The New York Knicks have no shortage of reasons to feel good after winning the NBA Finals, but the Eastern Conference is already making one thing clear: that title won’t protect them from what comes next.
For a team that waited 53 years to get back to the promised land, there would be nothing shocking about a little celebration hangover. But the Knicks are being warned against exactly that. The message is simple - when the 2026-27 season opens, they need to attack it the same way they finished the Finals, with their foot on the gas and no room for error.
That caution comes from the reality around them. The East looks deeper and more dangerous than it did a year ago, and the path to another Finals run is expected to be far tougher. New York still has most of its championship core intact, but the conference landscape has shifted in a big way.
The list of challengers is long. The Philadelphia 76ers reportedly added Jaylen Brown and LeBron James in the same summer while keeping Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid, and VJ Edgecombe.
The Toronto Raptors are in the mix too, having landed Kawhi Leonard if the trade goes through. The Miami Heat brought in Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Atlanta Hawks made a number of smart additions, and the Detroit Pistons added solid help around Cade Cunningham after winning 60 games.
And then there’s Indiana. The Pacers were dealing with injuries last season, but the year before they reached the NBA Finals and pushed the Oklahoma City Thunder to seven games. Since then, they’ve added Ivica Zubac and Kelly Oubre Jr.
That’s the backdrop for New York’s repeat chase. The Knicks can’t afford to let the ring they just won change the way they approach the next season. The warning is blunt: if they ease up even a little, there’s a path where they fall behind and lose sight of going back-to-back.
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The real issue for the Knicks is how quickly the center picture has thinned out around Karl-Anthony Towns and Andre Drummond. Ariel Hukporti is gone to Philadelphia, leaving New York without a clear third big man, and what once looked like a harmless draft-night move now sits in a much different light as the roster settles into place. [Read more 🡒]