2. New York Knicks
The New York Knicks were the most surprising playoff team in the league this season but the success stopped after the regular season ended. The Atlanta Hawks were very obviously the better team in the series, topping the Knicks in five games and doing so in dominant fashion.
Knicks fans have to feel better about the status of the franchise, though. While it won’t come overnight, the team has a solid foundation of young talent and an all-star in Julius Randle, who was pretty bad in the playoffs against Atlanta.
More importantly, the Knicks finally feel like a potential superstar destination again. The buzz around the team was exponentially higher after the fans produce perhaps the best atmosphere thus far in the playoffs at Madison Square Garden.
Part of the process of making sure this was not just a one-year thing is bringing in quality role players with championship experience. Enter Alex Caruso.
The Knicks have the money to spend with the Oklahoma City Thunder being the only team that has more practical cap space lined up. This does not mean that they should massively overpay for role players, but they can slightly outbid the Los Angeles Lakers and still be comfortable.
The Knicks have several guards hitting the free-agent market this offseason and Caruso fits the culture of the team. The Knicks were solid defensively and help opponents to a 33.7% rate from beyond the arc, the best in the league. Signing Caruso would help continue that defensive success.