NBA InsidersMultiple AuthorsSep 18, 2026, 07:20 AM ETOpen Extended ReactionsIt had been a long 53-year drought for the New York Knicks before last season’s team finally broke through and brought a title back to New York City.The Knicks now look primed for another deep run in the playoffs after retaining all five starters from their championship squad. They did lose Mitchell Robinson to the rival Boston Celtics in free agency but added Andre Drummond to fill in the backup center role behind Karl-Anthony Towns while also keeping Jordan Clarkson, Jose Alvarado, Landry Shamet and Mohamed Diawara for depth.The Eastern Conference has become a powerhouse, but the Knicks are a big reason the power has shifted to the East. Can they become the first repeat NBA champion in eight seasons?ESPN’s staff of experts is looking back at the offseason and taking an early look at the 2026-27 season for all 30 teams, with 30 pieces — one for every team — rolling out each weekday through Friday. We’re answering the biggest looming questions, evaluating X factors and much more for all 30 teams.Quick links: Roster | Depth chart | Transactions More Knicks coverage | More NBAOffseason at a glanceKey additions: Andre Drummond Key retentions: Jordan Clarkson, Jose Alvarado, Landry Shamet, Mohamed Diawara Key subtractions: Mitchell RobinsonThe only question that followed the Knicks into the offseason after their dominant run to and through the NBA Finals was could this group be kept together?<\/p>\n
All the starters were locked in, but the bench unit was not, and owner James Dolan repeatedly stated he would not go into the punitive second apron. The Knicks couldn’t keep valuable backup big Robinson around when Boston came with a lucrative offer (over $15 million per season), but key contributors Clarkson, Alvarado and Shamet all signed below-market deals to stay in New York and go for a repeat — Vincent GoodwillZach Kram’s offseason grade: B-The Knicks’ championship-winning roster remains mostly intact, and they signed Shamet and Alvarado to two of the best value contracts of the summer.But second-apron concerns meant the champs’ backup center spot declined from Robinson (with Ariel Hukporti at third string) to Andre Drummond. That downgrade could cost the Knicks a playoff game or two next spring. — KramWhat we learned over the past few monthsFrom Ben Golliver’s offseason lessons piece: The second apron is more powerful than ever.On paper, the Knicks are the ideal candidates to spend past the NBA’s second apron. After all, the franchise was valued at nearly $10 billion in the latest Forbes rankings, and that was before it won its first championship since 1973.With Madison Square Garden setting records for ticket prices and the Knicks spending months as the toast of the NBA’s largest market, surely ownership would be willing to spend whatever it takes to keep the band together.<\/p>\n
Right?Wrong. James Dolan made it clear shortly after the NBA Finals that the Knicks would avoid the second apron, a decision that led to backup center Mitchell Robinson’s departure in free agency. While New York moved quickly to replace Robinson with Andre Drummond, the cost-cutting maneuver ended Robinson’s eight-year run with the Knicks.The Knicks are still in a good position to defend their title: Nine of the top 10 members of their playoff rotation are returning, and none of their key players appears headed for age-related decline. Still, a team source took a cautious approach when forecasting for next season, warning about the possibility of a championship hangover and noting that the Knicks’ 3-point shooting could regress next spring after they ranked first in the 2026 postseason. — GolliverThe big question: Can the Knicks repeat as champions?The last teams to repeat in 25 years were led by one-name supernovas: Steph and KD, LeBron, Kobe.<\/p>\n
That would seem to suggest the Knicks might be hard-pressed to break the trend of parity in the NBA. But did they discover something in the playoffs that is transferable into an 82-game grind of a regular season, with unselfish ball movement in the first three quarters and unflappable clutch play in the final one? Perhaps.Karl-Anthony Towns’ contract is the only question mark headed into camp, as he’s eligible for a four-year, $272 million extension, with a $61 million player option he can exercise in 2027-28. The aprons make it difficult for teams to stay together longer than a couple years, so could the Knicks use that as a rallying cry with teams like the Philadelphia 76ers loading up for a deep playoff run? — GoodwillBasketball Power Index rank: No. 3Here are the predicted Net Points per 100 possessions for the Knicks’ top seven players for the 2026-27 season:In the era of the 3-pointer, the genius who figures out how to defend 3-point shots will do very well.<\/p>\n
The Knicks did that during the playoffs last season, allowing a league low 31% on 3s. The shot quality they allowed was actually fairly high, though, implying they should have allowed around 36% (GeniusIQ). If they figured out the secret, it’s still a secret because the data can’t see it. — Dean OliverRead about how Net Points works here.Biggest X factorHealthIt’s hard to pinpoint any one particular player for the Knicks, who demonstrated the incredible effectiveness of their team concept last postseason. It seems instead that the biggest potential obstacle for the Knicks this season is the possibility of injuries, after all five of New York’s starters played at least 66 games last regular season, then combined to appear in 98% of the Knicks’ starting spots in the playoffs.This is generally a healthy group, but, for instance, Karl-Anthony Towns’ 75 games last season were his highest total since the 2018-19 campaign.<\/p>\n
If he misses more time this season — especially with Mitchell Robinson gone — then the Knicks could be a bit more vulnerable than they look on paper. — KramFantasy insight from our expertFantasy insight ahead of the season: The Knicks ranked third in the NBA in team Offensive Rating (ORtg) last season with 119.8 points scored per 100 possessions, then they improved to first in playoffs ORtg with 120.4 PP100 against better competition. First-year coach Mike Brown’s offensive system proved successful and really ramped up when he started running the offense more through Towns as a distributor in the postseason. High-efficiency offenses are good for fantasy production in general, but for Towns specifically, a further adaptation of his playoff role could lead to career-best assist numbers that would round him into a top-15 fantasy prospect. — Andre SnellingsOdds by DraftKings Sportsbook at time of publication.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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