The Knicks have put themselves in a tight spot, and it could ripple far beyond New York.
James “Jim” Dolan has made it clear the team cannot cross into the second apron, a hard line that changes the math in a hurry. Dolan has long shown a willingness to spend, but that approach has apparently stopped even after the team won a championship. Mitchell Robinson has already been moved out of the picture, and while cap maneuvering brought back Landry Shamet and Jose Alvarado, the bigger questions are still hanging over the roster.
Karl-Anthony Towns is one of them. The All-Star center, acquired from the Minnesota Timberwolves just two seasons ago, is eligible for a four-year, $276 million max contract extension. Josh Hart is the other major piece staring at a raise after serving as a key starter and a fixture in New York City’s heart.
That leaves the Knicks facing a messy set of choices with little clarity on the right answer. Towns proved he could be a strong second option on a title-winning team, but that does not mean he is safe. Hart, meanwhile, has become so central to the identity of the team that moving him would mean ripping out the heart of the franchise.
For Indiana, the situation in New York is worth watching closely. The Pacers have spent years as the thorn in the Knicks’ side, and any shakeup that weakens the reigning champs only improves Indiana’s path back to the top of the East. The Pacers can’t swoop in and trade for Towns or Hart, but they can absolutely benefit if the Knicks start shedding pieces.
That matters because the East still has other dangers, including the Sixers. But if New York loses Towns, Indiana’s chances of taking down the Knicks rise sharply, especially in a matchup built around fit and style.
The Pacers’ edge against New York has come from how they play and who they can throw at the Knicks’ best players. Andrew Nembhard and Aaron Nesmith give them strong answers for Jalen Brunson, while Pascal Siakam and new addition Ivica Zubac can make life miserable around the rim.
New York’s wing group is deep and talented, but OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges are not proven high-usage scorers. If Brunson and Towns both have rough series, there is no guarantee the wings can carry enough offensive weight to cover for it.
And if Hart is moved too, especially with Robinson already gone, the Knicks would lose a major rebounding advantage. That would be a big opening for Indiana, which now adds one of the NBA’s best rebounders in Zubac.
In Other News...
Pacers Could Find Their Bench Fix In A Surprising Veteran Wing
Dorian Finney-Smiths path through the league has taken another sharp turn, and it has put a familiar name back into the conversation for teams looking for steadier wing help. After signing a four-year contract with the Houston Rockets, he did not deliver the kind of season that matched the deal, and the resulting movement sent him to the Charlotte Hornets and then to the Atlanta Hawks. For a Pacers team always searching for ways to deepen the bench without upsetting the flow of the rotation, that kind of veteran swingman is the sort of possibility worth watching.
The appeal is easy to see if Finney-Smith can recover the form that made him such a useful fit in the first place. His shooting slipped badly, which is part of why his value has drifted, but the contract structure adds another layer to the story because it becomes non-guaranteed after this season. If that leads to a buyout, Indiana could be among the teams that would have reason to take a closer look at a wing who still has the defensive profile and playoff experience to matter if the shot returns. [Read more 🡒]
Tyrese Haliburtons Spending Habit Will Have Pacers Fans Talking
Tyrese Haliburtons off-court habits have long fit the same unflashy image he projects on the floor, and his latest comments only sharpened that picture. The Pacers guard, who is under a five-year, $244 million contract through the 2028-29 season, said in a podcast interview that he still leans into frugal choices, from flying coach on Southwest Airlines to shopping for items on eBay and Facebook Marketplace.
For Pacers fans, it is another reminder that Haliburton does not carry himself like a player dazzled by the trappings of stardom, even with a massive deal already in hand. He also noted that he expects his travel habits to change if his next contract lands where he wants it, which adds a little intrigue to how he sees his career, his future earnings and the comforts he may eventually decide are worth it. [Read more 🡒]
Pacers Just Got Pulled Back Into A Familiar Respect Fight
Indianas playoff run was enough to make the Pacers a real part of the Eastern Conference conversation, but it still sounds like they have to keep earning their way into the leagues upper tier. ESPNs Brian Windhorst recently framed it from the Knicks perspective, saying New York has more immediate issues to sort through than worrying about Indiana, and in the process he put the Pacers in a familiar spot: good enough to be noticed, not yet treated like an established problem by the leagues biggest voices.
For Indiana, that kind of talk is only going to linger until the next season starts answering questions. The Pacers have recent postseason credibility, but they also have injury concerns and roster changes hanging over them, which makes this more than a simple respect debate. The challenge now is proving last spring was a step forward rather than a peak, because the conversation around Indiana is still waiting for the kind of season that settles it for good. [Read more 🡒]