Could the Knicks Have Three All-Stars on Their Team?
In the 2024-2025 NBA season, the New York Knicks had two players make the all-star team. Those players were Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns. This was a major accomplishment for the team's roster construction, as it showcased the quality of starters the Knicks had, especially after altering their roster previously with the Julius Randle, KAT trade. With the Knicks making the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years and the front office making more improvements to the roster, it's a possibility that the Knicks could end up with three all-stars in the 2025-2026 season.
The Cleveland Cavaliers were the only team last season to have three all-stars. These players were Darius Garland, Donovan Mitchell, and Evan Mobley. The Cavs finished with a record of 64 wins and 18 losses; in comparison, the Knicks only had a record of 51 wins and 31 losses. If the Knicks want to have three all-stars, they’ll need to be first in the conference, and while it looks unlikely that they’ll beat the Cavs, it's more plausible than it seems. The Cavs had a dominant regular season; however, it's in their best interest to take a step off the gas in the upcoming season. With teams like the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers basically taking a year off due to their top stars being injured, they won't have to fight as hard for a top seeding. Furthermore, with Garland having an unfortunate injury history, they’ll want to preserve him for the playoffs.
The Cavs having a minor decline in the regular season performance isn't the only reason the Knicks can eclipse them this season; the Knicks have also made improvements around the edges of their roster. The additions of Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele greatly improve the bench depth. If the Knicks decide to run a double big lineup, they can move Josh Hart to the bench and add much-needed playmaking to the secondary unit. Hart, being the main facilitator for the bench, would take away some of the responsibility for Miles “Deuce” McBride and allow him to take a score-first approach, which benefits his style of play. These improvements should give the Knicks enough firepower to take the top seed in the conference.
Now the first two all-stars are still Brunson and KAT; however, there's a debate for who the third could be. It likely won't be Hart if he moves to the bench. Mitchell Robinson won't have the counting stats to argue for it. That leaves Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby. Both players are solid defenders on the wing, while being reliable on offense. However, it would go to OG as he is a slightly more impactful scorer and more likely to take three-pointers.
