Thousands of Knicks fans – decked out in blue and orange jerseys, shorts, hats, necklaces and more – gathered in downtown New York City on Thursday to celebrate the team’s NBA championship in a lively ticker-tape parade.

All along Church Street, the street running parallel to the parade route, fans lit joints, threw back shots of Fireball whiskey and drank Coronas, within view of bemused and outnumbered New York City police officers. Some fans climbed atop police cruisers and posed for photos.

“We can do that?” one passerby asked, laughing. “Is this not illegal today?”

“I’m just glad to be a part of this fucking victory,” one of the men atop the police cruiser told the Guardian. “I’m glad to be a part of history!”

Wesley Chow, 27, from Astoria, Queens, first became a Knicks fan in 2012 during “Linsanity”, when the Asian American player Jeremy Lin became a Knicks fan favorite.

“Seeing someone that looked like me play in the league was hella inspiring,” said Chow, who was among the thousands gathered outside the gates hoping to steal even a distant glance of the Knicks players as they moved down a route that was one block away.

Chow added: “The people out here right now, you got people from all backgrounds, all neighborhoods, all to celebrate one thing. It’s crazy.”

The viewing areas for the parade were at capacity as early as 7.25am, per the NYPD, who blocked off access to Broadway. The parade, which kicked off several hours later at 10am, saw people marching from Battery Park to City Hall.

Zohran Mamdani – the mayor, who rightly predicted this would be one of the biggest parades the city had ever seen – was seen dancing on a float in the parade alongside the Knicks’ Karl-Anthony Towns. Towns’s teammate OG Anunoby was in the crowds talking to fans, holding both the NBA Cup in-season championship trophy and a bottle of tequila. The Knicks alumnus Carmelo Anthony danced on a float nearby. Longtime celebrity Knicks fans Spike Lee, Ben Stiller, Chris Rock and Timothée Chalamet were also in attendance.

Children climbed atop cars to chant “fuck you, Wemby!” – a reference to San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama. Vendors sold T-shirts out of carts and suitcases, emblazoned with phrases like “CHAMPIONS” and “King Brunson” and “suck my Knick!”

A fan named Alan told the Guardian he came back to New York for the first time in nearly three years to be a part of the crowd. He carried a Polaroid camera and offered people photos for a few dollars each, mostly photographing moms with their sons and dads with their daughters.

“I just wanted to give them a memory of the day,” he said.

Another fan named Erica walked along Church Street with her young son, Milan. Originally from Italy, she’s been a casual Knicks fan for 20 years, but fell in love with the team after watching how happy they made her son. She said the Knicks had brought out the best in New York.

“Everybody is happy for one cause and we need that,” she said.

John Rivera was born and raised in New York, and was 13 when the Knicks last won the championship in 1973. They clinched the finals series this time on his 69th birthday.

“I was there for the Ewing era, when they kept losing against the Bulls, I was there in 99 when I thought they were gonna win it, I was there through it all. I always kept the faith though,” he said.

Rivera worked for NYC transit authority doing subway maintenance for 30 years before retiring to Florida. He flew back to New York this week for a funeral – for a friend he played stickball with growing up – and for the Puerto Rican Day parade in the Bronx. Being among Knicks fans on Thursday morning reminded him of how much he loved this city.

“It makes me feel wanted, it makes me feel like a part of the city again,” he said.

Barbara Etheredge, 33, from Newark, New Jersey, stood on a power box, with friends hanging from the traffic signs above. She’s a new Knicks fan, falling in love with the team through her boyfriend – who was among a crowd of fans who commandeered a nearby sanitation truck, chanting “LET’S GO KNICKS.”

“Everyone out here strangers,” she said of the sprawling crowd below her, “But we family now.”

Her newfound love for the Knicks is just as permanent as her newfound love for her boyfriend, she said. “He’s not going nowhere. I’m done. If he’s a Knicks fan I’m staying with them for ever. I’m loyal!”

The sweetness of Thursday’s celebration hardly ended there as the now-viral “Baklava Guy” – who was previously seen giving out his eponymous dessert to Knicks fans outside Madison Square Garden. – doled out baklava to fans at the parade.

Roy Donk, the owner of Good Baklava, told CBS: “There’s just special moments in New York history which we’re living right now, and I usually sell it, but there’s no chance of selling it right now.”

Benny Tuchman, a lifelong fan from Westchester, was observing the Shabbos with family and friends on the evening the Knicks won game 5.

“We had to wait until the second quarter to watch,” he remembered, laughing. When they finally turned the TV on the Knicks were down 15. “But we knew 15 was nothing for this team,” he said, referring to a series of miraculous comebacks during the playoffs.

He knew coming to the parade that he probably wouldn’t get close enough to see the team. Looking out at the thousands of his fellow fans he said: “This is why we came. I just wanted to see the people. I just wanted to see everyone happy.” His friend chimed in: “This is what makes sports great.” Another friend added: “It’s the equalizer.”

When the Cleveland Cavaliers sent De’Andre Hunter to the Sacramento Kings, the “prize” of the trade was getting Keon Ellis in return. Ellis looked poised to be a disruptive defender on the perimeter and someone who could reliably knock down threes enough to keep opposing defenses honest. The return of Ellis was far from what I think the Cavaliers front office and fans were hoping for.

Regular Season Stats

• 8.3 points
• 2.8 rebounds
• 2.4 assists
• 49.1% FG
• 35.5% 3PT FG
• 81.6% FT

Ellis was already falling out of the rotation in Sacramento when the Cavs traded for him. Cleveland was looking to add more backcourt depth in both Ellis and Dennis Schroder. Ellis gave Cleveland another disruptive defender, as Ellis came to Cleveland as being the only player other than Detroit’s Ausar Thompson to average 2.0 steals and 1 block per 36 minutes.

The idea of Ellis was more impactful than actuality. Ellis never felt like he really found his footing in Cleveland. The rotations were constantly in flux so the synergy with lineups was never going to develop. Cleveland’s offense is built with the motion and ball movement that should have allowed Ellis to flourish as a good three-point shooter (40.7% career average).

He registered the lowest three-point percentage of his career this year. In the regular season, the Cavaliers were willing to play through the struggles at times. Disruptive defenders like Ellis have more staying power as their effort stands out. However, the main issue with Ellis came once the postseason came around.

Ellis was in the initial rotation for the Cavaliers against the Toronto Raptors, but made little impact. He was then used sparingly in the second and third rounds before playing 15 minutes in Game 4 against the New York Knicks, when that series was already over. In short, he wasn’t a playoff contributor in any meaningful way.

The defense wasn’t as impactful as it needed to be to justify more minutes, particularly on a defense that was comfortable switching most actions. This forced Ellis to make defensive plays off-ball, and he didn’t provide enough offensively to distinguish himself from being just another guy on the floor.

It was disappointing to see Ellis cosplay as Isaac Okoro in the postseason. Defenses let Ellis fire away from three and a -31 in his limited minutes during the playoffs. A -141 in the regular season is also not great from someone whose calling card is to wreak havoc on offenses.

Ellis, who is now slated to be a free agent this summer, has forced the Cavaliers to make some decisions about whether to buy the dip and see if this was a blip in Ellis’s short career. It might not take much for the Cavs to wave the white flag on the experiment.

The Cavaliers appear to be focused on retaining Dean Wade over Ellis. If this bears true, the swing for Ellis and Schroder will be more remembered for the Schroder of it all. Which, if we are being honest, is a massive flop of a return.

Grade: D+

Washington Wizards star Trae Young has declined his $48.97 million player option for the upcoming 2026-27 NBA season, electing to test free agency for the first time in his career.

According to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, Young’s decision to opt out did not come as a surprise to league insiders. Many expect him to ultimately re-sign with the Wizards on a lucrative three-year deal.

We are less than a week away from the 2026 NBA Draft, which means things are more or less feeling finalized as far as predictions go. Granted, nobody’s predictions are going to be perfect — there will inevitably be some trades, some unexpected selections, and other fun surprises. That could turn out to be true for Caleb Wilson and Henri Veesaar as well, but there’s a lot more uncertainty around Veesaar that could make things interesting.

That said, let’s take a look at where both players are currently projected to get drafted. We will tap into HoopsHype.com, who did an aggregate mock draft based on the following sources: ESPN, NBADraft.net, CBS Sports, The Athletic, Bleacher Report, Babcock Hoops, SB Nation, USA Today Sports and No Ceilings.

Caleb Wilson: No. 4 overall to the Chicago Bulls

While there was a lot of talk that UNC star Caleb Wilson could get drafted higher than fourth, it seems like a lot of that talk has cooled down. The most likely scenario is that Wilson will hear his name called by the Chicago Bulls on draft night, a team that is going through both an organizational and roster rebuild.

Should there be no surprises and Wilson ends up in the Windy City, he will be one of very few players on the roaster that is guaranteed to be there within the next year or two. Executive Vice President of Basketball Operations Bryson Graham seeks to do everything he can to return the Bulls to relevance in the NBA, but in order to do so he will have to completely overhaul the roster. Wilson will be one of two first-round picks for the Bulls assuming that they do not trade their No. 15 pick. He could end up becoming a star in Chicago, but that’s only if Michael and Jerry Reinsdorf are finally ready to start taking this franchise seriously again. Though, let’s be honest: Wilson may end up becoming a star anyway.

