Daily Knicks

The New York Knicks' historic run to the 2026 NBA Championship technically started with Game 1 of their first-round series against the Atlanta Hawks. Those who were tuned into that series, however, know that Mike Brown's group really got going in a title-winning direction in Game 4 of that same series. The big change was putting the ball in the hands of star center Karl-Anthony Towns at the top of the key and enabling him as the control tower of the Knicks' offense.

The New York Knicks earned their place atop the sports world with a historic 2026 NBA Championship run full of gut-wrenching deficits and record-setting comebacks. Team Captain Jalen Brunson, previously declared unfit to serve as the No. 1 option of any serious title contender, took his mantle as the league's reigning Finals MVP by force.

The New York Knicks are heading into the 2026-27 season as reigning NBA Champions. This deservedly makes it hard to pinpoint what, specifically, the club may want to work on improving moving forward. After all, clearly what they were doing last season worked. However, if there's one aspect of their game that could be tweaked, it's their over-dependency on superstar Jalen Brunson.

If you've paid any kind of attention to Jalen Brunson over the past year—or his entire career—you've likely heard the criticism. Small guards can't win, midrange jumpers are inefficient, and he doesn't play defense. All three of those statements were proven wrong when he took over time after time to lead the New York Knicks to their first championship in 53 years. Brunson didn't successfully challenge the truth, however, during the 2026 NBA Playoffs.

The New York Knicks lost Mitchell Robinson in free agency, and it was just the start of the difficulties in keeping this roster together to defend the title. Karl-Anthony Towns and Josh Hart are extension-eligible right now. KAT can decline his $61 million player option for the 2027-28 season and become a free agent next summer. The Knicks are just $7.2 million under the second apron for next season and only have ten players under contract.

When the New York Knicks won their first two NBA Championships in 1970 and 1973, NBA free agency didn't exist yet. Oscar Robertson's infamous, and influential, lawsuit against the league didn't take place until 1976. And true unrestricted free agency didn't begin in earnest until 1988. Previously, the league required teams to compensate other teams for signing their players away — making every "free agency" transaction a sign-and-trade.

After losing to the New York Knicks in the NBA Finals this year, Victor Wembanyama signed a max deal with the San Antonio Spurs. But he took a pay cut. Instead of signing for the 30% supermax after making an All-NBA Team, he inked a deal worth just 25% of the cap, giving the Spurs more flexibility. But that could make things more difficult for the Knicks when they go to extend Karl-Anthony Towns. Towns is going to need a new contract in the next couple of years.

The New York Knicks knew they weren’t going to enter the second apron, even to keep a championship team fully together. Owner James Dolan made that clear. It made fans nervous because the Knicks had a bunch of key free agents this offseason, including Mitchell Robinson, Jose Alvarado, Jordan Clarkson, Mohamed Diawara, and Landry Shamet. Robinson was the only one of those players who left, as New York brought back the others on what could be deemed “team-friendly” deals.

It's never easy for a team to see one of their players bolt for a direct rival in free agency. The New York Knicks have experienced such a happening on multiple occasions this summer alone. Though the biggest name to jump ship for a heated foe is Mitchell Robinson, who signed with the Celtics back in July, the latest to do so is Dillon Jones, as he signed an Exhibit 10 contract with the 76ers Tuesday afternoon.

They don't just call Madison Square Garden "The World's Most Famous Arena" for no reason. Throughout its 58-year residency on Fifth Ave, the complex has played host to some of the most electrifying events in all of entertainment history. From Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier's "Fight of the Century" to the New York Knicks' 2026 championship run, the allure of this arena is truly unrivaled.