The Knicks Just Won the NBA Cup-And Maybe Found Their Identity in the Process
Jalen Brunson didn’t wait for the spotlight-he redirected it. Moments after hoisting the NBA Cup MVP trophy, he stepped up to the mic and rattled off names: “OG Anunoby, Tyler Kolek, Jordan Clarkson, Mitchell Robinson.”
He wasn’t answering a question. He was setting the record straight.
“They played their ass off tonight,” Brunson said, twice. “Without them, we don’t win this.”
That wasn’t just a humble moment from the Knicks’ star guard-it was a snapshot of where this team is right now. For a franchise that’s long chased star power and struggled to build sustainable chemistry, this version of the Knicks might just be the most cohesive, balanced, and dangerous group they’ve had in decades.
A New Kind of Knicks Team
Brunson is still the engine-he’s averaging a career-high 28.8 points per game-but this isn’t the one-man show we saw flashes of in previous seasons. The Knicks are averaging 296.1 passes per game, the highest mark of Brunson’s tenure and a full 15 passes more than last season. That’s not just a stat-it’s a mindset shift.
Six Knicks are scoring in double figures. OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart are all pushing career-best efficiency.
Karl-Anthony Towns has scaled back his shot volume and turned up the defensive intensity. And the bench?
It’s more involved than ever under Tom Thibodeau, a coach not exactly known for trusting his reserves.
That’s why Brunson name-checked Tyler Kolek. The second-year guard logged a career-high 20 minutes and 27 seconds in the Cup Final-and the Knicks outscored their opponent by 14 points in that stretch.
Last year, Kolek barely cracked 300 minutes all season. This year, he’s part of a rotation that’s deeper, more versatile, and more trusted.
The Results Speak Loudly
The Knicks aren’t just winning-they’re dominating. They own the best net rating in the Eastern Conference and are tracking toward a 59-win pace.
And they’re doing it despite injuries and the growing pains of adjusting to Mike Brown’s new system. This isn’t a fluke.
This is evolution.
Remember, this was a team still experimenting with lineups deep into last year’s Eastern Conference Finals. Now?
They’ve found a version of themselves that works. That fits.
That wins. They’re not perfect, but they’re playing with a level of cohesion and confidence that makes them a legitimate threat.
The Giannis What-If
Now, let’s address the elephant in the room: Giannis Antetokounmpo.
There were conversations over the summer. We know that.
The Bucks and Knicks talked. A trade offer was reportedly made.
No one’s confirmed the exact pieces, but basic salary math tells us it likely included at least two of Bridges, Anunoby, or Towns, plus depth.
But Giannis didn’t push for a move. He’s reportedly uncomfortable with the idea of demanding a trade outright, and the Bucks are using that hesitation to buy time. So here we are-no trade, no fireworks, and for the Knicks, maybe that’s a blessing.
Why Standing Pat Makes Sense-For Now
Let’s be clear: If Giannis becomes available, the Knicks would (and should) explore it. But the timing matters. Trading for a superstar midseason means tearing up what you’ve built, and right now, what the Knicks have built is working.
Depth is their strength. Chemistry is their edge.
A move for Giannis would force them to answer some tough questions: How do you replace the players you give up? How do you reshape the system around a very different kind of star?
And how do you do all that on the fly?
Look no further than the Lakers last season, who added Luka Dončić at the deadline and found themselves scrambling to build an identity around him. They were right to make the trade-but they also crashed out in the first round, unable to surround their star with the right pieces in time.
This year, they’re better. But it took a summer to get there.
The Knicks don’t want to be building the plane mid-flight. Not when they’re already cruising.
The Long Game
Milwaukee’s reluctance to move Giannis before the deadline might actually play into New York’s hands. If this drags into the offseason, the Knicks will have more clarity-on their own ceiling, on their roster’s fit, and on Giannis’ intentions.
And here’s the kicker: if Giannis enters the summer with just one year left on his deal, he’ll have leverage. He can steer the destination.
If New York is his preferred landing spot, he can make it known. That could scare off other suitors and lower the acquisition cost.
The Knicks, in that scenario, would be negotiating from a position of power-not desperation.
Let This Team Cook
For now, though, the Knicks have earned the right to see this through. They just lifted their first trophy in over 50 years.
No, it’s not that trophy-but it’s a start. It’s a statement.
And it’s a signal that this group, as currently constructed, deserves a shot at something bigger.
They’ve built something real. Something rare. A team that doesn’t just rely on its stars but thrives because of its depth, its balance, and its belief in one another.
When the time comes to revisit the Giannis conversation, they’ll be ready. But until then, this team is proving that the whole might just be greater than the sum of its parts-and that’s not something you break up lightly.