Henri Veesaar: 29th overall to the Cleveland Cavaliers

The situation with Henri Veesaar feels a lot more fluid than the situation with Wilson. Media outlets seem pretty convinced that Veesaar could end up being one of the final first-round picks, but deciding which team he could go to is tricky. Some outlets had him going to the Dallas Mavericks, but if we’re going off the aggregate that Hoops Hype created, the Cleveland Cavaliers would be the landing spot, which would guarantee that Veesaar plays a bench role at best.

The Cavaliers already have Evan Mobley on their roster, who is currently one a five-year max rookie contract that lasts until 2030. They also have Jarrett Allen at the center spot, whose contract goes until 2029. Things aren’t especially impressive being either guys, so there’s definitely a world where Veesaar sees a reasonable amount of playing time behind Allen at the very least. It’s hard to imagine that he’d spend time at the four, but who knows? Players are expected to be versatile in the NBA, but it’s hard to imagine Veesaar playing anything but the five.

Either way, should the Cavaliers draft Veesaar, he’d be a solid three-level scorer and solid passer for a playoff-contending team. Oh, and he’d face Caleb Wilson often in the Central Division. Who doesn’t want that?

---

The NBA Draft is June 23-24 in Brooklyn, NY. The event will be broadcasted on ESPN. What do you think of where the two Tar Heels are currently positioned in the mock drafts? Let us know in the comments below.

Depending on how the board falls, St. John’s forward Dillon Mitchell could be available when New York is on the clock on draft night next week. Should the Knicks consider him with their 24th, 31st, or 55th selection?

The Basics

• School: St. John’s (transferred from Texas, then Cincinnati)
• Position: Forward
• Height: 6’6.75” (barefoot) | 6’8” (listed)
• Weight: 202 lbs
• Age: 22 (October 3, 2023)
• 2025-26 Stats: 8.3 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 3.0 APG, 1.6 STL, 55.9% FG, 49.4% FT
• Projected Draft Range: Mid-second round to undrafted

The Numbers

Mitchell’s production does not jump off the page like that of teammate Zuby Ejiofor’s did at St. John’s, but his profile is built more around his tools and energy than his raw scoring numbers and a plug-and-play profile transitioning from college to the NBA.

He averaged 8.3 points, seven rebounds and three assists per game for the Red Storm, giving Rick Pitino a high-motor forward who could defend, rebound, cut, run and finish without needing plays called for him. In St. John’s Sweet 16 loss to Duke, Mitchell scored 13 points on 86% shooting, showing the type of efficient, low-usage role that gives him an NBA pathway, although that will only happen after he spends some considerable developmental time in the chamber.

The passing is probably Mitchell’s calling card on offense, as he finished his senior campaign with 111 assists to only 37 turnovers, a great 3:1 ratio for an athletic forward whose offensive reputation has mostly centered on rim running, cutting and transition finishing.

SNY’s Ian Begley reported on Wednesday that the Knicks brought Mitchell in for a pre-draft workout, alongside UConn forward Alex Karaban. That matters because New York owns a second-round pick (No. 55), which fits the range Mitchell is expected to hear his name, unless he goes all the way and ends up signing a two-way, UDFA contract after the draft is over.

Skills That Pay the Bills

• Elite Athleticism: Mitchell is a rare vertical athlete. He runs the floor hard, jumps quickly off the ground, and can finish above the rim in transition, off cuts and on putbacks.
• Cutting and Play Finishing: His best offensive role is simple, as he’s adept at moving without the ball, finding dunker-spot openings, attacking backdoors and finishing plays created by guards. He does not need high usage to create value, as he’s a high-activity player.
• Defensive Versatility: Mitchell has the feet, mobility and athletic profile to defend multiple spots. He can navigate screens, switch in certain matchups and use his quickness to stay involved away from the ball.
• Rebounding Motor: He averaged seven rebounds per game and has posted more than two offensive rebounds per game in back-to-back seasons. His second jump and activity help him create extra possessions.
• Passing Growth: Mitchell’s senior season showed legitimate progress as an offensive connector, removing any concerns about him turning into a pro offense-stopper. He can make quick passes from the interior, hit cutters and move the ball without forcing plays.

Concerns

• No Reliable Jumper: This is the biggest issue, and not precisely a small one. Mitchell does not space the floor and his perimeter game remains underdeveloped, with the forward attempting 57 three-pointers in 144 college games across four seasons for an average of 0.4 3PA per game, hitting them at a horrid 19.3% clip. That limits lineup flexibility and makes his offensive role narrow in the current NBA economy.
• Free-Throw Shooting: His career free-throw percentage sits below 50%, which raises real questions about his touch and late-game playability alongside his non-existent long-range shooting.
• Limited Self-Creation: Mitchell is not a player who manufactures offense, mostly because of his shooting issues. He needs to play under a heavy structured offense, take advantage of spacing, and have elite playmakers around him to maximize his athletic tools and find him open.
• Tweener Role: He is 6’6.75” without elite length for a forward and does not shoot well enough to play a clean wing role. His NBA value depends on defending, rebounding, cutting and finishing at a high level.

The Knicks Fit

I don’t need to tell you how Mitchell fits the Knicks if you just read where the kid is coming from. New York just won their first championship since 1973, and Mitchell spent his final college season at St. John’s, playing home games at Madison Square Garden, and making this the ultimate good-story draft pick if NYK uses the late second-round selection on him or simply adds him to one of their two-way slots if he’s still available after the second day is over.

There is also real St. John’s history with the Knicks. New York drafted Mark Jackson out of St. John’s in 1987, and Jackson became NBA Rookie of the Year with the franchise, although the comparisons here are virtually non-existent. The other famous connection, and one still due for fix, is that with former Red Storm forward and Queens-born-and-raised Ron Artest, whom the Knicks passed on in 1999 when they selected Dunk-of-Death casualty Frederic Weis one pick before Artest went to the Chicago Bulls.

Mitchell would not arrive with Jackson’s or Artest’s profile or expectations—and he should definitely not be treated like that kind of prospect—but the local connection is there.

From a basketball standpoint, Mitchell fits only if the Knicks are comfortable taking a developmental bet, even late in the draft. New York already has physical wings and forwards in OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart, while Karl-Anthony Towns gives the team offensive firepower up front. Mitchell would need to earn minutes through defense, rebounding, pace and energy, and he won’t do anything to improve the offense, not being even close to Hart’s already-subpar shooting.

NBA Comparison

• Best-Case Comparison: Derrick Jones Jr. (Explosive cutter, finisher and defensive athlete without a lot to offer on offense)
• Median Outcome: KJ Martin (Vertical athlete who runs, cuts and finishes near the rim but not far from it)
• Low-End Outcome: Keita Bates-Diop without the jumper (Forward body, defensive chops, can’t hit a shot)

The Verdict

Pass at 24th and 31st. Consider him at 55th: Mitchell is not worth a first-round pick, whether that’s No. 24 or No. 31, unless the board completely collapses and the Knicks are convinced his jumper will develop, which is far from guaranteed. The athletic tools are obvious—Mitchell can run, jump, defend, cut and finish—but the shooting concerns are too big to ignore. A forward who does not space the floor and shoots below 50% from the free-throw line needs to be excellent in the margins to stay on the floor. Mitchell has some of those margins covered, especially with his cutting, rebounding and defensive versatility, but he still projects as a developmental player. Let him go past 55th, and with just five more picks remaining, there’s a good chance he goes undrafted, and the Knicks can ink him after he becomes a UDFA.

Read all our draft profiles here.

Go Knicks!

For the next month before the 2026 NBA Draft, we’ll take an in-depth look at different prospects here at Liberty Ballers and try to figure out which players would be the best fit for the Sixers at No. 22. Next up in this series is Houston’s Chris Cenac Jr.

By this point, we’ve all been frustrated with the rotating door of failed attempts at front court depth behind Joel Embiid from the Sixers. In recent years, it’s been a lot of players who are at best good on one end of the floor but a liability on the other end. With Embiid’s lack of availability only increasing, Philly could use a big that could not only solve its problems when he’s not on the floor, but also potentially play next to him. The good thing is, the answer to that problem might be staring them in the face next week.

Profile

2025-26 Stats: 37 games, 24.8 minutes, 9.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 1.4 steals, 0.5 blocks, 48.5% FG, 33.3% 3P, 62.1% FT

Team: Houston Cougars

Year: Freshman

Position: PF/C

Height & Weight: 6’11” | 240 lbs

Born: January 31, 2007 (19 years old)

Hometown: New Orleans, Louisiana

Strengths

Let’s start with the most obvious thing Cenac has going for him, which happens to be a great fit for Philadelphia. He’s a very good rebounder having averaged close to eight rebounds per game is just under 25 minutes per game. Per 40 minutes in college, he was averaging a robust 12.7 boards. Simply put, when Cenac is on the floor, offenses aren’t getting second chances off of missed field goals and free throws. His productive rebounding can be traced back to strong instincts, physicality and a relentless motor. That’s the kind of stuff that not only earns you more playing time, but endears you to a fanbase as a rookie. At 6’11” and 240 pounds, he’s certainly ready to come in and start grabbing rebounds off the bench for an NBA team at the very least.

