Boomer Esiason is ready for big moves by the Knicks, as their second round loss to the Heat showed what the team needs to take the next step.
On the bright side, the game six defeat reinforced the fact that the Knicks have a superstar in Jalen Brunson. But aside from him, Boomer only has two players he would consider locks to keep this summer.
"Keep him, keep [Isiaiah] Hartenstein, keep [Josh] Hart," Boomer said. "Everybody else is on the block. If you can get something for somebody and you think they'll change the dynamic of this team, who will play defense and can hit big shots.
"The Knicks and their best offensive players came up short, talking about RJ Barrett and Julius Randle."
Barrett had a strong postseason outside of game six, where he was admittedly dreadful on offense, while Randle once again became a divisive figure among the fanbase, as the All-NBA selection's season ended with some fans stomping on a poster of Randle after game six. As for Boomer's keepers, Brunson and Hartenstein are under contract, while Hart is the only UFA on the team heading into the offseason. He has expressed a strong desire to sign a long-term deal, and the feeling seems to be mutual.
Of course, the Knicks need to bring in other players as well, so Boomer is keeping an eye out for potential disgruntled stars who could become the next high-profile trade chip, like Donovan Mitchell became this past offseason.
"Minnesota and Phoenix are two places I'm looking at right now that might have disgruntled stars," Boomer said. "Phoenix, they just fired Monty Williams. There's a lot of stuff going on there with that new owner. Would Deandre Ayton float your boat for the Knicks in place of Julius Randle?"
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