3 questions for the 2025-26 New York Knicks

I’ll be very honest with you.

I completely forgot about many of the moves that the New York Knicks made this offseason.

Malcolm Brogdon and Jordan Clarkson simply don’t exist in my mind’s eye as potentially key bench players for a team that, just last season, had one of the worst bench units in the NBA. Going from Cam Payne being your only “legitimate” ball handler next to Deuce McBride off the bench to Clarkson and Brogdon is genuinely wild to think about, respectfully.

We also can’t discuss their revamped second unit without mentioning one of their more under-the-radar signings in Guerschon Yabusele, the former Philadelphia 76er who provided some really great backup minutes to Joel Embiid last season, and who was a star for the French team over the summer.

This New York team has a slightly different, arguably better, energy to them to begin this season. The massive trade that sent Karl-Anthony Towns to the Knicks last offseason has officially settled. He’s had a full training camp and preseason to gel even more with Jalen Brunson, and vice versa. And, it seems like the team is fully bought in to new head coach Mike Brown’s system: run and gun.

It’s exciting to think about a Knicks offense that doesn’t look like they just got their footing after escaping quicksand, an issue that I felt like would be a huge issue as a kid but didn’t realize was only existent in Madison Square Garden.

I do have a few questions about New York headed into this season, and they won’t be number-heavy.

I saw this question posited online, and it’s something I’ve been thinking about for a while. Brunson and Towns are a lock to touch these numbers, as the pick-and-roll duo is sure to feed off of one another’s gravity to keep posting All-Star scoring stats. But what about OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges?

Anunoby, a defensive menace, has shown flashes of that Kawhi Leonard-esque postgame and shooting touch we’ve all grown to clamor for since he arrived in New York two seasons ago. But, injuries keep holding the potential Defensive Player of the Year back, and last year’s scheming on offense when he was healthy wasn’t exactly beneficial to his style of scoring. It was a lot of “get Brunson the ball and get out of the way,” which led to less cuts from Anunoby and more catch and shoot, late in the clock opportunities for the forward.

Can I see a world where Anunoby finally fits in better within this system under Brown? Yes. Can I see him averaging 20 points per game en route to that end? No. Brown isn’t going to be hammering Anunoby for 40+ minutes per game, as the Knicks’ bench is set to actually have a role this year (gasp!). This is a good thing.

The same can be said for Bridges. The lanky wing who didn’t exactly have any high-points in the regular season (but quickly became a postseason hero thanks to the very type of plays he couldn’t make in the regular season) could see an easier role laid out in front of him this season. If Brown considers starting McBride alongside Bridges, that means Bridges isn’t expected to take on the tougher POA defensive assignments that McBride thrives in.

However, that does leave something to be desired in the lineup in terms of size. A starting lineup of Brunson, McBride, Bridges, Anunoby, and Towns is electric offensively, but you’re leaving Towns on an island defensively in the paint. The Knicks found a lot of previous success in having a defender like Quentin Grimes in the post as a secondary defender to protect Mitchell Robinson and Isaiah Hartenstein, but it’s unclear if the team feels like Bridges - or even Anunoby - can fill a similar role now. Could be fun, though!

I keep hearing this notion. The Knicks, with their continuity, talent, and fresh faces on the coaching staff (nearly) top to bottom, are the clear-cut top team in the Eastern Conference. Here’s a quick overview of what I’m seeing in the conference:

- The Boston Celtics are without Jayson Tatum for most, if not all, of this year.
- The Cleveland Cavaliers were exposed, somewhat, in the postseason last year. They need another huge year from an aging Donovan Mitchell and a perpetually improving Darius Garland to keep their momentum going, although I see them as the biggest threat to the top seed.
- The 76ers are, unfortunately, always paper tigers due to the injury histories of Paul George and Embiid.
- The Orlando Magic didn’t have an amazing offseason, and are hoping to see a bounce back from Franz Wagner in addition to powerful return of Paolo Banchero.
- The Indiana Pacers are also without their star this season, with Tyrese Haliburton expected to be out for the year.
- The Atlanta Hawks had a fun offseason that included trading for Kristaps Porzingis to pair with All-Star guard Trae Young. If healthy, they’re a threat. But, I don’t trust their current center depth or defense overall.
- The Miami Heat…yeah.
- The Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, Washington Wizards, Charlotte Hornets, and Brooklyn Nets are in the basement until proven to have come upstairs.
- The Milwaukee Bucks are horrible, terrible, and gross, and I hope they read this and know their ONLY solution to these issues is to do one quick thing involving their star. (Just kidding. I think as Giannis Antetokounmpo goes, so do the Bucks. But I have questions about their guard room without Damian Lillard. It’s looking bleak in that respect.
- The Detroit Pistons are the second team I’d consider as a legitimate threat to the Knicks in the East. And no, I’m not joking. Let’s be honest - the Knicks looked rough against a less experienced team in the first round, and could’ve very well been eliminated by them had Brunson and Towns not gone sicko-mode. I love their core of Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey, and Jalen Duren, and if they re-sign Malik Beasley, that’s a good bench they’re holstering once again.

So, while most of the Eastern Conference feels borderline down bad, there are a few legitimately great squads the Knicks should fear. Their bench improvements should help them immensely in these games, in addition to an (ideally) improved defense.

I can’t not acknowledge that trade that almost was. New York obviously sees the conference for what it is, and also recognizes that they’ve built out a solid enough bench to survive sending out something like 2 premier starters for Antetokounmpo. Picks remain an issue, so this trade feels unlikely unless another team gets involved. But, can New York even consider making a move on Antetokounmpo and relinquishing Towns and Anunoby (purely speculative package) without decimating their “depth?”

We saw what happened in the Towns trade. Without Donte DiVincenzo on their bench, the team lost their pop from three point range in addition to a master lane-disruptor on defense. If they gave up Anunoby and Towns, you are losing your best defender and best post scorer, respectively. But, you’re gaining both back in Antetokounmpo without, again, sacrificing your bench (hypothetically). Would I do this trade? Yes. In my sleep. With my eyes closed.

But, we don’t know what packages were discussed during New York’s exclusive trade negotiation window offered by Milwaukee, so we just can’t say whether it would’ve been worth it to make this swing before training camp and the season. There’s always the trade deadline, though, and the Bucks do not seem constructed to contend the way the Knicks do right now.

I’m beyond excited for this season. The Knicks have finally begun to do things the right way. They have continuity from last season, and improved where they needed to - on the margins. Opening night is October 22 against the Cavs at home, which presents itself as a perfect opportunity to show why New York is the team to topple in 2025-26.