Mar 18, 2023; New York, New York, USA; A general view of Madison Square Garden during the first half between the Denver Nuggets and New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images / Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
The NBA leaderboard isn't the only ladder the New York Knicks are climbing.
In a ranking of the NBA's 30 front offices compiled by Sam Quinn of CBS Sports, the Knicks placed eighth as they inch toward a championship chase that has eluded then for over five decades.
The Knicks placed in the third of 11 tiers, with their dwelling known as the "Keep up the great work" category. In his analysis, Quinn lauded the Knicks for "identifying undervalued talent" in both the past and present since president Leon Rose took over in 2020.
"The Leon Rose-led front office in New York built a winner from scratch without tanking or adding a no-brainer MVP candidate," Quinn noted. "Neither Jalen Brunson nor Julius Randle had ever made an All-Star Team before arriving in New York. Both grew into All-NBA players as Knicks, and even if Randle's glow up was a bit of a mirage, the Knicks managed to flip him into a truer All-Star inKarl-Anthony Towns."
Other players to fit that bill, Quinn says, included current starter Josh Hart as well as departed veteran contributors Donte DiVincenzo and Isaiah Hartenstein. Front office cap expert Brock Aller gets his own share of praise for his ability to hand out agreeable yet "descending-value contracts" that have kept the Knicks lingering among the NBA's top contenders.
The Knicks rank relatively low, Quinn claims, due to the undetermined yields of the trades for Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns. New York sent over a good number of future draft assets to Brooklyn when obtaining the former before taking on Towns' massive contract that forced him out of Minnesota.
"If Towns and Bridges can take the Knicks to the Finals in the next few years, it would be hard to argue against New York as a top-five front office," Quinn said. "If they miss out on, say, Giannis Antetokounmpo or another player of that ilk, well, the Towns and Bridges moves will merit a bit more scrutiny."
"Ultimately, though, the Knicks check practically every box. They draft well, develop well, sign good contracts and have a front office, coaching staff and roster that is in perfect sync with one another."
Topping the list is the Oklahoma City Thunder while the defending champion Boston Celtics place second. New York, ironically enough, faces Boston on Sunday in a game that will go a long way in showing exactly how much progress Rose, Aller and Co. have made this season.