Next is his athletic ability. Cenac isn’t just a halfcourt player who hauls in defensive rebounds. He can run the floor and finish as a lob threat while also finishing off the dribble in pick-and-rolls when he is in halfcourt sets. While a lot of his athletic ability did not necessarily translate to a lot of blocked shots in college, he certainly possesses the traits to be a good rim protector and he’s also athletic enough to guard on the perimeter when drawn out that way.

Speaking of things that you have to watch in Cenac’s game more than simply look at the stats for, he’s a willing jump shooter with enough fluidity in his mechanics to make you think those percentages above can improve. He took about 2.5 threes per game at Houston so it’s certainly not foreign to him to get shots up from deep and in some of his highlights, he looks pretty comfortable already as a face-up jump shooter in the midrange area. He’s not just one of those guys who gets drafted in the first round purely on athletic ability who has a broken jumper. It looks fixable but the encouraging thing here is that he seems cognizant of the importance to continue to develop his jump shot.

Weaknesses

Whether it was taking too many outside shots in certain games with an underdeveloped jumper or just making some bad decisions, at nearly seven feet tall, you’d like to see a better field goal percentage than 48.5%. While he’s ready right now to rebound in the NBA, he could probably afford to add about 20 pounds of muscle which would likely make him a more viable post scorer and make finishing in the paint in halfcourt sets a little easier.

Another problem that likely kept his minutes per game average around 25 is his tendency to pick up fouls. He averaged 2.3 fouls per game in the 25 minutes per game that he played last season at Houston. That’s about one foul in every 10 minutes of action. Do the math and while Cenac has the upside to become an NBA starter, if he’s fouling at the same rate that would have him averaging four fouls every 40 minutes which could mean some foul outs on certain nights.

He could also benefit from good coaching that boosts his basketball IQ. In watching a lot of his film, Cenac appears to drift into midrange areas too frequently offensively instead of cutting to the rim. That’s perhaps one factor that led to a lower field goal percentage than you’d like from a big man in college. Defensively, he would occasionally get mixed up with the other big man who he was playing with on who was guarding the stretch big and who was hanging around the rim.

Positional Fit

Cenac could come right into the NBA and play power forward today. He’s certainly comfortable enough guarding the perimeter and runs the floor better than a lot of NBA centers, which makes him more of an instant fit at the four. However, he’s certainly the kind of player that could grow into more of a center during his rookie contract. Perhaps by year two or year three in the NBA, Cenac is strong enough to score in the interior and defend just about any NBA center. He fits into an NBA frontcourt one way or another. Whether that’s as a power forward or a center likely depends on the team that drafts him.

Draft Projection

SB Nation Mock Draft: No. 20, San Antonio Spurs

Cenac lands at 20^th overall in this mock draft, so he’s a very viable target for Philadelphia in the first round. Often times, teams in the late teens and early 20s are in that tier below the league’s true contenders drafting in the late 20s. Therefore, do certain teams prioritize their current rosters a bit more in hopes of landing more immediate help? As that school of thought pertains to Cenac, would a team that likes its power forwards opt not to take Cenac due to some concerns that he could come in and play center right away?

The fit with the Sixers is good enough to make me wonder if Mike Gansey and company would consider moving up for him to ensure he lands in Philadelphia. If Cenac had a strong rookie season, you could certainly argue starting him next to Embiid by the end of the regular season and in the playoffs would make a lot of sense. Embiid’s athleticism has dwindled and so having a big man on the court with Embiid who could defend the perimeter adequately and rebound well should raise the team’s floor defensively.  Regardless of how quickly Cenac could become a starter for the Sixers, he could be someone that could play with Embiid in the short term and replace Embiid in the long term and that should have everyone in the organization interested.

The San Antonio Spurs came up short in the Finals, but it’s unfair to call the season a failure because of the growth shown and the bonds strengthened in 2025-26. Fortunately, for them, their mighty nucleus is still in its infancy and with proper development, they will have more opportunities to raise the Larry O’Brien trophy.

In many cases, humiliation is one of life’s greatest teachers, and the Spurs must be feeling some of that after folding late in each of their four Finals losses. It’s what the team felt 13 years ago in 2013 when they let a title slip away in Miami, but it made them stronger and more determined the next season when they went on the warpath. 

Those Spurs, who celebrated their 12th championship anniversary on Monday, were at the time recognized for their selfless style of play and determination, but in terms of being viewed as truly great, they quickly fell into the shadow of the dynastic Warriors, who built on that style and would dominate the rest of the decade, led by a much more socially outgoing superstar. (But maybe they’ll get more respect in the future, like old films that were under appreciated at the time but later become cult classics.)

Like their 2013 counterparts, the current Spurs team now knows that being good is not good enough. Sixty-two wins may not happen every year, but there was a point in time in the in 2025-26 season in which Spurs fans started expecting to win every game, and that needs to be the standard going forward. 

The front office and Coach Mitch Johnson are likely already examining what areas need improvement. Among the things the Spurs will be addressing in the offseason, here are the changes and adjustments I’d like to see that could significantly raise their potency and be the difference between them hosting their own parade and going home empty-handed.  Let’s review.

1. Passing 

The Spurs were not a bad passing team, logging the second highest potential assists in the playoffs (45.7), but they were unremarkable in the playoffs as they were 12th of 16 in passes made and in the middle of ball security. Keep in mind that the greatest strength is the pass because it is faster than the dribble. The Spurs’ offense was too reliant on dribble penetration, while the New York Knicks ran more motion. 

Additionally, the 2024-25 Knicks did not look this sharp offensively under coach Tim Thibodeau as they did with Mike Brown, a former Spurs assistant, who helped them win a championship. The Knicks that lost against the Indiana Pacers in the 2025 ECF made 25.8 less passes per game than this year’s champs. One of the biggest effects this had was saving some of the juice in Jalen Brunson’s legs for clutch time.

More passes could help Victor Wembanyama because a good chunk of his offense starts with him dribbling down from the perimeter. Greater effort is exerted getting past a man in a defensive stance than slipping past someone who is trying to pay attention to the ball while guarding an off-ball player. 

Furthermore, it’s hard to have witnessed the Beautiful Game Spurs and think the current ball movement is enough. In 2014, they passed the ball 44 more times than the current squad, which makes them a completely different team. 

Think of the swift first step De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper have. Putting them in a system with more ball movement could make their jobs easier with more catch-and-go moves, ensuring they see less help defenders. 

One of the reasons the 2024-25 Indiana Pacers ripped through the East was because they averaged 318 passes per game, which was 49.4 more than the next East team (Orlando Magic), and 70.7 more than the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Finals. The Pacers lost in the finale, but who knows what happens if Tyrese Haliburton doesn’t pop his Achilles tendon? (Count yourself lucky, Chet Holmgren.)

With the right buy in and coaching, this adjustment can be done without the players sacrificing much of their identities. 

2. Covering the 3-point line 

The paint will always be the heart of the defense, but the importance of the 3-point line increases each year as the average attempts rise. On top of that, with respect to past eras, this one is the hardest to guard in since lots of carrying violations never get called, which is a ridiculously unfair advantage, and there are more areas of the half-court to cover.

Coach Johnson explained to me at All-Star weekend in the scrum that some of the reasons for so many open to wide-open 3-point attempts come from offensive rebounds, transition and unscripted plays. Some stuff is almost impossible to help unless the team is going to be perfect in other areas.

Nonetheless, teams can save themselves about 10 points per game by defending in the half-court with more attention to detail, and the Spurs are no different. One of the big mistakes made league wide is the corner defender standing in no man’s land. When the pass is made to his man, most times either an open shot is taken, or the hard close out causes a breakdown. This can be avoided by letting the backline defender, in a lot of cases Wembanyama, take care of it. 

Additionally, drop coverage should be used only on players who aren’t threats outside of 10 feet from the rim. The second defender has to play at the level of the screen against dynamic scorers in case a switch has to be made on the perimeter. 

Better corner and screen-roll defense plus staying home at important moments, like the last five seconds of Game 4 of the Finals, are about trust. Being out of position doesn’t just lead to an open jumper for the other side as it can cause a straight line to the hoop, too. Doubles can’t happen in the last four-to-five minutes when it’s a tight game or they are trying to preserve a lead. 

And then there’s the cardinal sin: fouling 3-point shooters. One of the Spurs’ goals next season should be to commit the least amount of these. It’s such a serious concern that every player should be fined $1,000 every time they do it and double that in the playoffs. Those three 3-point fouls Harper, Castle and Fox committed on Brunson in the second half of Game 5 probably brought Spurs fans somewhere to their knees.

The Spurs will solve a great deal of the fouling part by staying down and keeping their arms vertical.  

3. More close range action for Wemby

Ok, fine. I’ve been spoiled by tapes of David Robinson and saw Tim Duncan. How can you blame me, especially when they have a real successor?

Wembanyama had big-time moments in the playoffs, but there is still work to be done. He shot 42.5 percent in the paint non-restricted area in the playoffs and made 28.3 percent of attempts outside of the lane in the Finals. He naturally plays like a taller Kevin Durant but some of the outside shots happened because his body isn’t strong enough yet to take advantage of guys like Karl-Anthony Towns and Mitchell Robinson.

