The Knicks are winning, yes - riding a seven-game streak that’s turned heads around the league - but as the trade deadline looms, there’s no mistaking the elephant in the room: New York’s rotation is thin, and the rest of the East is loading up.
Head coach Mike Brown wants to run a 9.5 to 10-man rotation. Right now, he’s got eight solid contributors and two players on the fringe. That’s not going to cut it in a postseason grind where depth isn’t a luxury - it’s a necessity.
Meanwhile, the rest of the Eastern Conference isn’t waiting around. Cleveland swung big, adding James Harden, Dennis Schroder and Keon Ellis to a roster already headlined by Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley.
Detroit, the surprise No. 1 seed, added another shooter in Kevin Huerter. And Boston made a bold move of its own, trading away a high-scoring guard to secure its center of the future.
These aren’t just upgrades - they’re statements. And they’ve shifted the balance of power in the East.
The Knicks? They’re still trying to clean up last summer’s missteps.
Guerschon Yabusele and Jordan Clarkson were supposed to bring stability and scoring off the bench. Instead, they’ve become expensive spectators.
Yabusele, signed using the mid-level exception after a strong showing in the 2024 Paris Olympics, is earning $5.5 million this season with a player option for next year. He was expected to push Precious Achiuwa for minutes but has fallen even further down the depth chart.
Clarkson came in on a minimum deal after a buyout with Utah, but his shot selection quickly wore thin. He’s been benched, and it’s hard to see a path back into the rotation.
Then there’s Pacome Dadiet, the 25th pick in the 2024 Draft. The Knicks chose him in part because he was willing to sign for less than the rookie scale, offering a sliver of cap flexibility under the second apron.
But that cap-friendly deal hasn’t translated to on-court impact. Dadiet has barely seen the floor, and when he has, he hasn’t shown much to suggest he’s ready to contribute at this level.
Add it up, and you’ve got roughly $10 million tied up in three players who aren’t helping the team win. That’s a tough pill to swallow for a franchise with championship aspirations - especially when the margin for error in the East is shrinking by the day.
New York’s core is strong. The starting five of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart can hang with anyone.
Off the bench, Miles McBride, Mitchell Robinson, and Landry Shamet give Brown some trusted veteran minutes. And two young players - Tyler Kolek and rookie Mohamed Diawara - have started to separate themselves from the rest of the developmental group.
But let’s be real: Kolek and Diawara are untested in the postseason. The playoffs are a different animal.
It’s not just about talent - it’s about matchups, adjustments, and surviving the war of attrition that is a seven-game series. You need bodies.
You need versatility. And right now, the Knicks are light in both departments.
Compare that to the teams around them. The Cavaliers can go 11 deep.
So can the Celtics - and that number jumps to 12 if Jayson Tatum returns from his Achilles injury. The Pistons, who handed the Knicks a 31-point loss just a few weeks ago, are built for playoff basketball - physical, relentless, and deep.
That’s the kind of team New York has struggled with in recent years. And it’s the kind of team they’ll have to beat if they want to make it out of the East.
Yes, the Knicks have looked sharp during this win streak, but let’s not ignore the context. The teams they’ve beaten during this stretch have a combined losing record. The real tests are coming, and the schedule only gets tougher from here.
The good news? There’s still time.
The trade deadline is Thursday at 3 p.m. ET.
The Knicks don’t need to swing for the fences - no one’s asking for a Giannis Antetokounmpo blockbuster. But they do need to clean up the edges, fix the roster mistakes from last summer, and add one or two pieces that can help them withstand the playoff gauntlet.
Because if they don’t, they risk watching the rest of the East pass them by - not because their stars didn’t show up, but because they didn’t have enough help behind them when it mattered most.