Over the past few seasons, one major concern with the Knicks’ contention case has been their lack of depth. It usually doesn’t take more than an eight or nine-man rotation to make a successful playoff run, but injuries and slumps inevitably require teams to look further down their bench to fill those spots. 

New York has historically struggled with doing so, in 2024 due to a crazy barrage of injuries, and in 2025 due to roster limitations. But coming down the stretch of this regular season, it finally looks like the Knicks have the depth required to sustain a 16-win marathon. 

How did the Knicks build out a deep rotation despite limited cap flexibility and assets going towards high-ticket acquisitions? And will it be enough come playoff time?

Their bench does feature two mainstays who have been reliable ever since the Knicks tightened their rotation: Mitchell Robinson and Miles McBride. Robinson is the longest-tenured Knick on the roster and has been pivotal in the entirety of their rebuild.

McBride was a development project drafted in 2021 that couldn’t seem to find his stride in the big leagues until New York’s trade for OG Anunoby opened up a bench guard role. McBride took full advantage, showcasing his knockdown shooting and suffocating defense.

It’s arguable his ascension helped pave the way for the Karl-Anthony Towns trade, which cost the Knicks another guard. There likely aren’t many regrets, given McBride’s been an invaluable reserve and fill-in starter on one of the most attractive contracts in the league.

The rest of the bench is where this front office can really flex the job they’ve done in just a short period of time. Two of the Knicks backup guards -- Landry Shamet and Jordan Clarkson -- were picked up on veteran’s minimum deals.

Nothing points to being a true contender and player in the free agent market like securing a dependable three-and-D guard and recent Sixth Man of the Year at a price most teams could’ve outbid. Both were looking for an opportunity to contribute to a championship team and they’ve done so thus far.

Shamet’s been a lethal floor spacer, averaging 10 points a game on 39 percent shooting from three, and coming up huge with some big performances in timely games. Clarkson has had to fight his way back into the rotation, but has done so with his improved defense and ability to constantly attack the paint.

New York is so packed with reliable guards, one of those guys will likely be a break-glass-in-case-of-emergency option rather than a mainstay come the playoffs. They also picked up a specialist big in Jeremy Sochan off waivers, giving them a go-to defender when they need one at minimal cost.

These were impressive signing, but like with McBride, some of this front office’s biggest returns have come from the Draft. Facing financial and roster constraints entering the 2024 NBA Draft, the Knicks came away with a haul that would help define this season.

While a couple picks are still working their way into the rotation, Tyler Kolek and Ariel Hukporti have all but established themselves as capable players at the pro level. The Knicks took Kolek 34th overall and Hukporti 58th, but their impacts far exceed their draft spots.

If it weren’t for this basket of veteran guards ahead of him, Kolek would see nightly appearances thanks to his impressive playmaking ability. He’s also stepped up his defense and shooting, which were on display when he was the lead backup guard during the Knicks NBA Cup Championship run. 

Hukporti hasn’t had as many opportunities, but in spurts has proven to be a solid roll man and interior defender, with some playmaking upside to boot. Having two second-year, second-round guys be ready to contribute in a postseason scenario is a tremendous luxury and testament to the front office’s scouting.

But they may have outdid themselves in the 2025 Draft, using their lone selection at the 51st pick to take Mohamed Diawara, a young athletic wing who was meant to take a couple years in Westchester to bloom. It turns out that wouldn’t be necessary, as the neophyte has emerged as a legitimate rotation piece with his shooting, off-dribble game, and defense.

Finally, the Knicks were able to flip one of their recent mistakes, Guerschon Yabusele, into one of their biggest windfalls. They negotiated for the struggling big man to drop his second-year player option, allowing for a deal ahead of the deadline that helped them land Jose Alvarado.

Alvarado is a pesky and fiery floor general, whose inclusion has already provided a much-needed dose of energy and locker room aura. He’s already put up some monster nights and will certainly be a go-to reserve come the playoffs.

Put this all together, and this front office managed to leverage advanced scouting and a winning culture to cultivate a championship bench in two years despite the odds. 

Robinson, McBride, Alvarado and Shamet make for a strong core four, and you’d need to go through Clarkson, Diawara, Kolek, Hukporti and Sochan before getting to somebody you’re really afraid of throwing in for a few minutes. 

The Knicks are more prepared than ever to make a playoff push -- will they be able to pull it off?