The New York Knicks bought into their breakout season.

Literally.

Months after snagging the East's No. 4 seed and making their first NBA playoff appearance since 2013, the Knicks showered their internal free agents with cash. Derrick Rose, Nerlens Noel and Alec Burks all scored multiyear, eight-figure pacts. Julius Randle, the team's first All-Star since 2018, later inked a four-year, $117 million extension.

New York made multiple external splashes too, signing both Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker in free agency. Clearly, the Knicks believe they can repeat last season's success—if not build from it.

Whether they are correct might hinge on the performances of the following three players.

RJ Barrett

RJ Barrett's rookie year was about getting his feet wet as the No. 3 overall pick. His sophomore season was spent building a foundation for what could be a special career.

While the Knicks won't put the cart in front of the horse with Barrett, they had to appreciate his nearly across-the-board gains this past season. His field-goal percentage jumped nearly four full points (44.1, from 40.2). His three-point percentage spiked even higher (40.1, 32.0). He upped his assists (3.0, 2.6) while trimming his turnovers (1.9, 2.2).

Still, Year 3 could determine where he's headed—and whether he can take the Knicks with him.

If he's a good player, the Knicks can be good again. But if he turns into a great one, that's where things get interesting. He needs to unlock quite a bit to get there (finishing, in-between scoring, off-the-dribble shooting, playmaking), and it's probably more likely than not that he won't. Still, he has the highest ceiling of New York's young players, and another big leap could help the Knicks retain their perch in an increasingly competitive conference.

Evan Fournier

The Knicks entered this offseason knowing they needed more offense. That was obvious even before things torpedoed in the playoffs, when the Atlanta Hawks made life miserable on Randle and correctly wagered that no one else could significantly punish them.

So when New York went out to upgrade its 22nd-ranked attack, per NBA.com, it did so first by giving Fournier a four-year, $78 million deal.

That's a heavy investment in someone who doesn't have the greatest track record in terms of contributing to team success. He can get numbers—they just never mattered much to some mediocre Orlando Magic teams.

Having said that, he's a 6'7" swingman who can hit shots from range, create them for teammates and find them for himself in a pinch. He will never be a defensive asset, so his offense needs to shine to justify the price tag. If it does, the Bockers could be better balanced and more capable of carrying over their success into the postseason.

Kemba Walker

It's a little strange (or at least optimistic) to regard Walker as the crown jewel of New York's offseason when the 31-year-old has been in a year-plus battle with his balky left knee.

But if the Bronx native can get that knee to cooperate, he could be a major help in the Knicks' most problematic areas.

Want shot creation? He's one of just seven players to average at least 19 points and four assists each of the past six seasons, per Stathead.com. Need a shooting threat to keep defenses from overcrowding Randle again? Walker has averaged 2.9 three-pointers on 37.5 percent shooting since the start of 2015-16.

If he can get back to anywhere near full strength, he could be the offensive co-star Randle so desperately needs. Give Barrett a big third-year leap, and the Knicks could be looking at the league's newest Big Three.