They traded a center for a guard. At the time, the move went against conventional wisdom.
Mitchell Robinson was midway through a 10-month rehab after his second ankle surgery, leaving the Knicks dangerously thin at the five.
Yet, despite fears that another Robinson setback could derail their season, New York shipped Jericho Sims out at the trade deadline — not for another center, but veteran guard Delon Wright. The move drew widespread skepticism, a spare tire swapped for a steering wheel.
Now? It might be the one decision keeping the Knicks on the road.
Suddenly, the engine — not the wheels — is starting to sputter.
Jalen Brunson is out. Miles McBride is out. And in Wednesday’s loss to the Clippers, Cam Payne sprained his right ankle less than three minutes into the game. Payne played through visible pain, nearly 16 minutes total, before finally being ruled out at halftime.
Head coach Tom Thibodeau said he hadn’t yet spoken to team doctors about Payne’s availability for Friday’s matchup in Milwaukee. A return seems possible, but unlikely — and ill-advised.
Payne’s potential absence leaves the Knicks with just two healthy point guards: Tyler Kolek and Wright. One, a rookie now asked to shift into high gear far earlier than expected; the other, a steady veteran brought in to keep the engine humming in case the rotation sputtered.
“Yeah, man. It’s tough. Injuries already suck and for some reason it’s smacking us in the same position. We’ve just got to piece it together,” Josh Hart said. “We’ve got 10 games left. we’ve got three back to backs I think. So it’s going to be tough. We’ve just got to find out ways to scratch out wins, hopefully get those guys back.”
Brunson will return. McBride will, too. Payne might not be far behind. But these next few games?
They belong to a rookie, a journeyman, a front office that saw what few others did — and a head coach bold enough to believe his team can still answer the bell.
“We have more than enough,” Thibodeau said. “Next guy, get in there and get the job done.”
The bell is ringing. Now the Knicks must see who’s able to punch above their weight.
* * *
The 34th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft wasn’t originally New York’s.
It was the product of patient chess moves and calculated gambles by Leon Rose and his front office — moves designed precisely for moments like this.
The Knicks acquired Kolek from Portland in exchange for three second-round picks, one of which will be the lesser of the two (Indiana or Washington’s in 2026) coming via the heavily criticized Obi Toppin trade. The second pick, originally from Minnesota, arrived through another classic Rose draft-day maneuver: trading Dillon Jones to the Oklahoma City Thunder for five second-round picks, one of which has been re-routed from the Timberwolves in 2027.
The last is New York’s own second-rounder in 2030. Wright’s path to Madison Square Garden was different yet equally calculated.
With uncertainty surrounding Robinson’s ankle, the Knicks could’ve traded him. Instead, they envisioned Robinson paired with Karl-Anthony Towns, mirroring Minnesota’s twin-tower model.
That left Sims out of place, standing out like a loose bolt in an otherwise well-oiled machine. Trading Sims for Wright initially seemed puzzling — but quickly proved prophetic.
It’s just the latest example of Rose’s savvy mid-season moves since 2020:
- Feb. 2021: Acquired Derrick Rose, turning an 11-14 start into a playoff berth
- Feb. 2023: Landed Josh Hart, sparking a nine-game winning streak and playoff victory
- Dec. 2023: Swung for OG Anunoby, igniting a 15-2 run before injuries intervened
- Feb. 2024: Added Bogdanovic and Burks, stabilizing a shaky roster
- Feb. 2025: Exchanged Sims for Wright—a puzzling move now critical with multiple guards sidelined
Each deal, initially scrutinized, ultimately moved the Knicks forward. Now, Kolek and Wright — arriving through drastically different paths — must prove the front office’s vision correct.
Each deal was another component added to a carefully constructed engine. Now the Knicks must see if the parts hold together — or if the machine comes apart when pushed to its limits.
“You don’t wish for guys to get hurt,” Kolek said. “But you’ve got to be professional and ready, whether I’m starting or cheering from the bench.”
* * *
James Harden had just turned Madison Square Garden into Madison Square Harden, torching New York for 29 points. But suddenly, the loss and Harden’s performance were the least of the Knicks’ concerns.
In the blink of an eye, they’ve gone from deep at point guard to barely holding on. Wright, a plus-defender who annually ranks among the league leaders in deflections, has been here before.
This is the fourth time he’s changed teams mid-season in 10 years, his 10th team in seven seasons, and not the first time he’s been asked to play critical minutes under pressure in a pinch.
Last season, Wright started Game 5 of Miami’s playoff series against the Celtics after inconsistent minutes following his trade from the Wizards.
“Yeah, the last few years have been like that,” he said. “It’s the way of the NBA. I’d rather not [always have that fill-in role], but that’s the position sometimes you get put in. You just have to be ready.”
His teammates trust him implicitly.
“We’ve all played against him,” Towns said. “He’s a great guard. We know he’s ready.”
Kolek, a 24-year-old rookie, has already displayed elite playmaking, becoming the first rookie in NBA history to record 17 assists without a turnover over two games. But he struggled defensively against the Clippers, who went on an 18-6 run when he started the third quarter for Payne and ultimately outscored the Knicks, 40-29, in the period.
“They kept coming at that high two-man game, putting me in the action,” Kolek said. “I got split a couple times, and they got loose for threes. I’ve definitely got to be better.
“Just [need to] be more aggressive. That’s the first time something like that has happened where they just pull me up there. I’ve gotta lean on the other guys, help them help me, and go 100 percent every time.”
Both Kolek and Wright represent calculated risks by Rose’s front office — bets placed specifically for moments like this.
Now those bets must pay off — and fast. The Knicks’ grip on the Eastern Conference’s No. 3 seed is suddenly slipping.
LeBron James did New York two favors Wednesday night: first, turning ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith into a viral meme on social media, then sinking the No. 4-seeded Indiana Pacers with a game-winning tip-in at the buzzer. Without that clutch moment from The King, Indiana would have pulled within two games of the Knicks. Instead, New York maintains a three-game cushion — at least for now.
“Of course you want to move up in the standings, you never want to move backwards,” Towns said after Wednesday’s loss to the Clippers. “One: It’s important for standings just to be able to have that seed, but two: we want to end the season winning. We want to be in a good spot and feeling good about our games and as a team feeling good about us. So it’s important these last 10 that we ramp up and get ourselves ready for the next step.”
Thibodeau sat at the podium after the Clippers loss, fielding questions about who steps up next.
Brunson, McBride, Payne — all potentially sidelined.
With Kolek bumped up in the rotation, who exactly is the next man up after … the next man up?
Thibodeau didn’t blink.
“Delon,” he answered flatly. “We have more than enough.”
And there it was — the front office’s gamble, laid bare under the brightest lights. Rose and his staff anticipated and planned for this exact scenario.
Now it’s time to see if their vision was clear, or merely wishful thinking.
We’re about to find out.
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