Knicks president Leon Rose watches his team play against the Houston Rockets during the first half at Madison Square Garden on Monday, Mar. 2, 2020. Credit: Jim McIsaac
When the dust settled on the free-agent market, nearly every team filling its roster again during the NBA’s version of musical chairs, the contenders could assess their new lineups and make an argument that they were ready for another run at a title. And a few teams - Atlanta, Phoenix and Charlotte for example - could claim that they were on the rise and hopeful of taking their place in the chase.