Perhaps the best indication of what’s important for these Knicks — or what’s most relevant to their status as either contenders or pretenders — was the theme of Wednesday night’s postgame locker room interviews.

NBA notes from SNY's Ian Begley after the New York Knicks' 143-106 win Monday against the Memphis Grizzlies and a Julius Randle-Jimmy Butler development to watch before the trade deadline.

New York Knicks President Leon Rose wanted to go big this offseason. Instead of building a roster considered one of the deepest in the league, Rose opted to go for the star power needed to compete with the Boston Celtics and other top contenders around the league.