The Knicks may have spent the spring bulldozing their way to a title, but the preseason still has real weight for this group.
That’s the lesson from last year’s rocky start. New York dropped three of its first five games and won only nine of its first 15 in the 2025-26 season, a sluggish opening that left it three games behind the Celtics and in third place in the East instead of second. None of it stopped the Knicks from rolling through the playoffs and beating the Spurs in the Finals, but it did show how much the early stretch can shape the bigger picture.
This preseason gives New York a useful first look against East teams that could matter again. The Knicks open on Oct. 5 against the Sixers, who have added LeBron James and Jaylen Brown, then close the exhibition slate with two games against the Raptors on Oct. 13 and 15. Toronto finally finished its trade for Kawhi Leonard, bringing back the star who helped the franchise win a title in 2019.
That matchup carries a little extra edge because the Knicks handled the Raptors in the 2025-26 regular season, before Toronto had Leonard in the fold. Leonard has also been a problem for New York over the years, including during his time with the Clippers.
The Sixers, meanwhile, look like a completely different team and should be a tough opponent all season. The preseason game will give the Knicks an early chance to see what Nick Nurse has in store, even if some of Philadelphia’s key players don’t end up taking the floor.
There’s also the lineup question, and that’s where the preseason could become especially revealing. Mike Brown experimented early last season, with Josh Hart missing Opening Night in 2025 against the Cavs and not starting anyway. That raises the possibility of more Hart-related changes this time around.
Then there’s Andre Drummond. The bigger question is whether he could fit next to Karl-Anthony Towns and the rest of the starters. Brown may again look at a double-big look with Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby, and the preseason is the place to test it.
That alignment without Hart was highly effective in the 2025-26 regular season, producing a 121.6 offensive rating and a +9.3 net rating. Still, the five-man group with Mitchell Robinson logged only 102 possessions together, so there’s not exactly a huge sample to lean on.
Timing matters here, too. The 2026 preseason opener on Oct. 5 comes less than four months after the Knicks beat the Spurs in Game 5 of the NBA Finals, and just over three months after Brunson had left wrist surgery.
Brunson played through significant pain in the last two rounds of the 2026 playoffs before having the procedure. The recovery timeline for that surgery is around two months, which means he should be ready for preseason.
That could open the door for New York to spread more on-ball work to others, including Anunoby or Bridges, early in camp and the season. It would also give the Knicks a chance to prepare for those moments when opponents load up on Brunson in clutch time.
That’s not a small thing when you look at how much the ball ran through him in the postseason. Only Nikola Jokić (112.8), Tyrese Maxey (87), and Cade Cunningham (85.7) had more touches per game in the 2026 playoffs than Brunson (85.4) during the championship run. Bridges averaged 42.3 touches per game, while Anunoby averaged 20.1.
In Other News...
Knicks Just Set Up A Sneaky Camp Battle For One Roster Spot
The Knicks kept their late-summer roster churn moving by adding center Drew Eubanks on a one-year, non-guaranteed contract and big man Liam Robbins on an Exhibit 10 deal. Eubanks gives New York another experienced frontcourt body heading into camp, while Robbins gets a longer look after landing in an arrangement that can funnel players toward the Westchester Knicks if they spend time with the G League club.
New York also signed six more players - Jaden Akins, Nick Jourdain, Mitch Mascari, Toby Okani, Igor Milicic and Paul Zilinskas - to Exhibit 10 contracts before waiving them, a common setup that keeps the pipeline active around camp and Westchester. The bigger intrigue now is how the Knicks sort out the final end-of-roster competition and which of the newcomers can turn a temporary invitation into something more lasting once practices and preseason games begin. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Face A Quietly Important Depth Decision Behind Towns And Drummond
With 13 roster spots already spoken for, the Knicks are still sorting through how to round out the back end of the roster, and the search has leaned toward defense and experience. Among the names they have looked at are veteran free agents Drew Eubanks and John Konchar, a sign that New York is trying to keep the final pieces of the group functional rather than flashy as it builds around its core.
Eubanks is the more interesting fit because of the position he can play in the shadow of Karl-Anthony Towns and Andre Drummond. The Knicks could use a dependable third center who can absorb regular-season minutes without forcing a bigger structural change, and Eubanks has been part of that conversation as he works his way back from thumb surgery. For a team trying to preserve its frontcourt depth over a long season, the last open spot may matter more than it usually does. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Face One Big Hurdle In Veteran Wing Pursuit
John Konchars market is starting to take shape after Minnesota waived him following the trade from Utah, and the veteran wing is suddenly looking like one of the more interesting free-agent names still out there. Miami, Orlando, Toronto and the Knicks have all been linked to him, which makes sense for teams still hunting for reliable wing depth without overcommitting resources this late in the offseason.
For New York, the appeal is obvious, but so is the challenge. The Knicks have been combing the market for ways to add another capable perimeter piece, yet their roster and financial wiggle room are tight enough that any move has to be carefully measured. That leaves Konchar in an awkward spot for the moment: a useful fit for a contender, but one whose next landing place may come down to which interested team can create the cleanest path. [Read more 🡒]