The Knicks have made a major change in philosophy, and it's about to get its first big test with Jimmy Butler

For the first time in years, the New York Knicks are following a patient rebuilding plan.
Jimmy Butler's trade request and reported desire to play for the Knicks may now threaten that plan.
The Knicks have said they won't mortgage the future or give up assets to sign players they can land in free agency, but they must weigh the risk of not signing Butler at all if he goes elsewhere.
How the Knicks handle the situation will speak volumes about how they plan to rebuild and marks a big test for a new front office.

Jimmy Butler's trade request from the Minnesota Timberwolves is about to provide the New York Knicks' new regime its biggest test yet.

According to reports, Butler met with Timberwolves head coach and president and Tom Thibodeau and requested a trade from the team, listing the Los Angeles Clippers, Brooklyn Nets, and Knicks as three teams with whom he'd sign extensions if he were traded. Butler can become a free agent at the end of this season.

For the Knicks, the timing is peculiar. The Knicks' front office, with president Steve Mills, second-year GM Scott Perry, plus newly hired head coach David Fizdale, have been espousing the importance of rebuilding correctly.

This is a new message for the Knicks. If the Knicks have been known for anything over the past two decades, it's been for chasing quick fixes. They've signed star players past their prime, overpaid free agents, or traded for players they could have picked up in free agency, giving up valuable assets in the process. Every time they've bottomed out and appeared to be starting from scratch, they've made moves to shorten the timeline to be competitive again, only to fail to reach that goal.

But this Knicks team has claimed to be different. They have a young superstar in Kristaps Porzingis, who, when healthy, has proven to be good enough to lead a team and keep them competitive (he's currently rehabbing a torn ACL, and it is unclear whether or not he'll return this season). They also have young and intriguing lottery picks in second-year guard Frank Ntilikina and rookie forward Kevin Knox. They have all of their draft picks going forward, plus cap space next year.

The Knicks plan for this season has been to develop their young players, create a new culture under Fizdale, and move forward gradually. A lack of talent should give them higher lottery odds this year to add another young draft pick. They can then use their cap space to add talented veterans, perhaps even a star player if things line up right. It's a good plan! One of the rockiest franchises in sports finally seems to be stable.

And then the Butler trade request happened.

Now the Knicks face the challenge of deciding whether or not to take a swing at a star player who reportedly wants to play for them. At a town hall event earlier this week, Mills said the team would not trade any future first-round picks for players, particularly ones they could sign in free agency.

The Knicks have made a major change in philosophy, and it's about to get its first big test with Jimmy Butler

Enhance Your Pulse News Experience!

JOIN OUR PULSE COMMUNITY!