Austin Reaves didn’t set out to make a statement about the Knicks’ offseason, but he did it anyway.
On The Dan Patrick Show, the Los Angeles Lakers guard had high praise for New York’s chemistry, calling out the way the group functions together. “They care for one another,” he explained (h/t Alder Almo of Heavy). “They play for one another.”
That kind of compliment lands differently when it comes from an opponent - and especially one who has spent time around Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Mikal Bridges with Team USA. Reaves also looked back on that experience, and the subtext was hard to miss: he knows what real cohesion looks like, and he clearly wants more of it in Los Angeles.
For the Knicks, though, the bigger takeaway is how far their reputation has come. Not long ago, nobody was describing New York as the league’s model for togetherness. Now they’re being held up as the standard not just for roster construction, but for the way a team carries itself.
That’s what makes this offseason so important. The Knicks did not have to keep nearly this much of the group intact, and the fact that they did says plenty about where they are as a franchise.
Yes, losing Mitchell Robinson to the Boston Celtics matters. Andre Drummond will barely start to cover what Robinson brought at his best. But the alternative could have been much uglier for a team operating under the pressure of winning big while staying expensive.
Instead, New York is bringing back most of its championship core. Roughly 88 percent of last season’s total regular-season minutes are back on the current roster, and that number rises above 92 percent when you isolate the playoffs.
That continuity matters. Even without Robinson, the Knicks’ identity should remain intact.
His departure also makes the financial reality of the roster impossible to ignore, but the team has already worked to soften that blow and manage the perception around it. And there’s another wrinkle: he signed a contract they may have been better off not matching, even if money had not been part of the equation.
Keeping the band together was never automatic. Jose Alvarado, Landry Shamet, and Mohamed Diawara all came in on team-friendly deals, and none of those contracts are fully guaranteed.
That’s part of the story, too. The Knicks have created a setting where players want to stay, even when the money isn’t overwhelming.
Jalen Brunson’s discount remains part of the picture, and the Villanova connection is still a huge piece of the fabric. Shamet passed on bigger offers to return to New York.
And it would not be a shock if Hart and Karl-Anthony Towns eventually sign team-friendly extensions to help keep this run going.
That’s not normal. It’s not something every contender can count on, and it’s not something that just happens by accident.
Reaves’ comments only put a brighter spotlight on it. The Knicks have built something that goes beyond talent and beyond numbers, and the rest of the league can see it now.
In Other News...
Knicks Center Battle Suddenly Feels Worse For Karl-Anthony Towns
The Knicks first week of Summer League has not done much to settle the center picture. After opening with two losses, including a 70-49 defeat to the Spurs, the groups most obvious depth candidate has had a rough go of it. Liam Robbins, the seven-foot center trying to carve out a place in the rotation conversation, has flashed very little so far, with limited production and the kind of uneven play that leaves more questions than answers.
Robbins has been struggling to make a clean case for himself in Las Vegas, and the numbers reflect it. Through two games, he has averaged 2.0 points and 3.0 rebounds while battling poor shooting and turnovers, a shaky start for a player whose size should at least give him a path to relevance. For a Knicks team still sorting out its big-man hierarchy, his next chance to steady things matters, because every missed opportunity makes the competition look a little less like a battle and a little more like a warning sign. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks May Have Pulled Off A Quiet Free Agency Steal With Shamet
The Knicks kept Landry Shamet around because they value exactly what he brings: shooting, spacing and a steady hand in a playoff rotation. For a team built around its core, having a guard who can slide into a role without demanding the ball is useful, and New York clearly sees Shamet as one of those lower-profile pieces that can still swing meaningful minutes when the games tighten up.
What makes the move stand out is the price. Shamets four-year, fully guaranteed deal comes in at $14.3 million, a number that looks especially sharp for a player whose production and efficiency held up well last season. In a market where reliable shooting can get expensive fast, the Knicks may have found a cost-effective fit who gives them exactly the kind of depth contenders usually have to pay more to get. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Title May Have Just Changed The NBAs Biggest Money Fight
Victor Wembanyamas next Spurs deal is already doing more than setting up San Antonios future. By agreeing to a rookie-scale extension and taking the lower max slot, he gave the franchise a little more room to navigate the cap and luxury tax while it tries to keep building around him, a reminder that the leagues newest stars are now being asked to think like front-office partners as much as franchise pillars.
That decision also lands in the middle of a broader fight over how much the NBAs current system should squeeze teams and players alike. NBPA executive director David Kelly has been openly critical of the second apron and the way it can put the financial burden on players when clubs want to keep a contender together, a debate that has only grown louder as more teams weigh flexibility against spending. [Read more 🡒]