Grading the Knicks' 2023 offseason moves, including Donte DiVincenzo signing

With the NBA offseason just about over, save for two open trade requests from star guards, it’s time to take stock of how the Knicks fared.

Fresh off their best season in a decade, Leon Rose and Co. opted to go the patient route, building on last year’s success without upsetting the status quo.

Here are grades for each of the Knicks’ offseason moves...

Declined Derrick Rose’s team option - B

In what was essentially a formality, New York declined Rose’s $15.6 million team option for the 2023-24 season, after head coach Tom Thibodeau benched his long-time point guard in a season-saving rotation shuffle.

There wasn’t going to be room for him to play next year, the $15 million price tag was way too high, and the Knicks did the responsible thing of letting a legend get to a more preferable situation.

Memphis quickly snatched up Rose in light of Ja Morant’s suspension, suggesting he still has some value around the league. It’s possible the Knicks could have found a way to trade him for something, but this result works out just fine.

Exercised Miles McBride’s option - A

Once you get to a certain level of competitiveness and the core of your roster locks into large contracts, the fringe guys that can contribute on the NBA equivalent of minimum wage become all the more valuable.

McBride took a big step last season, becoming a full-time bench guard in an all-important stretch of the season, even appearing in the Playoffs with some successful stints.

McBride’s not likely to have a set rotation spot coming into the year, but at 22 years old making under $2 million a year, the Knicks were smart to keep him in the fold. He’s a strong defender at the NBA level, and if the offense comes around he could be a real gem.

Exercised Josh Hart’s player option - B+

The Knicks technically didn’t initiate this transaction as Hart had a player option for $12.96 million, however the consensus is they encouraged him to accept it for a couple reasons.

First, it opened up the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception without letting him walk. Second, it opened up the ability to extend Hart long-term come August.

The savvy cap maneuvering gives the Knicks a good grade here, but it’s not a home run until we see what that Hart extension looks like. He was a major boost to the lineup in the regular season and had some major postseason moments, but his lack of shooting confidence came back to bite the team and may never correct itself.

Traded Obi Toppin to the Pacers for two second-round picks - D

How do you grade a trade that was the inevitable result of three years of talent mismanagement? It’s not as if fans should have expected more of a return for Toppin, nor that he should return to a poor situation while extension eligible.

New York originally drafted Toppin while Julius Randle’s future with the team looked uncertain. Following an All-NBA season from the latter and rough rookie season from the former, they allowed the two to share 48 minutes at power forward over the next two seasons as Toppin grew into form.

The dynamic wasn’t fair to either, as Randle had to hear his backup’s name chanted from the rafters while Toppin could never crack the 12 minutes a night he was dealt. The tension simply built until Toppin had little trade value left, and so had to be dumped for two bad second-round picks.

Signed Donte DiVincenzo to a four-year, $47 million contract - A

The Knicks addressed their wing depth and shooting needs with this acquisition, bringing yet another Villanova Wildcat into the fold to join former teammates Hart and Jalen Brunson.

This was as close to a no-brainer as New York could get with their mid-level exception, as other options signed for much more or didn’t fit the profile.

DiVincenzo shot 40 percent from three last season, cuts well and does a little bit of everything all around the court. His defense will earn him points in Thibodeau’s books and he’s a culture fit as well.

Overall - B+

Fans may be impatiently waiting for the big splash acquisition, but they should trust the front office’s more reserved approach by now. It resulted in a largely young and improving team that just made the conference semifinals and dragged a Finals team to six games despite a number of injuries.