Knicks writer reveals New York's key mistake of Jalen Brunson era

The New York Knicks haven’t been afraid to make big moves, but not all of them have worked out.

Over the past few seasons, the Knicks have been one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. With three straight playoff appearances and a trip to the conference finals last season, the Knicks have firmly staked their claim as a contender.

Going into next season, the Knicks will mostly be running back the same team. Of course, Mike Brown will be taking over as head coach and a couple of key free agent signings could boost the Knicks just enough to get over the hump.

While the team has clearly done enough to be considered contenders and a favorite to come out of the East, New York could still pay for a recent mistake next season. As pointed out by Daily Knicks’ Atticus O’Brien-Pappalardo, the Knicks never should have let Quentin Grimes get away.

O’Brien Pappalardo wrote that Grimes would have been a perfect fifth starter for the Knicks, and it’s hard to argue with that. While his breakout in Philadelphia was certainly eye-opening, Grimes is still a perfect role player for a contending team, providing shooting, defense and a bit of self-creation.

In 2024, the Knicks sent Grimes to Detroit in a package for Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks, who made minimal impacts in New York. Had the Knicks stuck with Grimes, he might have been the missing piece last season, and he could prove to be a missing piece in 2026 as well.

The Knicks will be running out Josh Hart or Mitchell Robinson in the starting lineup alongside their big four, but it’s hard not to imagine what could have been with Grimes.