A key change that has happened to the Knicks is that Julius Randle has been unselfish this year. His game is similar the bully-ball, back you in and drive to paint as past this season, but what is different is he knows when to bail. He often will find a teammate to pass to mid-air, calling-off his shot. He learned not to force a shot when it didn’t make sense.

The Knicks front office may have learned something from Randle’s growth. They explored options to make the team better, but the deadline passed without a major move. Multiple reports linked them to Victor Oladipo, Andre Drummond, and Lonzo Ball. While it was nice for fans to be buyers during the deadline, this was not a Bull Market. The Knicks did the right move by staying clear of the veterans available and being patient to strike.

The rumor that seemed to be the most serious was for Victor Oladipo. He went to Miami for Kelly Olynyk, Avery Bradley and a 2022 pick swap (nothing!). The Knicks could have beat that deal easily by offering Kevin Knox or Frank Ntilikina. They didn’t bite though. Oladipo has not been as bad as some have made him out to be this season. The Rockets were 3.7 point better when he’s on the floor (not that says much with the horrible Rockets). He has a league-average player efficiency rating and is averaging over 20 points a game. The Knicks could have used an offensive boost from the perimeter—ranking 23 in offensive net rating. On the negative side, he is only shooting 33% from three this season and a field goal percentage of .411. Not to mention he played for a team that just lost 20-straight games. He is certainly not a game changing star right now. Will he look better in a defined role with the Heat? It’s very possible. With the Knicks, they were better off waiting and seeing that answer. If they like what they see in a better system, they can make a competitive bid for him this summer.

The Ringer’s Kevin O’Connor reported Wednesday night that the Knicks as a “serious potential destination” for Drummond. The deadline passed without the center being moved. Now he will hit the open market as Cleveland will reportedly buy him out. Catch him on the right night Drummond looks like an unstoppable force. He can overpower defenders with his size and clean up on the glass. There is a reason he’s being bought out though. As Sports Illustrated Chris Herring points out in his terrific article about Drummond’s lack of value in the NBA, he is died last in the NBA in field goal percentage from shots at the rim. Among all centers that have average more than 15 minutes, Drummond ranks fifth worst. The most baffling part is that the Knicks are not in particular need of center that rebounds. The team ranks ninth in rebound percentage. Mitchell Robinson is already statistically better both at both end of the court compared to Drummond. They also have Nerlens Noel and the scrappy Taj Gibson. He ranks second in usage percentage among centers. Maybe if he learns a role where he’s not having the same usage as MVP caliber players like Embiid and Jokic he could be more effective, but going into a contract year there is reason to be doubtful that will change. Rebounding matters, but there’s no need to invest in a player that specializes in that skill.

A Lonzo Ball trade had the highest approval rating among Knick fans. He ended up not moving, it is unclear how available he was. The good news is the Knicks will be aggressive to get him this offseason as a restricted free agency, per SNY. His on-off numbers are impressive (+11.5 per cleaning the glass). His shooting numbers have skyrocketed this year. He has improved three-point shot, which the Knicks need help with. He has always been considered a high-end passer and on-ball defender. Probably fortunately for the New York, Ball stayed put instead going to a new team with an extension.  Ian Begley has reported that there will be renewed interest in Ball this summer.

Overall, this Knicks team is playing with house money. They want to be in the playoffs, maybe make a top Eastern Conference team sweat out a series, but the goals do not go beyond that. Now that the deadline has passed, enough talking about potential deals for now. The team and fans can focus on the growth of the young guys and the incredibly fun team that continues to shock everyone.