SNY’s Ian Begley will be responding to and breaking down answers to Knicks questions from readers. Here’s the latest…

@mahrezfort: What do you think the Knicks are gonna do this off-season besides using the mid level exaction and regaining Josh Hart and quickly?

You already know that they are well-positioned for a trade. Like you, I’d assume that they re-sign Josh Hart and see if they can come to terms with Immanuel Quickley on an extension. They also should have the non-tax payer midlevel exception and biannual exception to use in free agency. The non-tax payer exception is projected at $12.2 million; the biannual is projected at $7.6 million. So the Knicks can add players via free agency.

As noted earlier, New York doesn’t have many open rotation spots at the moment. So any free-agent signing would likely coincide with a trade. The Knicks have three centers under contract at the moment. So it doesn’t seem like they would have interest in any big men on the market. But it’s worth noting that Naz Reid has a significant amount of fans within the organization. The Minnesota big man – and former Roselle Catholic HS (NJ) star – is an unrestricted free agent. He averaged 11.5 points on 54 percent shooting in 18.4 minutes per game last season, which was cut short for Reid due to a wrist fracture in late March.

The 6-10 center told the Star-Tribune recently that he would like to re-sign with the Timberwolves but is also looking for the ‘best fit’ in free agency.

Knicks big men Mitchell Robinson, Isaiah Hartenstein and Jericho Sims are all under contract (Sims’ deal has guarantee points over the course of the offseason). So New York currently has no room for a free agent center. But Reid is a name to keep an eye on if the Knicks move Robinson or Hartenstein in a trade.

@RobertWCross: Did RJ Barrett’s playoff performance increase the likelihood he will be a core part of the Knicks plans going forward?

Thanks for the question, #53wins. I asked ESPN Front Office Insider Bobby Marks about RJ Barrett’s value in the wake of his playoff performance on The Putback this week.

“Out of the extensions that were last year, whether it be Jordan Poole, Tyler Herro or RJ Barrett, I think the Barrett number is the best value out of those three,” Marks says (17-minute mark). “…. He’s a big wing; you never really want to give up on young players like that. Certainly I want to see that 31 percent number jump up to 37. You get that up to 37, 38. Four-three up to 45 percent. As long as things are moving in the right direction, he’s got a lot of value – not just to the Knicks but throughout the league. I wouldn’t put him (as an) untouchable. But if you’re looking at this roster with Jalen (Brunson), RJ, (Immanuel) Quickley, (Quentin) Grimes, those are your kind of cornerstone guys to build around.”

As noted in the episode, if the Knicks make a trade for a top player, it seems like they would have to move either Barrett or Julius Randle to make it work. If I had to guess, I’d think Barrett’s playoff performance bolsters the odds that he remains in New York in that Randle-or-Barrett scenario.

QUICK HITTERS @doinkstarr: Is Rosas the de facto GM, and how much influence does Thibs have regarding personnel decisions?

I don’t know if the Knicks will name another general manager or not. I assume Gersson Rosas’ responsibilities will be expanded given the current void at GM. Tom Thibodeau will always have a say in personnel decisions in this organization. Just guessing here: he has greater influence when the team is winning – as it did this season – than when it is losing (see 2021-22).

@duglust: Any interest in Seth Curry from the Knicks? We need shooting badly

I don’t know if New York is – or isn’t – interested in Curry, specifically. I do know that there is a strong feeling internally that the club needs shooters. You don’t need to be Woodward and Bernstein to report something like that, though. Anyone who watched the postseason would draw that conclusion.

@theycallmerob_: What do you think needs to done for us to bring the Larry back to the MSG ?

If you draw any conclusions from Denver’s title, you need patience. I know that’s a boring answer, but I think it’s important. Patience has – at times – been in short supply at MSG. Maybe things are different with the current regime?