The eight moves that fueled this New York Knicks resurrection - ESPN

In the two decades that passed between coach Jeff Van Gundy's resignation in 2001 and the end of the 2020-2021 NBA season, no franchise spent more money, lost more games or won fewer playoff series than the lowly New York Knicks.

But now, the team is in the postseason for the third time in four years and the tide has finally shifted, with the organization winning a first-round series for just the fifth time in 25 years. This shift is about more than playoff success, though. Look closely: The past six years have slowly signaled a new era of Knicks basketball. Intentional or not, it has been one defined by steady progress; smart player and organizational development; identity; and culture — after decades of wild free agent spending and misses; coaching changes; and negative headlines — all potentially leading to a period of sustained winning for the first time since the turn of the century.

Here are the eight touchpoint moves and moments that have fueled the Knicks' resurrection.

It raised eyebrows when a team in the midst of a 17-win campaign moved on from its best young player, but that's exactly what the Knicks did in trading their 23-year-old star.

The 7-foot-3 center, easily the most talented homegrown player the Knicks had rostered since Patrick Ewing, had torn an ACL the previous season and was due a massive raise of $31.6 million per year that offseason. As such, the organization dealt him to the Dallas Mavericks for a pair of first-round picks and Dennis Smith Jr., and unloaded a pair of players on bloated contracts, Courtney Lee and Tim Hardaway Jr., who were making $12 million and nearly $18 million per year, respectively. The move, made by then-general manager Scott Perry, allowed the Knicks to have up to $71