Preferably, the strategy would be more post play when his body is ready, but to be clear, he doesn’t need to turn into Kareem Abdul-Jabbar. Yet, he should some day be good enough to where he can go to it as an adjustment and score a bucket every time.  

This could positively affect the teams passing because he’d be such a mismatch that he would unfasten coverages as soon as he catches it close, and then hit the open man on the move. Having this in the arsenal would help take him from a great player today to one for the ages.

Great post players are usually more dangerous on the second catch, and with his size advantage passing over the top, imagine Wembanyama getting the ball back while his defender isn’t looking. Shaquille O’Neal thrived in those moments created by the triangle offense.

This year, the Spurs’ post-up frequency was 1.7 percent in the playoffs. Unfortunately, the NBA’s tracking data for post-ups only goes as far back as 2015-16, but interestingly, the Spurs were first in frequency that season at 14.5 percent. They fell in round two to the Oklahoma City Thunder that year, but made the Western Conference Finals in 2016-17 against the overkill Golden State Warriors, while running nearly a third less post-ups. So, there are other avenues aside from the post to get Wemby more looks at close range, like getting him involved more at the elbow and nail, or using him at the dunker spot.

It doesn’t matter how it happens. He needs to impose his size more inside the arc.

The NBA draft is under a week away, which means we’re under two weeks away from one of the league’s most active transactional periods: the start of free agency on June 30th. While NBA insider Chris Haynes recently cast some doubt on this, Bucks co-owner Jimmy Haslam previously stated the Bucks would like to have Giannis’ future resolved by the draft. The Greek Freak can’t technically sign an extension until October, but if the Bucks tell him they’ll offer it once he’s eligible, then they can operate accordingly. If he signals acceptance, commit to having him in Milwaukee moving forward, and if he doesn’t, trade him for the best package. Or they could just not offer the extension at all and trade him.

The business implications of that move aside, the main basketball argument that makes the most sense for moving on is Giannis’ increasingly worrisome injury history. However, that may drive down offers from rivals, and is it worth trading your franchise legend for 75 cents on the dollar coming off an injury-plagued season? Alternatively, with a new coach in place and the assets to upgrade around Giannis, taking some pressure off him could negate his injury woes somewhat while also returning the Bucks to the playoffs.

That’s what we’re looking at today: how could GM Jon Horst revamp the roster while keeping Giannis, who we’ll assume would extend if Horst made another Jrue Holiday/Damian Lillard-type splash? They appear ready to do something, with or without the big fella: Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints said yesterday that he expects the Bucks to be “one of the most aggressive teams” on the trade market, though in the context of a Giannis trade. He also stated that Ryan Rollins is the only player on the roster off the table.

It’s possible that they’re looking at win-now moves as well as rebuilding ones. Everyone and their uncle has written about the latter, but few are talking about the former. The reality is that the Bucks have every capability of being a buyer this offseason with what they have on hand.

The Bucks’ assets

Once again, Horst has a bevy of first-round picks available to trade, despite every pick from 2027–31 being property of other teams after trades for the aforementioned guards. He can currently only offer his 2031 and 2032 first-round picks, but after the Bucks make their first-round pick at 10 overall next week, he can trade that player plus his first- and second-rounders in 2033. So, once any trade can be made official involving any of their 2026 or 2033 picks, Milwaukee’s best package of draft assets is three first-round picks and a swap.

Many fans are loath to give up additional firsts to acquire another star-level talent that will convince Giannis to extend, as he did in 2020 and 2023. And while the Bucks have succeeded in finding young talent on two-way deals recently, since drafting Donte DiVincenzo at 17 in 2018 (definitely a hit), they’ve had just two first-rounders since at 23 and 24 overall, both misses. It’s harder to find talent in that range, so the prevailing sentiment seems to be to hold onto the 10th pick.

That spot doesn’t often bring in a difference maker, but in this loaded draft, it seems likely Milwaukee will end up with someone quite promising. We spent a few weeks conducting a community mock draft with the Bucks selecting Michigan’s Yaxel Lendeborg with their 10th overall pick… if that’s where they’ll draft. One rumor says Milwaukee is operating as if they’ll have three firsts next week. For now, let’s go with what they can offer on draft night: a maximum of three first-round picks—including whoever is selected at 10 on behalf of a trade partner—and one first-round pick swap.

Recall that Lillard was obtained for one first and two swaps in 2023, plus Holiday. Holiday cost Milwaukee three firsts and two swaps in 2020, plus Eric Bledsoe and George Hill. Each of those players was necessary to make the deals legal. Though Milwaukee has similar draft capital available now as they did six years ago, those players had plenty of value when traded: Holiday and Bledsoe were both coming off All-Defense selections, while Hill led the NBA in three-point percentage.

The Bucks’ main salary-matching pieces—Kyle Kuzma and Bobby Portis—don’t hold that same value, at least not on the floor. But their contracts could both expire next summer: Portis can opt out in a year and hit the open market the same time as Kuzma. That has a different sort of value; one that might help the Bucks acquire draft picks, as I’ll explain tomorrow.

---

But again, these are the questions: do the Bucks touch their draft stockpile again for another big-time roster upgrade, especially if they decide to keep Giannis? If they open the pick cupboard, how much are they comfortable giving up? Will it be enough to return to the postseason picture next year?

First, let’s level set. You might recall that Houston sent out the very same no. 10 pick in last year’s draft in the Kevin Durant trade. They also traded away Jalen Green, Dillon Brooks, David Roddy, and five second-round picks. Durant was about to turn 37 and relatively healthy, so if you’re interested in Kawhi Leonard right now, I’d imagine the package would be similarly steep. Not to mention the Bucks would need to add AJ Green or Myles Turner alongside Kuzma and Portis to make the deal legal. Anyway, onto some better names…

Trey Murphy III

Here’s a longtime favorite of Bucks fans on trade machines. Reportedly, the Pelicans—who are without a first this year—are trying to acquire a lottery pick. And they have someone specific in mind who’s in the top-10 neighborhood. That should pique Milwaukee’s interest, because there’s a very real chance that whoever is selected 10th never becomes as good a player as Murphy, or the other players we’ll discuss.

New Orleans controls all of their future firsts, so they probably would prefer to trade future picks—and it may take a few—to get into this year’s lottery rather than trading from the roster. That means Horst might need to sweeten the pot. Kuzma’s expiring salary is enough to satiate trade rules, but is no. 10 enough for a sweet-shooting 26-year-old that averages 21 a game? If not, maybe swap rights on one of Milwaukee’s 2031–33 firsts does the trick.

Or perhaps New Orleans would like two picks in this year’s first round. I’ve written a bit about how Oklahoma City (who own no. 12 and 17) and Charlotte (no. 14 and 18) are who to call if Milwaukee wants to move down for multiple picks, and I’ve read OKC is interested in moving up. Sending no. 10 to the Thunder while the Bucks preserve their picks in 2031–33 and route two 2026 picks to the Pelicans might get a Murphy deal over the line. And get Giannis to sign on the dotted line in October.

Michael Porter Jr.

MPJ broke out last year in Brooklyn, and maybe his presence could also convince Giannis to extend. He was connected with several teams—never with the Bucks—around the deadline before the Nets decided to keep him. Now he’s on a $40.8m expiring contract, and could be eligible to extend with a team that acquires him after six months. Again, Portis plus Kuzma works, and saves Brooklyn $5.8m next year (not that they need it). But MPJ will likely have many suitors this offseason, and would the Nets, who have long had eyes for Giannis, want to do anything that keeps him a Buck? To convince them, I think no. 10 might be necessary, and hopefully not much more. They’d then have two top-10 picks on their roster next season.

Brandon Ingram, Lauri Markkanen, Franz Wagner

Packaging Kuzma and Portis would work as salary matching for Ingram, and if one of Trent/Harris/Prince opts in and is included, Markkanen. I imagine the latter would definitely require giving up a future first, though I don’t think either guy is worth no. 10. Plus, the on-court fit with Giannis isn’t as good. The only other player I’d group among the win-now acquisitions in this article is Wagner, but I don’t think Orlando is ready to call off their Wagner/Paolo Banchero frontcourt experiment yet, and Wagner played just 34 games last season.

---

Tomorrow, we’ll take a look at trades that won’t require the Bucks giving up picks, and would make at least some sense regardless of whether Giannis remains. But let’s close with a poll today to get your opinion on once again trading first-rounders. You can select multiple options, but obviously, don’t select any of the draft picks if you vote “none of the above.”

Knicks fans have waited a long time to see their team parade through the Canyon of Heroes, but on Thursday that dream has become reality.

As fans flooded the streets of lower Manhattan — many arriving in the very early morning hours — let's take a look a some of the top moments as the Knicks and their fans soak in their NBA title.

You can watch SNY's coverage of the parade here.

---

"I straight up cried."

Knicks fans tell @ChelseaSherrod how they reacts to OG Anunoby's game-winning tip-in in Game 4 of the NBA Finals pic.twitter.com/wdknDrCHYP

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) June 18, 2026

Mitchell Robinson is in his truck at the Knicks' parade 🔥 pic.twitter.com/NKHZvMSsAg

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) June 18, 2026

They're throwing a Victor Wembanyama doll around at the Knicks' parade 😭 pic.twitter.com/vzrGEbKSRH

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) June 18, 2026

City Hall is all dressed up to celebrate the champs.

