The New York Knicks have a problem.
Team owner James "Jim" Dolan has told them they can't go into the second apron. Dolan has historically been willing to pay big sums of money, but apparently that has run out despite his team winning a championship.
It already cost the Knicks Mitchell Robinson, but due to some cap finagling, Landry Shamet has been re-signed, as has Jose Alvarado. However, those are not the only question marks remaining for the Knicks.
All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns, who the team acquired from the Minnesota Timberwolves just two seasons ago, is eligible for a four-year, $276 million max contract extension. Joining him as a key starter seeking a raise is mainstay and New York City beloved Josh Hart.
With two starters looking to get rewarded for their contributions to a championship team, it leaves the Knicks with a lot of decisions to make and very few answers to find.
Could they trade Karl-Anthony Towns, despite him proving to be a capable second option on a title-winning team? Could they gut the heart (get it?) of the franchise and send Hart to another team?
While the questions remain for New York, the truth of the matter is that any damage the Knicks can take would make the Indiana Pacers' chances at winning a title far stronger. The Pacers have historically been the needle in the Knicks' side as they attempted to win a title.
Last season, when the Pacers were in the basement of the league, struggling through a gap year, the Knicks took their absence and turned it into a championship. Now, with the Pacers back, the Knicks seem to be fading fast from title contention.
The Pacers surely cannot make a move for Towns or Hart or any of the other players the Knicks could potentially dump in the coming few days. They can, however, see their chances increase significantly at representing the Eastern Conference as their opposition falls apart.
While there are still the Sixers and other major threats to look out for, Indiana could take on a KAT-less Knicks team handily, and could send the reigning champs home early with their blend of fit and oppositional play style.
Notching another win in the rivalry would be sweet
Part of the reason the Pacers have been so good against the Knicks is because of their up-tempo play and their capable defenders against the Knicks' two best players.
Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith are both incredibly good options on petite guard Jalen Brunson, while Pascal Siakam and new acquisition Ivica Zubac can completely shut down the paint.
While the Knicks' wing depth is substantial and impressive, neither OG Anunoby nor Mikal Bridges are proven high-usage players. They are simultaneously unlikely to take on the needed scoring load to survive a bad series from both Brunson and Towns.
Additionally, if Hart were to be traded alongside Robinson's departure, the Knicks would immediately lose out on their rebounding edge, while the Pacers add one of the best rebounders in the NBA in Zubac.
With so many factors working against the Knicks, and so many new things for the Pacers to attack, New York would find themselves in a bad situation very quickly, with no way out of it, all because of their stringent, cap-inflexible owner.
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