New York Knicks Slammed for Moving Backwards This Offseason

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - DECEMBER 21: Head Coach Mike Brown of the New York Knicks looks on in the first half against the Miami Heat at Madison Square Garden on December 21, 2025 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Evan Bernstein/Getty Images)

Once you reach the mountaintop there’s nowhere to go but back down, and the New York Knicks might be learning that the hard way this offseason.

The Knicks were recently listed as a team that took a step backwards this offseason by Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes.

New York Knicks Named as Team That ‘Definitely’ Got Worse This Offseason

Hughes listed five NBA teams that “definitely” got worse during the current offseason, and the Knicks made the list. While Hughes gave the Knicks credit for retaining several key role players, he thinks that the team will regret not retaining center Mitchell Robinson.

“The Knicks were almost guaranteed to get worse this offseason, if not by default then by owner James Dolan’s unwillingness to go into the second apron. Given its constraints, New York did exceptionally well to keep Mohamed Diawara (four years, $10 million), Jose Alvarado (three years, $14 million) and Landry Shamet (four years, $24 million). Mitchell Robinson, a more prominent rotation piece than any of the Knicks’ retentions, was the one that got away,” Hughes wrote.

“The Knicks didn’t have to let him go, and there’s a good chance they’ll miss his elite offensive rebounding and defensive force. Sure, health concerns and the foul-shooting struggles that rendered Robinson occasionally unplayable during the title run loom large. But it’s nonetheless disappointing to watch a defending champion lose a critical piece over money.”

It’s rare that a title-winning team is able to retain all of its key contributors, so the Knicks actually did pretty well in keeping most of theirs around. Plus, they did a decent job of addressing the void left by Robinson by signing veteran rebounding machine Andre Drummond.

Andre Drummond Will Aim to Fill the Void Left by Mitchell Robinson

In a recent interview, Drummond explained what he brings to New York and how he can help fill the large hole left by Robinson.

“I think this what they need right now,” Drummond said. “Getting rid of Mitchell Robinson was a huge loss for them. I bring in a similar talent, similar energy, but I’m a veteran, I’ve been around for a long time, and I know what it takes to win. [I’m] excited to be in a new role in a new city, going back to a place I’m familiar with.”

The Knicks may not have improved on paper this offseason, but if the Drummond signing works out, they might not have taken too much of a big step back, either.