New York Knicks: 2026 NBA Championship Contenders?

The organization and its leaders decided otherwise. Leon Rose and the Knicks did not raise any banner to the glory of this NBA Cup campaign on the ceiling of Madison Square Garden. The franchise justified itself by explaining that it was chasing a completely different trophy, much more important, and that it wanted to save any celebrations for the day when it reaches its ultimate goal.

It still has to happen. New York fans have been much more accustomed to suffering than to dreaming and enjoying over the past thirty years. They have therefore not been at the top of the league since their two titles in the 70’s and they have not played in the NBA finals since 1999. An eternity on the scale of such a legendary franchise. So the first instinct is to think that management is too ambitious, almost pretentious, thinking that this team has a real chance of going all the way.

An Eastern Conference clear for the Knicks

And yet. Not only is this the stated objective, but above all it is a quest which seems legitimate after reviewing the first third of the season. Presented among the big favorites in the East, the Knicks hold their place. They are currently second in the Conference with 22 wins in 31 matches. Above all, they are the ones who are currently making the strongest impression in view of the playoff battles which are coming up for the spring. “The Knicks clearly have the best team in the East, even if Detroit is first“, assures a coach on condition of anonymity.

The table is more open than ever for the formation of the Big Apple. With the injuries to Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton, the last two teams to come out of the East are considered out of the race, even if the Celtics are having a very good season so far. The Pacers have one of the worst records in the championship. Enough to leave room for two franchises a priori ahead of the competition in this half of the country: Cleveland and New York.

The Cavaliers have shown since the restart that they are perhaps no longer as dominant, in addition to being plagued by injuries. They also have their own demons to face in the playoffs before they can truly be seen as credible candidates for the trophy. The Magic and the Hawks were supposed to turn a corner but they are still looking for the right formula. The Sixers are a notch below. The Pistons are ultimately the Knicks’ main opponents but they only have a short playoff campaign in their legs, with an elimination against the Knicks.

In this favorable context, NY should finish in the top-4, or even the top-2, without having to force its talent. An important home advantage, especially since Mike Brown’s group has excelled at home this season (13 wins in 15 matches). On paper, this team has the necessary ingredients to win its Conference. It all starts with Jalen Brunson, signed for 104 million over 4 years in 2022. A stroke of genius from the front office, who saw in him a player capable of raising the franchise when he was not even yet a star in the NBA. The latter has since established himself as one of the ten best players in the league, THE primary characteristic of any franchise that hopes to go very far in the NBA. This is not possible, or very rarely possible, without a superstar.

Jalen Brunson scores three points with the Knicks, in 2025-2026.

Credit: Imago

Brunson embodies all of that, and more, in New York. He is the scoring machine in all important situations. A master of small spaces who can create his own shot despite lacking size and reach on an NBA scale. He scores almost 30 points every night and he is also the soul of this team. It provides a floor level. The Knicks have changed a lot thanks to their leader. They have only won one series of playoffs between 2000 and 2022. They have already won four in three seasons with their All-Star leader, the main player in the big comeback in the Conference finals last year.

A complete team with all the ingredients to win

To prevent everything from revolving around him, the franchise brought back Towns, another offensive prodigy. The duo is powerful and complementary, even if they have gaps in defense. Hence the idea of ​​associating the versatile and courageous Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Josh Hart with the two stars. This five knows each other by heart having played many minutes together under Tom Thibodeau. He gets along wonderfully and complements each other perfectly. Moreover, this season again, the New York starters have an excellent differential of +10 per 100 possessions, and the Knicks have reached a milestone since Brown put Hart back in the starting group.

Mitchell Robinson, Josh Hart, Mikal Bridges and Miles McBride surround a Charlotte player, November 2025.

Credit: Imago

New York has been gaining momentum for three seasons already. The Knicks won a series of playoffs in 2024 before reaching the Conference finals in 2025. Logic would dictate that the NBA finals are the next step for this team which has relied on a form of continuity while correcting some of its weak points. The prospect of winning a title against one of the Western armadas remains low, but once you reach this stage of the competition, anything is possible. The Pacers didn’t come far from proving it.