The New York Knicks’ big moves brought their deepest playoff run in 25 years, showing they’re closing in on a title.
NEW YORK (WE) — The Knicks envisioned something bold. They pursued their ambition with clarity. Their message to the league rang loud and clear: the waiting was over.
When Leon Rose took over as team president in 2020, he inherited a franchise mired in years of irrelevance. Five years later, the Knicks stood just two wins from their first NBA Finals appearance in over two decades. The ultimate goal—hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy—remains elusive, but the path now feels real.
Their most aggressive offseason in years brought Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns to a team already powered by the All-NBA brilliance of Jalen Brunson. The moves cost the Knicks draft capital, roster continuity, and two vital contributors—Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo. But they gave New York something more valuable: a puncher’s chance at a title.
Ultimately, the all-in push fell short. The Indiana Pacers eliminated the Knicks in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals, the same round the team had not reached since the 1999–2000 season. The drought for an NBA championship continues—a painful stretch dating back to 1973.
Still, this postseason run represented undeniable progress. In 2023, the Knicks fell in the second round. In 2024, they broke through. Incremental or not, it was a step forward.
“So we’ve improved from last year,” said head coach Tom Thibodeau, who has led New York to four playoff appearances in five seasons. “But we still fell short of our ultimate goal.”
Boston achieved that goal—winning a championship—in dominant fashion this season. The Celtics, behind the core of Jaylen Brown, Kristaps Porziņģis, Jrue Holiday, and the now-injured Jayson Tatum, rolled through the East before capturing their 18th NBA title. But when Tatum ruptured his Achilles in Game 4 of the conference semis against New York, the door cracked open.
The Knicks stormed through that gap. For the first time under Thibodeau, they beat a true contender. But the Pacers—young, fast, and deep—proved to be a matchup nightmare. New York’s veteran-heavy roster couldn’t keep up with the tempo pushed by Tyrese Haliburton, Andrew Nembhard, and a Pacers team that had knocked the Knicks out a year prior.
“You make the moves to win,” Towns said after the loss. “So it hurts to not be able to bring an opportunity to the city for a championship. We’ve got a bunch of great guys in that locker room, and the plan now is just to put ourselves in this position again and succeed next time.”
That might be easier said than done. Now, Rose and general manager Scott Perry must evaluate how close this roster truly stands—and determine how far it still needs to go.
The Knicks’ 51–31 record was good, not great. It placed them third in the Eastern Conference, behind both Cleveland and Boston. They went 0–8 against those two teams in the regular season, and while they did knock off the Celtics in the playoffs, it was only after Boston lost its best player.
In the postseason, New York showed grit and resilience, but also cracks. Their inability to close out Game 1 against Indiana at home—squandering a 14-point lead in the final 2:45—set a tone that haunted them. The Knicks’ bench, thin after the all-in trades, couldn’t consistently match opposing second units.
That lack of depth may have been the deciding factor. While the starting lineup featuring Brunson, Towns, Bridges, OG Anunoby, and Josh Hart was one of the best in the league on paper, the lack of reliable scoring and defensive consistency from the reserves exposed the Knicks in key moments.
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The good news? The core is intact.
Brunson, the team’s emotional and statistical engine, signed a contract extension last summer that was considered well below his market value—something that could prove crucial as the front office eyes future flexibility. Bridges, still in his prime, is locked in. Anunoby re-signed to a franchise-record contract and remains one of the league’s top two-way wings. Towns, though expensive, provides a modern scoring big who can anchor the offense when Brunson sits.
What’s missing is the glue that bridges elite and exceptional. Cleveland relied on Evan Mobley and Darius Garland to hold things together. Boston leaned on its depth, chemistry, and versatile ways to win. Indiana thrived thanks to its unrelenting tempo and the emergence of a true star in Haliburton.
For New York, the challenge now is threading that needle between making another blockbuster move and preserving what’s working. A potential trade for more bench support, perhaps targeting someone like Malik Beasley or Buddy Hield, could address their spacing issues. Or a more subtle approach—developing young talent like Miles McBride—might offer long-term upside.
“We finished in the top three, but we’re falling short of the ultimate goal,” Thibodeau reiterated. “For us it’s to use that for motivation and determination to work all summer to prepare ourselves to make the final step.”
The word “all-in” can mean different things depending on the franchise. For a team like the Golden State Warriors, it meant building from within and reinforcing with stars. For the Los Angeles Lakers, it’s meant swinging big each summer. The Knicks are now firmly in the latter category.
It is no longer about restoring credibility. That part is done. The Madison Square Garden crowd now expects wins. Regular 50-win seasons, playoff success, and meaningful games in May are the new norm. What remains is the final push.
And Brunson, who averaged 29.7 points and 6.8 assists this season, seems determined to lead it.
Asked if he believed this group could win it all, his answer came fast—and without hesitation.
“The most confidence. Overconfident,” Brunson said, cracking a grin. “Seriously. There’s not an ounce of any type of doubt that I’m not confident with this group.”
That kind of belief is hard to quantify. But for a team that has spent most of the past two decades cycling through failed rebuilds, short-sighted trades, and wasted seasons, it’s perhaps the most meaningful development yet.
The disappointment of falling short this year will sting. But in contrast to the lost years of the 2000s and early 2010s—seasons defined by dysfunction and disillusionment—this year ended with something else: belief. The fans feel it. The players echo it. And even in the sobering aftermath of a season that ended two rounds too early, the Knicks know they aren’t far off.
Maybe next season, they take that final step. Maybe it takes another offseason tweak or the emergence of another surprise contributor. But for once, the questions aren’t about direction—they’re about execution. The map is drawn. The Knicks just need to keep walking it.
And if they do, the title that’s eluded them since the days of Willis Reed and Walt Frazier might finally return to the heart of Manhattan.
After years in the wilderness, the Knicks are close. They can feel it. And this time, so can everyone else.
