the Year voting behind Malcolm Brogdon of the Celtics, posting career-highs in scoring (14.9), rebounding (4.2) and minutes (28.9), while his 3-point shooting increased to an even 37 percent. His defense, in particular as a help defender, was critical to the team’s 47-win regular season.
He was first on the team in defensive rating (108.1) during the regular season and third in NET rating (plus-6.2), meaning the Knicks outscored the opposition by 6.2 points per 100 possessions when he was on the floor.
But he wasn’t the same player in the playoffs, struggling mightily at both ends of the floor before suffering a sprained left ankle in Game 3 against the Heat. That could give Rose and co. pause about locking him up, or at least play into the negotiations.
What happens with Obi Toppin?
Like Quickley, Toppin is eligible for an extension this summer, but it seems unlikely he will receive one.
His improvement this season was marginal.
He took strides as a 3-pointer shooter, hitting a career-best 34.4 percent, but that was about it, the athletic former lottery pick averaging less points and less rebounds this year in fewer minutes than last season.
Toppin is still a defensively-challenged forward who can’t create his own shot. He struggled in the series loss to the Heat, benched in the second half of Game 4.
He could be part of a trade package as illustrated above, but as long as Randle is here, his role as a Knick will be limited. His best opportunity feels like it will come elsewhere.Â
His best opportunity feels like it will come elsewhere.
