As a New Yorker and a die-hard Knicks fan, I spent this summer on cloud nine. On June 14, 2026 the Knicks ended a 53-year championship drought, and I’ve been channeling my excitement for the next season by saturating my mind with analytics and previews. This past offseason felt like a second postseason with trades and signings that reshuffled the league's power structure. With opening night on Oct. 20, here’s where I think things stand.
The Champions will be hunted
The Knicks went 16–3 through last year's playoffs, including 13 straight wins, the second-longest streak in playoff history. They beat the favorites, a dominant Spurs team, in five games, and Jalen Brunson took home Finals MVP.
However, oddsmakers still rank the Thunder and Spurs ahead of them when predicting who wins the title. It’s clear that everyone going against the Knicks won’t underestimate them; every opponent brings an extra effort against the champions. The Spurs in particular were and are a young and relatively inexperienced team, but losing a Finals teaches you things, and I expect them to be a lot sharper in high-pressure moments this time around.
History is also against New York. The league has had eight different champions in the last eight seasons, and the last repeat winners were the Warriors in 2017 and 2018. The Knicks are bringing back the exact same roster, and the odds still aren't with them. Then again, when were they ever?
The powerhouses in the East
In Philadelphia, LeBron James signed to begin what some call the final chapter of his career, joining stars Joel Embiid and Tyrese Maxey. And if the 76ers didn’t have enough talent, the franchise then landed Jaylen Brown from Boston for Paul George. Undoubtedly, the 76ers boast one of the most talented starting fives in the league, but only the season will speak to whether it fits together. LeBron turns 42 in December, and Embiid's health remains a worry. Several high-usage stars have to share one ball. The 76ers were also swept 4–0 by the Knicks in last year's conference semifinals, so they have something to prove from the first night.
Miami went big too, with the Heat acquiring two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo from Milwaukee, pairing him with Bam Adebayo. A physical, defense-first frontcourt suits the Heat's identity better than most superstar trades suit their teams. For Milwaukee, the deal ended a 13-season era and kicked off a rebuild.
Boston is the odd one out. The Celtics lost a recent Finals MVP in the Brown trade, but they should benefit from a full season of Jayson Tatum, who played only 16 games last year. Whether the deal was a smart reset or a mistake mostly comes down to Tatum's health.
Then there's Detroit. The Pistons were the East's top seed last year with a 60-win season, but they still lack scoring behind Cade Cunningham. They also traded Isaiah Stewart, one of the best rim protectors in the NBA, so that defense has something to prove.
The two-team rivalry in the West
The Oklahoma City Thunder had the league's best record at 64–18 and returns a core led by back-to-back MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Last season, the team lost Game 7 of the Western Conference Finals to the Spurs while Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell were hurt, but it’ll undoubtedly be a powerhouse again this season. As strong title contenders, the Spurs are still anchored by some of the league’s best placers, De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and, of course, Victor Wembanyama. The NBA scheduled the rematch for the nightcap on opening night.
Elsewhere, the West is also busy. Minnesota made a win-now move for LaMelo Ball, and the Lakers, after losing LeBron, got Walker Kessler in a sign-and-trade. Denver still has the league’s best player, placing Nikola Jokić and his team as the fifth most likely to win a title.
Upcoming dates and takeaways
- Oct. 20: A high-profile triple-header opens the season, with Celtics-Pistons at 3 p.m., Knicks-76ers at Madison Square Garden at 7 p.m. and Thunder-Spurs at 9:30 p.m.
- Christmas Day: LeBron faces his old team in Los Angeles, and the Spurs visit the Knicks in a Finals rematch.
- February: All-Star Weekend comes to Phoenix.
The West will be decided by whether Oklahoma City's depth or San Antonio's upside wins out in a long series. The East has more upheaval, and nobody knows how much of it will pay off. Philadelphia has the talent, but championships are rarely won by the most gifted roster on paper, so I'd count on the Knicks' cohesion over the Sixers' star power, at least in the regular season. Miami will be quite an intriguing wildcard.
Still, I'm not sure any of this matters as much as I think it does. 53 years is a long time to wait, and I'm still getting used to calling my team "Champions.” The odds say the Knicks will be hunted this year, and they're probably right. But what I love about basketball is that odds never play the game. A 6'2 guard can outshine a 7'4 giant, a team nobody picked can win 13 in a row and a drought can end on one electric June night. I can’t wait to see the surprises this season will hold.