All the 18 members of the Knicks roster have a banner 🧡💙

(A thread) pic.twitter.com/s5Dp7mYp17

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) June 18, 2026

THE LARRY O'BRIEN TROPHY IS HERE pic.twitter.com/ArIpOwsFQB

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) June 18, 2026

THE KING OF NEW YORK.

Jalen Brunson carries his daughter along the parade route pic.twitter.com/4euuGrWb7n

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) June 18, 2026

The ticker tape is ready. pic.twitter.com/wCuLJcSfbX

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) June 18, 2026

"MIKE MIKE MIKE!"

Mike Brown at the Knicks' parade in a "10 weeks" shirt pic.twitter.com/NI2h8QuS6k

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) June 18, 2026

Mitch and his truck 🔥 pic.twitter.com/yf2r0qzjqI

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) June 18, 2026

🚨 THE NBA CUP TROPHY HAS MADE IT TO THE PARADE 🚨 pic.twitter.com/VkdoLls2dh

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) June 18, 2026

Tyler Kolek confirmed that he is on the Knicks after an encounter with security at the parade 😭

(via @tyler_kolek, @bansky) pic.twitter.com/5Fksc9tHmB

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) June 18, 2026

THE NBA CHAMPION NEW YORK KNICKS TAKE THE STAGE AT CITY HALL pic.twitter.com/8pUQPPPWN4

— SNY Knicks (@sny_knicks) June 18, 2026

Today, New York City celebrates its champions, as the victory parade for the 2026 NBA champion Knicks will be held in Manhattan. It will be the culmination of a two-month long stretch of play, the likes of which New York has not seen from any of its teams in any of its sports in quite some time, as the squad steamrolled their way through the playoffs en route to their first championship since 1973. And just about everyone—from the longtime fans who have suffered through years of heartbreak and pain to the newbie fans joyfully jumping on the bandwagon—has been swept up in the mayhem of the Knicks and their unlikely march into the history books.

That includes many of us here at Amazin’ Avenue. Joe Sokolowski used the most recent This Week in Mets Quotes article to write a heartfelt treaty about experiencing the highs of this playoff run with his father. I first wrote about the Knicks when they were on the verge of clinching their way into the Finals and I didn’t really want to write an actual recap of another crappy Mets game. Then, prior to the beginning of the series against the Spurs, I wrote a more serious piece bemoaning the inability of the other blue and orange team we focus on around these parts to achieve the same kind of extended success that we’ve seen at Madison Square Garden over these past few years.

That latter article offered a somewhat more fatalistic outlook on how the success of the Knicks commented upon the failures (both new and old) of the Mets. And many of the feelings expressed therein are ones I still feel two weeks later. But now that the Knicks have finally reached the mountaintop, I think it’s only fair that I offer a culminating piece to this unofficial trilogy of mine—one that provides the more positive takeaway from all of this. Because if there’s one lesson I’ve learned from this Knicks run that I can take and apply to them, the Mets, and any other sports team that you or I may root for, it’s this: the pain and suffering is all worth it in the end.

I didn’t necessarily always know for sure if that statement would prove to be true. I speak as someone born in 1993, and I imagine my experiences mirror those of a lot of fans in my relative age range: those of us who were born too late to experience some of the great moments in our franchise’s histories, but also early enough that we have now spent decades of our lives waiting for our turn to finally know what it’s like to see our team win a championship. As a Mets/Jets/Knicks fan who has been consuming sports religiously for two decades now, the idea of actually seeing it happen has usually felt entirely unattainable, as the experience of rooting for my three primary teams was rooted almost solely in heartbreak. And when I allowed myself to dream about some distant future in which things actually broke our way for once, some part of me had to wonder: can the joy that I would experience in that hypothetical scenario actually make up for all the years I spent living with an entirely irrational level of stress and disappointment over the stumblings of these three teams?

Sure, I know the people who have actually gotten to see their squads win it all—including fans who are older than me and were around to see the 1969/1986 Mets, the 1970s Knicks, the 1968 Jets—would tell me that it would be worth it, but that was their experience; that doesn’t necessarily mean it would be mine. And of course, I would also think about the Red Sox and Cubs fans who lived full lives hoping that they would one day get to see their respective franchises’ curses lifted, the ones who died before seeing that dream realized. Some part of me had to wonder if I was destined to suffer a similar fate—not just for one of my teams, but for all three of them.

Well, the jury’s still out on the Mets and Jets, but as of June 13, 2026, I can now say that I have seen one of my teams win a championship. And I can now say that it was worth it. But I don’t really think that suffices. I think it’s important to really reflect on why it was worth it—because I think the specific reasons are different than what I might have imagined they would be when I first started watching sports as a 12-year-old boy and in the years to follow.

Like many, most of my sports fandoms were originally rooted in the people around me—my grandmother instilled my love for the Mets, and my father cursed me with Jets fandom (incidentally, the Knicks are the one team for whom I didn’t really have that initial outside influence, but I certainly wasn’t going to root for the Nets when their games aired on the same network as the goddamn Yankees). Still, for a large portion of my life, these fandoms were largely an isolated experience, something that offered small and brief periods of comfort while dealing with the deepest throes of depression and isolation. We don’t need to linger too much on these dark years—this is supposed to be a celebratory piece, after all—but suffice to say that during these times, there wasn’t a whole lot to look forward to, and not many people to share victories and (mostly) defeats with. The dream of a championship from one of my teams offered a small but meaningful reason to keep going, to keep struggling through the rough times. It was a dream destination that made the trials and tribulations of the journey just a little bit more bearable.

Over time, this changed—thanks in no small part to this very site and its community. I met the woman who would become my wife while we were both anonymous posters in the comments section (and subsequently got to indoctrinate her into Knicks fandom). I made several other friends from this site and through my participation on it who would form such a large basis of my consumption of sports. I no longer lived and died by these moments alone—now I got to share the joys and sorrows with others. And that did fundamentally change my relationship with sports, and all for the better.

And lord, there has been so much of that shared joy over these past few months—and not just with my friends and family. Living in Washington DC, I have spent most of this Knicks playoff run outside of the city in which the magic was happening. While there were obvious drawbacks to that, there was also the advantage of coming upon other Knicks fans in foreign waters and having those brief moments of recognition and acknowledgement of these fellow travelers. A large group of Knicks fans congregated in a bar in Arlington, Virginia during these playoff games, with the number of attendees rising higher and higher as the playoff run deepened until both the inner and outer areas of the establishment were filled wall-to-wall in a sea of orange and blue. All of these expatriates—people whose lineage hail from the greater New York area, whose lives have brought them to an entirely different area of the country but who still represent their roots through their fandoms—came together and experienced the thrills of a Knicks championship run with the only people in our corner of the world who could truly understand what it meant. My wife and I got to see some of the most memorable highlights of the playoff run in this setting—from the Eastern Conference Finals clincher to the dramatic Game 4 comeback against the Spurs, culminated by a tip-in basket by OG Anunoby which will live right up with the Buckner error in the pantheon of all-time great New York sports moments.

But still, nothing could quite compare to experiencing the joy of Knicks mania in New York City itself—something my wife and I did get to experience this past Saturday, the day the 53-year drought officially ended. We journeyed throughout Queens early in the day in our Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart jerseys and screamed “KNICKS IN 5” at virtually every single one of the dozens upon dozens of people who were also geared up in Knicks attire. And then there was the game itself, which we watched at Fifth Hammer Brewing Company in Long Island City amidst a massive crowd of fellow fans. Like every single game in the Finals, it was a tense affair in which the Knicks spent most of the game down by a lot and needed to fight tooth and nail to come back. But when the final whistle sounded and it was all over? Utter pandemonium ensued. The loudest cheers I’ve ever heard in my life. Some people cried. Some people hugged. Some people took their shirts off. Some people did a combination of all three. I mostly just stood there with my arms held up and a huge, stupid smile on my face, not quite able to believe that it had actually happened after all these years.

And later on, when we finally left to begin making the trek home, it was clear that the celebration was just getting started. Cars were honking. People in the streets were screaming and dancing. I took a selfie with a complete stranger. And when we entered the subway to head to Grand Central, the entire car was shaking with people cheering and banging the walls. The jubilation continued throughout our entire journey home, and it really hasn’t stopped in the days since then.

All of these moments—and countless more I don’t have the time or space to describe—were what made the wait worth it to me. It wasn’t necessarily just the vague sense of accomplishment one illogically feels when their team wins through no effort of one’s own—though that was there, of course. It was those communal moments of joy and connection, both with the people I already know and love and with the people I had never met before and probably will never meet again. It was the shared humanity that we all experienced, the feeling of being really and truly alive. Those kinds of moments are all too rare in life, and sports are one of the few things that are capable of giving them to us—particularly when the collective angst of a city is relieved through the end of a drought that many thought would live on forever. Mayor Zohran Mamdani perhaps put it best: “Oftentimes this kind of unity comes in moments of tragedy. And to see it coming now in a moment of joy, it’s something I’ve never seen before across our city.”

