Warriors’ Champion Reveals What Knicks Must do This Offseason to Become Title Contenders originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
The New York Knicks were able to reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000 but they fell short of reaching the NBA Finals as they were eliminated by the Indiana Pacers in six games.
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It was a horrible start to the series for the Knicks as they dropped the first two games at Madison Square Garden and they were unable to recover from their early 2-0 series deficit.
Of course, fans have placed the blame on Tom Thibodeau, who the Knicks fired on Tuesday, and Karl-Anthony Towns but there were many different reasons why New York fell short of reaching the NBA Finals.
New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau with center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center.© Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
A key reason was the fact that they lacked true roster depth and Thibodeau also failed to use his bench as much as some would have liked.
Now the Knicks enter the offseason with some key decisions to make regarding their roster and Golden State Warriors champion Draymond Green recently revealed what New York must do this summer to become title contenders.
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“(New York) didn’t quite have the depth. They need to add a great player if you think they’re gonna compete for an actual NBA championship,” Green said.
This is a bold statement by Green but one that makes sense and has also been said a lot since the Knicks’ playoff exit.
Of course, the Knicks need to upgrade their bench this summer but they could also look to add another star player like Green hinted at, though he did not name who they should go after.
Golden State Warriors center Draymond Green (23) and New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) share a laugh during the first half at Chase Center. © John Hefti-USA TODAY Sports
New York has been linked to many different players entering the offseason but they continue to be brought up as a potential landing spot for both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kevin Durant, both of whom could help the Knicks become contenders.
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Despite this, New York first has to find a new head coach and then they will have to decide if they want to run it back with the current lineup that they have or make some moves to acquire another star player.
This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 4, 2025, where it first appeared.