Last season, the New York Knicks did something they haven’t done in 53 years: they won an NBA Championship, defeating the San Antonio Spurs in five games to reach the top of the NBA mountain. They will now do something they haven’t done since the 1973-74 season, and that’s defend their NBA Championship against the rest of the league that will surely be gunning for them. New York has kept most of the players from their championship-winning squad, but most notably lost Mitchell Robinson, someone the Knicks could regret not re-signing. With the league shaken up, particularly the Eastern Conference, with LeBron James and Jaylen Brown to the Philadelphia 76ers, Giannis Antetokounmpo with the Miami Heat, and Kawhi Leonard being traded back to the Toronto Raptors, can the Knicks repeat another NBA Championship run during the 26-27 season?
Immediately after winning their third franchise NBA Championship, the Knicks re-signed 29-year-old Landry Shamet to a four-year deal. Once realizing they would be losing the best offensive rebounder in the league, Robinson, New York knew they needed to sign a similar-caliber player, which is why they gave veteran Andre Drummond, who is one of the best rebounders of the modern era, a one-year contract for the upcoming season. With most of the roster intact from the 25-26 season, the Knicks have signed a bunch of veterans to training camp deals to see who will take one of the last few spots on the roster. This includes multiple NBA Champions such as Bruce Brown and James Wiseman.
With Jalen Brunson changing the energy in the state of New York and taking charge as the leader of this Knicks team, he fully expects to be in the championship scene. Over the past three seasons, the Knicks have won 50 or more games, with the 2026 NBA Finals MVP leading the way. Even though the 30-year-old guard’s offseason has been busy with non-basketball-related side quests like appearing as a star guest on Law & Order: Special Victims Unit and guest hosting on Saturday Night Live, Brunson has made sure to keep his focus on winning and keeping his team, plus the state of New York, happy as well. The two-time NCAA Champion will continue to keep the Knicks in the conversation all season long.
Heading into the 26-27 season, the Eastern Conference has become stacked once again. The 76ers, Heat, Raptors, as well as the Boston Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, and Cleveland Cavaliers will be in contention for a playoff spot, while teams like the Orlando Magic want to show they're a consistent playoff team, and the Washington Wizards want to break into the Eastern Conference playoff scene. While it will be tough, the Knicks have shown their grit. Their 2026 NBA Championship was proof of how hard this team will play and how good teammates can change the course of a game. New York will be able to compete with whatever the top team throws at them.
Over the past nine years, we’ve seen a different NBA Champion crowned each year. While some of those teams had a good chance to repeat, this Knicks team has a great chance to do so. They’ve kept most of the roster intact, everyone is happy to play in New York, and their NBA Championship win has only fueled the fire, pushing this Knicks team to be the best they can be during the 2026-2027 season. This is not to keep New York fans’ hopes up; however, many of the Knicks’ Eastern Conference opponents, such as the 76ers, Heat, Raptors, and Celtics, all have to integrate their key players and adjust to their style of offense. The Knicks have the advantage because they have a great core that’s been together for so long. Again, this is not to bring hope up, but let it be known that New York won’t play when it comes to defending their NBA Championship from a season ago and going all in on repeating during the upcoming season.