Right around now, someone reading this probably feels the need to remind me that, sir, this is a Mets website. And look: As meaningful as this Knicks championship was, and as much as I would love to one day see the Jets get there as well, the Mets have always been and will always be the team for whom I have the biggest emotional attachment. They are the Alpha and the Omega, and a prospective championship from them is my great white whale. New York City may never react as strongly to a sports victory as they did to this Knicks victory, but as for me, the Mets winning it all and ending their own lengthy title drought would give me a satisfaction that would know no equal. As fun as it was to convert my wife to Knicks fandom and experience their achievement with her, it would pale in comparison to being able to jointly celebrate a World Series victory for the team whose existence is the very reason we found each other.

And yet, there is still likely to be a journey of struggle and sadness to get to that point. There still exists the possibility that we may never get there. And many may still wonder if the wait will ever be worth that. But I personally will not wonder that anymore—because the Knicks showed me that it is. Whether you are just as big a Knicks fan as I am, an innocent bystander, or anything in between, hopefully you were able to examine what this team was able to accomplish for this city, and hopefully you came to the same conclusion that I did.

The New York Knicks are the 2026 NBA champions, which is a sentence that still feels a little strange to type, even after watching the confetti fall and Karl-Anthony Towns finally get his hands on the Larry O’Brien Trophy. After 53 years of waiting, after decades of false starts, front-office chaos, tabloid drama, and Madison Square Garden turning into the world’s most famous therapy session, the Knicks finally reached the top of the mountain. For Wolves fans, there was something satisfying about seeing KAT standing there at the center of it all. He was no longer the guy who couldn’t quite get over the hump, no longer the talented big man forever followed by questions about postseason winning, but a champion.

Towns becoming the latest former Timberwolves cornerstone to win a title elsewhere could easily send Wolves Nation into a dark corner. We have seen this song before. Kevin Garnett gave Minnesota everything he had, left, and won a championship in Boston. Kevin Love put up monster numbers in Minnesota, left, and won a championship in Cleveland. Now Towns, two years removed from being traded out of Minneapolis, has joined them. If you wanted to be miserable about it, nobody would stop you. You could turn the whole thing into another chapter in the franchise’s long-running book of “Why Can’t We Have Nice Things?”

But that would be the wrong lesson to take from this.

The better lesson is that the NBA has changed. New York’s title marks the eighth straight season in which a different team has hoisted the Larry O’Brien Trophy. Eight years, eight champions. That is not how this league used to work. Historically, the NBA has been the sport of dynasties, superstars, and teams that grabbed the wheel and refused to let anyone else drive for half a decade. The 1990s belonged to Michael Jordan and the Bulls. The early 2000s belonged to Shaq, Kobe, Duncan, and the Spurs. Then LeBron bent the league around his will for more than a decade, while the Warriors arrived and turned basketball into a three-point fever dream. For most of NBA history, parity was something the league pretended to want while the same three or four teams passed the trophy around like a family heirloom.

The 2020s have been different. There has been no repeat champion. There has been no unstoppable machine that simply shows up every June because the rest of the league has already accepted its fate. Instead, the championship has gone to teams that found the right mix at the right time, stayed healthy enough, caught a heater, survived the attrition, and threaded the needle through a league that has become more balanced, more fragile, and more unforgiving than ever. The second apron has made it harder to stack rosters without consequences. Injuries have mattered. Matchups have mattered. Timing has mattered. The champion has not always been the team that looked most inevitable in January. It has been the team that was still standing, still connected, and still dangerous when the lights got brightest.

That should matter to Timberwolves fans, because it is very easy right now to talk yourself into despair. The Wolves were eliminated by San Antonio in the second round after back-to-back trips to the Western Conference Finals, and the ending did not exactly inspire a lot of confidence. It was not just that Minnesota lost. It was the way the Wolves lost. Victor Wembanyama looked like the future had arrived ahead of schedule, and the Spurs looked like a team that might spend the next decade ruining everyone else’s plans. Oklahoma City, meanwhile, is still sitting out West with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, a back-to-back MVP, a title of its own, and enough draft capital to classify Sam Presti as a hoarder. If you want to look at the Thunder and Spurs and decide the Wolves’ championship window is already closing, the argument is sitting right there waiting for you.

But this is where the Knicks’ title should jolt everyone back to reality. If eight teams can win in eight years, if the NBA has truly entered an era where the trophy is no longer reserved for dynasties and preordained superteams, then why exactly are we acting like Minnesota has no path? Why are we treating Oklahoma City and San Antonio like immovable monuments instead of extremely talented teams that still have to survive the same brutal playoff minefield as everyone else? Why are we assuming that the Wolves, with Anthony Edwards not yet in his prime, a talented core around him, and a front office that has already shown a willingness to be aggressive, are somehow locked out of the conversation?

Why not the Wolves?

That is not blind homerism. That is not pretending the roster is perfect or ignoring what happened against San Antonio. It is simply acknowledging the reality of the current NBA. The Wolves have what every team in the league spends years trying to find: a true superstar. Anthony Edwards is not a theoretical franchise player anymore. He is the franchise. He is the kind of player who changes the trajectory of a team’s future, the kind of player who gives you permission to think bigger than “maybe we can win a round.” He has already been through real playoff wars. He has already stared down Kevin Durant, Nikola Jokic, LeBron James, Luka Doncic, SGA, and Wembanyama. He has taken hits. He has played hurt. He has failed. He has learned. And he is still climbing.

That last part is the most important part. Edwards is not some veteran star with one last clean shot at a championship before the window slams shut. He is still approaching his prime, still refining the balance between scoring and playmaking, still learning how to control a playoff series possession by possession. If the Wolves had a 29-year-old Edwards and had just watched their best chance slip away, maybe the panic would feel more justified, but that is not where they are. They are building around a superstar who should be better next year, and the year after that, and the year after that.

Around him, the Wolves still have a core that is much better than the mood of the fan base currently suggests. Julius Randle can be maddening at times, and the anti-Randle bandwagon has filled up so quickly it probably needs a second bus. The San Antonio series was not good enough. The OKC series the year before was not good enough. There are fair questions about whether he can be the reliable second option the Wolves need when the playoffs tighten and the margins shrink, but we also should not pretend that peak Julius does not exist. When Randle is engaged, decisive, attacking downhill, and using his gravity to create for others, he gives Minnesota a level of offensive force that is difficult to replace. We have seen stretches where Edwards and Randle together make the Wolves look like a title-level offense. The problem is not that Randle cannot help a championship team. The problem is figuring out whether the Wolves can consistently get the version of him that does.

Rudy Gobert remains a Defensive Player of the Year-level anchor, and while his limitations will always create debate in certain playoff matchups, the Wolves are not the Wolves without the foundation he provides. Jaden McDaniels is still the kind of defensive bulldog every contender wants, a wing who can swallow up elite scorers, tilt a series with his length, and occasionally remind everyone that there is more offensive juice in there than he always shows. Naz Reid is a luxury most teams would love to have, a floor-spacing big who can bomb away from deep, attack mismatches, and swing games when he catches fire. Ayo Dosunmu showed enough after arriving to make you believe there is real playoff value there, especially when you remember that this is a guy who dropped 43 points in a postseason game and gave Minnesota a burst of creation and confidence when injuries had gutted the rotation.

That is a real group. It is not flawless, but nobody in this league has a flawless group anymore. That is the entire point. The champion Knicks had holes. The Spurs had holes. The Thunder had holes. Every contender has something that keeps its fans awake at night. That is life in the second-apron NBA. The question is no longer whether you can build a perfect roster. You cannot. The question is whether you can build a roster with enough high-end talent, enough matchup flexibility, enough health, and enough belief to survive four rounds when everyone else is dealing with their own problems.

The Wolves’ playoff loss to San Antonio was disappointing, but it also needs to be viewed with some perspective. Minnesota was not close to whole. Edwards was playing on two bad knees and was clearly limited. Donte DiVincenzo was sidelined with an Achilles tear, removing a player whose shooting, toughness, and connective tissue would have mattered enormously. Dosunmu was banged up. Naz was dealing with a shoulder issue. This was not the Wolves at their apex. This was a compromised version of the roster trying to solve one of the hardest puzzles in basketball, and even then Minnesota took two games and reached a 2-2 tie before the wheels came off. That does not mean the Wolves were secretly the better team. They were not. San Antonio deserved to advance. But it does mean the gap is not some uncrossable canyon unless you choose to see it that way.

The point guard issue remains the biggest flashing red light, and if Tim Connelly does nothing else this offseason, he has to address it. We have beaten this topic into sawdust already, but it remains true. Minnesota needs another player who can handle the ball, organize the offense, create a shot, and take pressure off Edwards. That is why the Kyrie Irving idea keeps lingering in the background. It is risky, complicated, and not without plenty of reasons to hesitate, but the basketball logic is obvious. A player like Kyrie would give the Wolves a level of late-clock creation and half-court shot-making they sorely missed when defenses loaded up on Edwards. He would change the shape of the offense. He would make opponents pay for sending extra bodies at Ant. And if the price is Randle, or a Randle-centered deal, you at least have to explore whether that recalibrates the roster in a way that makes Minnesota more dangerous.

At the same time, this is where Connelly has to be careful. The Knicks just won a title, but that does not mean the lesson is “panic trade for the flashiest name possible.” It means the lesson is that the right team at the right time can break through. Sometimes that requires a major move. Sometimes it requires patience. Sometimes it requires the move you do not make. Randle may be the clearest path to changing the roster, but moving him only makes sense if the return actually solves a problem and raises the ceiling. Trading him just because fans are frustrated would be the kind of reactive decision that bad franchises make. The Wolves are no longer supposed to be that franchise.

