The Knicks didn’t just win a title in 2026. They changed the whole shape of the offseason.
LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo were the two biggest names to switch teams this summer, with James officially landing with the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday and Antetokounmpo going to the Miami Heat in a July 6 deal from the Milwaukee Bucks. But according to CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn, both stars had their eyes on New York first.
“The two most famous players that moved this offseason, LeBron and Giannis, both wanted to be Knicks and are now playing for their backup teams because the Knicks won the title,” Quinn wrote.
That lines up with what had already been reported around James. Klutch Sports Group CEO Rich Paul said early in free agency that James would have gone to the Knicks if they hadn’t won the NBA championship in 2026. James averaged 20.9 points, 6.1 rebounds, 7.2 assists, 1.2 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game in 2025-26.
Later, it was reported that James’ camp reached out to New York, but the Knicks weren’t interested. After winning the title, they chose not to make a major move this offseason and, at least for now, believe they’re still better than the 76ers.
That’s a Philadelphia team now built around James, Joel Embiid, Tyrese Maxey, Jaylen Brown, and VJ Edgecombe. Even with that kind of talent, the Knicks are still carrying themselves like the more complete team.
The same logic appears to have applied to Antetokounmpo. Had New York not won the championship, it likely would have been in the middle of the sweepstakes for the two-time MVP. NBA insider Shams Charania reported last offseason that the Knicks had discussed a trade with the Bucks for Antetokounmpo, and multiple sources told him New York was the only place Antetokounmpo wanted to play outside Milwaukee at the time.
Charania later stood by that reporting, saying there was a stretch when both the Knicks and Bucks knew Antetokounmpo wanted New York. There’s little reason to think that feeling changed much over the past year. But with the Knicks off the table, Antetokounmpo, who averaged 27.6 points, 9.8 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 0.9 steals, and 0.7 blocks per game in 2025-26, ended up in Miami.
For Knicks fans, this is a very different kind of summer. In the past, missing out on stars like Antetokounmpo, James, Brown, and LaMelo Ball would have set off a familiar wave of frustration.
James chose Miami in 2010. Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving went to the Brooklyn Nets in 2019.
This time, the mood is different because the Knicks don’t need to chase validation. They already got it. And the fact that they didn’t even go after every headline name, yet nobody is questioning the approach, says plenty about where the franchise stands now.
The bigger test is still ahead. The Knicks are trying to become the first team to defend an NBA title since the Golden State Warriors in 2018, and they’re trying to end a run of eight different champions in eight seasons.
That won’t be easy. But after what they just pulled off, they’re not a team anyone is rushing to rule out.
In Other News...
Knicks Just Slammed The Door On LeBron And Giannis Talk
The Knicks spent plenty of time as a speculative landing spot for the leagues biggest names, with Giannis Antetokounmpo and LeBron James both surfacing in the conversation at different points. But after the title run, the discussion has shifted from what New York still needs to how much of the roster already proved it can carry the load, especially with Karl-Anthony Towns giving the offense another layer as a playmaker from the top of the key.
That matters because any real pursuit of a star of that caliber would have come with a steep price in both money and pieces, the kind of move that usually forces a team to part with key starters. Instead, the championship has made the Knicks look far less desperate for a splash, and it has also changed the way the league views their offseason path, with the biggest question now being whether New York even wants to keep chasing that kind of upgrade at all. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Silence On Two-Way Deals Has Fans Watching The Frontcourt Closely
The Knicks still have two-way contract openings sitting untouched, and the silence has started to feel deliberate rather than accidental. With rookies and other fringe candidates available, the front office has left itself room to sort through the back end of the roster while keeping an eye on a bigger need up front, a sign this could be more about timing than indecision.
Liam Robbins, Trey Jemison, Jack Kayil and Tyler Nickel are among the names in the mix for those spots, while Kevin McCullar Jr. has been pushed away from that conversation. The more interesting part is what the Knicks may be waiting on before they move, because their frontcourt search has not been limited to the margins and those two-way decisions could still be tied to a larger swing elsewhere. [Read more 🡒]