MANHATTAN, NY– After the Knicks’ defeat at the hands of the Indiana Pacers in the 2025 Eastern Conference Finals, team captain Jalen Brunson and high-profile addition Karl-Anthony Towns were interviewed. The reporters first asked questions about the disappointment of this loss following two massive offseason trades, for Towns and 3-and-D wing Mikal Bridges, and then Brunson was asked how confident he is in this group’s ability to take it to the next level. “The most confident. Overconfident, in fact.”
So far, it seems Brunson might be right. The Knicks certainly appear to have a chance in an Eastern Conference that is significantly weakened by Jayson Tatum and Tyrese Haliburton’s torn Achilles tendons that will cost them the entirety of the 2025-26 season. Many believe that these chances are only heightened by the firing of Tom Thibodeau. This was a shocking move after Thibodeau brought the Knicks to their first conference finals since 2000 and their most successful period in even longer. Despite this success, Thibodeau had many flaws. He underutilized his bench, leading to the starters playing extended minutes. Additionally, he did not develop his young players such as Tyler Kolek, Ariel Hukporti, and Pacome Dadiet.
To solve these problems, in addition to the fact that the Knicks’s offense looked stagnant at times, the Knicks brought in Mike Brown, former Cavs coach and Warriors assistant and coach of the Sacramento Kings to revamp the offense. In his opening Press conference, he emphasized the importance of trust for the team. “The soul of our identity… is going to be based on trust. A trust that’s centered around sacrifice, connectivity, a competitive spirit, and an overall belief in the process and each other.”
In addition to lessening some of the team’s flaws with the Brown hire, Leon Rose and the front office made two signings that look to bolster the Knicks’ bench. First, they signed Jordan Clarkson to a veteran minimum contract, one year, $3.6 million. Clarkson is one of the best bench scorers in the league, and should provide some instant offense off the bench to a team that often struggled to create on offense when Brunson wasn’t on the floor. They also added Frenchman Guerschon Yabusele, who played for the 76ers last year, to a one year, $11.275 million contract. This was the tax-payer mid-level exception (TPMLE), but Yabusele took a slight pay cut that allows the Knicks to sign a player to a veteran minimum for their 15th and final roster spot, as opposed to a young player with little to no experience. There is speculation that this spot will be given to a veteran such as Malcolm Brogdon, Marcus Smart, or Gary Payton II.
Overall, the 2025-26 season looks promising for the Knicks, in a weakened eastern conference, they are sure to be championship contenders.