DiVincenzo’s injury complicates everything. Maybe 2026-27 is the year Minnesota is one player short because DDV is rehabbing a torn Achilles. Maybe he returns late and is not quite himself. Maybe he is not truly back until 2027-28. That is a real blow, because his shooting and competitiveness were exactly the sort of traits that translate in the postseason. But even that should not turn next season into title-or-bust hysteria. This is not a one-year chase. This is a multi-year fight through Edwards’ prime.

That is why the proper response to the Knicks winning the title is not jealousy. It is not fatalism. It is not panic. It is belief sharpened by urgency. New York just showed what can happen when a talented team catches the moment and a franchise with decades of baggage finally stops acting like history gets a vote. The Wolves have baggage too. Nobody needs to remind this fan base of that. Garnett had to leave to win. Love had to leave to win. Towns just left to win. It is tempting to turn that into a curse, to treat Minnesota as the place where stars are forged for someone else’s parade.

But Edwards gives the Wolves a chance to change that story.

He is the difference. He is the reason this does not have to become another chapter in the same old book. The Wolves have the superstar. They have the core. They have the defensive infrastructure. They have enough talent to be dangerous. They need the right adjustment, better health, more consistency, and a little bit of the timing that every champion needs. That is not some impossible formula. That is how teams win in this era.

So take a deep breath, Wolves fans. The Thunder are scary. The Spurs are scary. Wembanyama might spend the next decade making everyone feel like they are playing NBA2K on the wrong difficulty level. Oklahoma City might have enough picks to keep adding reinforcements until 2047. Acknowledge it, respect it, and then stop acting like the Wolves should be terrified.

Eight champions in eight years tells us this league is open. It tells us the next team is not predetermined. It tells us that if you have a superstar, a real core, a smart front office, and the courage to keep pushing, you have a chance.

The Knicks got theirs. KAT got his. Good for him. Truly.

Now the Wolves need to chase theirs.

Eight teams. Eight years.

Why not nine?

Why not us?

Will we finally land on Earth when we watch the New York Knicks on parade later today?

Don’t bet on it, cause this championship still feels surreal, and it will take a minute to digest it in full.

Here’s the latest before we move on to watch things unfold at the Canyon of Heroes.

Jalen Brunson on LinkedIn:

“Winning an NBA Championship with the New York Knicks is everything I ever dreamed of. The fans, the city, this organization…This is why I came to New York.

I'm so proud of this team. No matter the situation, we never stopped believing in each… pic.twitter.com/v4vnTkjXhU

— New York Basketball (@NBA_NewYork) June 18, 2026

Jalen Brunson

On the season that was:

“Winning an NBA Championship with the New York Knicks is everything I ever dreamed of. The fans, the city, this organization… This is why I came to New York.

“I’m so proud of this team. No matter the situation, we never stopped believing in each other or lost sight of our goal.

“With enough work and enough belief, your dreams are possible, and you can overcome any obstacle. Whatever it is in life, believe that you belong.

“People might disagree, but let that strengthen your belief because with hard work, preparation, and the right mindset, anything is possible.

“I can’t wait to celebrate with my family, my teammates, the city of New York, and everyone who’s been here from day one. We don’t win this championship without you!

“I also look forward to continuing to support other people’s dreams through my work with the Second Round Foundation, where our mission is helping young people determine their own success no matter where they come from.

“It is important to me to support the under-resourced, under-represented, and under-estimated, and to ensure that they have the tools, guidance, and belief they need to achieve their dreams.

“Thank you, New York. I am forever grateful. And always remember… The Magic is in the Work.”

ANOTHER ROOMMATES EXCLUSIVE 👀‼️@BenStiller reveals his upcoming Knicks NBA Championship documentary! pic.twitter.com/nJ8QJBGCna

— Roommates Show (@Roommates__Show) June 17, 2026

Karl-Anthony Towns

On bringing the championship trophy to the Dominican Republic:

“It’s awesome that our country is being shown to the world at the highest standard, and everyone is being able to see how amazing the Dominican Republic really is.

“I’m bringing the trophy over there. We’re taking it all over. Yessir, l’m gonna bring it to Santiago, Santo Domingo, Casa de Campo, La Romana … We’re gonna have a li’l world tour with it. But it’s great that Dominicans all around the world get to celebrate this moment.”

On the Knicks’ versatility in the Finals:

“It speaks volumes about this team, how versatile and the depth of our team.”

On winning Game 5 with defense:

“It’s crazy, for all of us, me personally, you would have thought for us winning, it would have to be my offense that goes to another level. But it was the defense that got it done in Game 5 for me.”

On proving himself defensively:

“Something that’s always been talked about me and my defense, and I’m glad I got to show the world on the biggest stage that I could get it done.”

On tiring out opponents mentally:

“It’s not only, as you know, the game is already physically tiring, but if you add the mental component as well and have them thinking the whole game, it makes them even more tired and allows for more opportunities for us to get better looks.”

On the Knicks’ ball movement and revamped offense:

“I think what you can do when you do move the ball and allow the IQ to flow and the ball to flow is you allow great shots to happen, especially when you’re touching the paint or having movement on the offense and allowing the defense to make a mistake, instead of us having to make a tough shot or a great shot. I’ve always loved passing, and it’s always one of my greatest joys is getting my teammates an assist and allowing them to see them succeed.

“It’s truly, for me, better than hitting a great shot, because when you make a shot, only one person is happy, but when you get an assist, two people are happy. I think that’s a recipe for success, when everyone is really feeling good about themselves.”

James Dolan says there’s “no reason” to consider selling the team, even if Elon Musk offered to buy it, due to the team’s skyrocketing valuation.

"No, I don't think we're going to sell the team… The stock of the team has gone up dramatically."

(Via @fox5ny) pic.twitter.com/mfSr4khh4u

— NBA Base (@TheNBABase) June 17, 2026

James Dolan

On potentially selling the Knicks if Elon Musk comes calling:

“No, I don’t think we’re going to sell the team. We’ve been at this a long time, and I’m going to enjoy this team. (And) the stock of the team has gone up dramatically in the last year, but there’s really no reason for us to consider any of that. I think we’re just going to consider repeating.”

On his refusal to enter cross the second apron line:

“We cannot go into the second apron. We’re willing to stretch, but there’s certain things in the NBA that you’d have to be suicidal to do. One of them is the second apron. But that’s up to Leon. I just tell him how big a cheque I can write. I’ll write as big of a check as possible, but I can’t write a check into the second apron.”

On whether or not the Knicks will bring back all their current players:

“First of all, most of our guys are on a contract. A couple of guys are not. If we could bring back the whole team, why wouldn’t you? But I don’t think we’ll be able to.”

On the White House invitation:

“We just did receive an invitation from the White House, which we accepted. We still have to figure out the details, et cetera, but yes, of course. Look, I invited the president to come down for the game. He is a friend. I’ve known him for 30 years and I’m very proud to bring the team to the White House.”

Iconic streetball brand AND1 officially welcomes NBA champion and New York native Jose Alvarado to the company.@AlvaradoJose15 x @AND1basketball 📄✍️

(Voiced by the legendary Bobbito Garcia aka @koolboblove) pic.twitter.com/IsGg5njttN

— Nick DePaula (@NickDePaula) June 17, 2026

Jose Alvarado

On a potential White House visit:

“If there’s a chance, I’m going wherever my teammate goes.”

NY rapper and legend @FatJoe shares who will be on his star-studded hip-hop float for the Knicks' championship parade 🤩 pic.twitter.com/lzDiccT2PG

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) June 17, 2026

Zohran Mamdani

On the championship parade:

“From a playoff run that left New Yorkers breathless to a tip-in that will be talked about for decades, the Knicks have earned a hero’s welcome.”

On the significance of the moment:

“We have dreamed of this moment for generations. This Thursday, our city will rise to the occasion.”

my champs😭❤️ pic.twitter.com/kmjgwEjZat

— ale (@0sdonte) June 17, 2026

Jazz Chisholm Jr.

On celebrating with the Knicks:

“It was cool. The emotions were still there, everybody was still feeling it. I have a lot of guys on the Knicks, we support each other and we know each other and we show love to each other all the time. Brunson, KAT, Hart, OG was in there. It was just cool to go in and hang out with some champions and give you that feeling of you want to win that championship, too, and celebrate like the way they are.”

On talking with Jalen Brunson:

“Hearing stories about the game and how his emotions were in the game and how he was going through it day by day. It was sick. How he was feeling through it, how his emotions were going. What was his mindset? I mean, he’s the leader of a championship team, so you always want to try and take in what you can to kind of help your guys do what he did with his guys.”

On New York’s reaction to the title:

“The city’s reaction was amazing, and what’s we want to bring to the city. That’s what you want to be remembered by is winning a championship and being remembered by New York forever.”

Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart toss out first pitches at Yankee Stadium after securing the New York Knicks' first NBA championship in 53 years 😤 pic.twitter.com/V7eFvdriys

— MLB (@MLB) June 17, 2026

Aaron Boone

On the Knicks’ championship run:

“It’s just been a captivating run that they’ve been on and with a group that’s now been together for a couple of years and then on top of the 53 years since a championship, it’s been a great story and a fanbase that has come to know several of these guys as they’ve kind of climbed that ladder to ultimately winning a championship. What a fun team to get behind and just the story of that team and how it’s kind of come together over the last couple of years and just a lot of grit, a lot of mental fortitude and to see the fanbase and then some galvanized around that club has been a lot of fun to witness.”

On the legacy of this Knicks team:

“So I think it’ll be one of the historic teams that we talk about when it comes to the NBA.”

On the Knicks parade:

“I know [Thursday’s] just going to be otherworldly as far as a parade goes.”

‘26 knicks lore thread 💙🧡

all of the funniest moments of our beloved comedy basketball team in their championship year, mostly chronological with some pre-season lore at the beginning (tysm to all my oomfs who helped me gather all these clips) pic.twitter.com/vskLR0rf22

— non-binary finals mvp jalen brunson (@budgetzendaya) June 18, 2026

Stephon Marbury

On his advice for Knicks fans attending the parade:

“We haven’t won in 53 years. If you think you going to come to the parade and you’re going to mess it up… don’t do it.”

On Victor Wembanyama shoving Jalen Brunson:

“If he ever in his life thought that it was okay to mush somebody from New York, I’m going to be the first person standing there to let him know that it’s not going down like that. You laughed and you smiled. All New Yorkers were mad because you touched the King of the North. Until you say sorry publicly, you got to make a public apology.”

A pissed off Joe budden says Karl Anthony towns is from jersey and Mitchell Robinson has that country strength that fake tough guy stuff victor Wembanyama was doing to Chet Holmgren wasn’t going to work they were man handling that little French dude https://t.co/tZSSF7dm6zpic.twitter.com/tArkBkWO3W

— joebuddenclips/fanpage (@Thechat101) June 17, 2026

Rick Pitino

On what teams can learn from the Knicks:

“The Knicks should teach every team from high school to college how important work ethic and chemistry are. Besides having the best player in the NBA this year, they had an attitude of never relenting, and never giving up.”

On the Knicks title:

“Amazing run. Champions we can all look up to!”

"He was soft and he was scared." 🫢@KendrickPerkins sounds off on Victor Wembanyama's NBA Finals performance.

(via Yahoo Sports Daily) pic.twitter.com/oXEbMUghwM

— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) June 17, 2026

Kendrick Perkins

On all-bark-not-bite Victor Wembanyama:

“Wemby was soft… let’s keep it real, he was soft and he was scared, especially in the big moments. He did a whole lot of barking in the interviews, but he did no biting whatsoever.”

On advice for Wembanyama:

“If I’m in the locker room and they bring me in, the first thing I’m going to do is actually tell him to embrace being the big man first with guard skills.”

On the Spurs’ defensive adjustments:

“After Game 1 and Game 2, they made an adjustment and started hiding Wemby so that he didn’t have to guard Karl-Anthony Towns. We’re talking about the Defensive Player of the Year… you’re [7 foot 5], you can be the most dominant player in the league by just embracing being a big man.”

Matt Barnes admits that Mike Brown proved him wrong then says he was wrong about Jalen Brunson via @allthesmokeprodpic.twitter.com/zcWZkXMJbn

— 2Cool2Blog (@2Cool2Blog) June 17, 2026

Matt Barnes

On comparing Jalen Brunson to all-time great small guards but stopping short of giving him proper kudos:

“It’s tough because we’re looking at guys that have a career of work. What’s Brunson in year 6-7? Allen Iverson, I’ve heard this debate: Is he better than A.I.? Is he a better scorer than A.I.? It’s different because A.I.‘s era was a 7-footer in the paint every night. He’s not gonna be outside the paint, and you have to score over him. Plus, the two guys who are guarding you.”

"Oh, you mean the participation trophy?"

ESPN's Vincent Goodwill calls the Larry O'Brien Trophy a 'participation trophy" after the NBA crowned its eight champion in the last eight years. pic.twitter.com/bPBLc4sSaf

— New York Post Sports (@nypostsports) June 16, 2026

Vincent Goodwill

On the current NBA landscape:

“Dynasty is better for the sport. I like to know that greatness is validated. How we do know that any of the last eight champions are actually validated because they have not done it again? Giannis [Antetokounmpo] is itching to get out [of Milwaukee,] Boston is thinking about trading Jaylen Brown, they don’t believe in their one championship. LeBron [James’] one championship in L.A. was not enough. So why would it be enough for us?”

“Now, you’re legislating parity. The owners are saying you aren’t allowed to be great for an extended period of time. (The Larry O’Brien) is a participation trophy.”

Alan Hahn

On the meaning of the NBA championship:

“The validation is the Larry O’Brien trophy that I put on that shelf, and it stays there forever. That’s the validation. The Larry O’Brien is an actual trophy.”

When Kevin Durant went to Brooklyn in 2019, it forced Jim Dolan to tear it all down and consider a new, unorthodox approach to rebuilding the Knicks. He hired Leon Rose, an agent at CAA, and he gave him and William Wesley the keys to the castle.

Here's @WindhorstESPN on my pod. pic.twitter.com/O6CFuLIlyz

— Peter Schrager (@PSchrags) June 17, 2026

Brian Windhorst

On Kevin Durant inadvertently leading the Knicks to a title:

“Here’s sort of the order of things if I look from 30,000 feet and sort of sketch it. The Knicks were banking everything on getting Kevin Durant in 2019. He didn’t come, and then later basically said the Knicks were uncool.”

On James Dolan’s response to the KD debacle:

“The idea that would be said was a gut punch to Jim Dolan. So he went out and hired the combination of Leon Rose and Wes Wesley. One of them is the savvy negotiator, dealmaker, and one of them is the relationship guy with players.”

On the Knicks’ front office:

“The secret sauce was Jim Dolan, believe it or not, understanding, ‘I got to get a different type of executive because it’s not working.’ And then those executives leveraging what they knew.”

Lou Williams wants Wemby's "a**hole" side should be paid as much attention as the praise he gets 👀

"I don't care if he shakes hands or not. If he's a jerk, let it be known 'I'm a jerk.'" 🗣️@MichelleDBeadle | @boogiecousins | @ChandlerParsons | @TeamLou23pic.twitter.com/ZgV0hfg0AQ

— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) June 15, 2026

Michelle Beadle

On the Knicks fans’ criticism of Victor Wembanyama:

“One of my favorite things that’s come out of all this is the crying that has occurred because it appeared Wemby didn’t shake the hands of the Knicks afterward, and now we don’t like that. ‘It’s arrogant, he’s a bad guy,’ there’s a lot of Knicks doing that to whom I respond, go burn something else down and maybe worry about what’s classy and what’s not.”

Cam’ron was FIGHTING for his life trying not to say “pause” after Stephen A. Smith said the most sus thing live on TV 🤣🤣💀 pic.twitter.com/XusbpppxNL

— Killa 🌺 (@KillaKreww) June 17, 2026

Luis Abinader (DR President)

On Karl-Anthony Towns’ championship with the Knicks:

“I want to congratulate you for all your success, and really the Dominican Republic is very proud.”

On Jacqueline Cruz-Towns:

“Your mother has to be very proud of you in Heaven, looking at you.”

On the Dominican Republic’s pride:

“As well as all the country, all the Dominicans are very proud of you, of your success.”

This will go down as the best World Cup 2026 interview. pic.twitter.com/9VvOyelXwI

— Anonymous (@YourAnonNews) June 17, 2026

Draymond Green is kind of nuts when he’s working, but no one can deny that he’s an incredibly smart basketball player. He’s built a career as a 6-6 center, at least on defense, something we don’t think anyone has done since Wes Unseld. And while the Warriors have occasionally had big men, as they now have 7-2 Kristaps Porzingis, Green has played the post for most of his career and will probably do it at times again next season.

So while at times he can seem loony (like when he compared himself to Charles Barkley recently), when he opines on a younger player, you should listen.

And in this case, since he’s talking about former Blue Devil Cameron Boozer, Duke fans will be interested. Here’s what he said:

“Cam Boozer is probably a 20 [points] and 10 [rebounds] guy from the time he walks in [to the NBA]. He wins and he’s fundamentally sound.

“Tim Duncan never had to blow you through the roof, yet he was so great. He’s one of the greatest players we’ve ever seen. And I think that was Tim Duncan. And you look at Cam Boozer, he has a similar thing. Not saying Cam Boozer is going to be Tim Duncan. I don’t know that.

Tim Duncan’s the greatest power forward we’ve ever seen play. But what I’m saying, there’s no wow to it. It’s just results after results after results after results.”

That kind of sums it up, but he missed a key strength: first, his teams tend to win, and second, people seem to always miss his passing, because Boozer is a tremendous passer. He’s not Larry Bird, making passes over his shoulder or without looking, but like everything else in Boozer’s game, his fundamentals are impeccable, and he’s strong as hell.

Most teams will find that useful.

Speaking of Boozer, there are strong rumors now that the Utah Jazz are genuinely torn on who to take with the #2 pick. They like AJ Dybantsa and Darryn Peterson, but Boozer has apparently made an impression as well.

Go to the DBR Boards to find Blue Healer Auctions || Drop us a line