The Knicks’ first championship in 53 years changed everything - and maybe, in a strange twist, it changed the rest of the Eastern Conference too.
Less than a month after New York ended its title drought with its first NBA crown since 1973, rivals have spent the offseason trying to catch up. The 76ers and Raptors are among the teams making major swings, with Philadelphia adding Jaylen Brown and Toronto bringing in Kawhi Leonard, although that move is now pending. Miami, though, may have made the loudest move of all.
The Heat landed 2-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo from the Bucks, and they could still be in the mix for LeBron James, depending on where he chooses to go next. On Friday, Brian Windhorst said he’s hearing a team, not the Cavaliers, is done to closing a deal.
That kind of offseason might have looked very different if New York had not finished the job.
When Rich Paul first rolled out his now-famous whiteboard of LeBron’s possible next destination, he also said that if the Knicks had fallen short of the title, there would be no board. LeBron would be going to the Knicks.
Giannis, too, had already been tied to New York. Multiple reports last offseason said he wanted the Bucks front office to work out a deal that would send him to the Knicks.
That never happened, he stayed in Milwaukee, and now he’s in Miami. If the Knicks had been knocked out, there’s a real chance he would have pushed again for New York, with James Dolan possibly stepping in to make sure it happened as the championship drought dragged on for another year.
Giannis also added another layer to the idea recently. In an interview, he said he’d like to coach in the NBA after his playing days are over. Asked which team he’d want to coach, he named the Knicks.
So if New York had fallen in the conference semifinals or finals, the league might be looking at a very different picture right now. The Knicks’ core could have been judged as not enough, and LeBron and Giannis might have been headed to blue and orange next season instead.
Instead, the Knicks are champions. And while the what-ifs are easy to spin out from there, the banner is already hanging.
In Other News...
Knicks Title Defense Looks Safer With One East Rival Fading
The Knicks entered the summer with a title in hand and the kind of target on their backs that comes with it, but one potential roadblock in the East looks a little less imposing than it did a year ago. Detroit still has Cade Cunningham, and that alone keeps the Pistons relevant, yet their early playoff exit and busy offseason reshuffle have left them looking more like a team trying to find its next step than one ready to challenge the champs.
For New York, the bigger picture is that the conference still figures to be crowded with threats. Miami, Philadelphia, Boston, Indiana, Cleveland and Toronto all have reasons to believe they can be better, which means the Knicks will not get a free pass just because one rival is fading. Even so, Detroits current path feels harder to sell as a true title threat, and in an East where scoring depth and roster balance matter more than ever, that matters for the Knicks margin for error. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Summer League Just Got Tougher For Young Guards Trying To Stick
A late roster addition has changed the feel of the Knicks Summer League backcourt before the games even start. Jack Kayil received permission from his European club to join New Yorks summer roster after the initial group had already been announced, and his arrival gives the Knicks another guard to sort through as they evaluate younger talent in Las Vegas.
For players like Jaden Akins, Keith Palek III and Treysen Eaglestaff, that means the margin for minutes just got thinner. Summer League is always a proving ground, but T.J. Saint may lean heavily on Kayil and a few other priority pieces, leaving the rest of the guard group fighting for every chance to show they belong. [Read more 🡒]
One Young Knick Could Quietly Change New Yorks Next Big Move
The Knicks have spent much of the offseason looking for ways to sharpen the main roster, and the center market has naturally been part of that conversation. One name that keeps coming up in that broader picture is Pacme Dadiet, a young wing who has barely seen NBA minutes but has shown enough in the G League to keep people around the team interested in what he might become.
Dadiet is in Summer League now, and that matters because his value may be tied as much to this stretch as to anything he has done before. A strong showing could make him a more credible trade chip if New York decides to chase a more impactful backup center, and the Knicks would love for that kind of flexibility to come from a player whose stock is still moving rather than one already at its peak. [Read more 🡒]