After 53 years of waiting, the Knicks are finally world champions again.

They took down four teams — the Hawks, 76ers, Cavaliers and Spurs — in a brilliant postseason fueled by grit, dominance and perseverance.

Here’s a round-by-round look at how they did it:

Eastern Conference first round

Opponent: Atlanta Hawks

Outcome: Knicks win series, 4-2

Leaders:

Jalen Brunson (26.3 ppg, 6.2 apg, 37.8 3P%)
OG Anunoby (21.5 ppg, 8.7 rpg, 1.2 bpg, 56.7 3P%)
Karl-Anthony Towns (18.7 ppg, 11.3 rpg, 6.0 apg)

How it happened:

The Knicks faced their biggest test right away. They trailed the Hawks two games to one after a pair of one-point setbacks in Games 2 and 3. Atlanta guard CJ McCollum was torching them, averaging 27 points through the first three games of the series.

Ahead of a pivotal Game 4 in Atlanta, reserve guard Miles McBride sounded the alarm.

“I’d say we’re playing for our lives,” he said.

The Knicks responded by reeling off three straight victories to win the series. It started with coach Mike Brown making a major tweak to the offense. With Brunson being hounded by standout Hawks guard Dyson Daniels, the Knicks started running offense through Towns. He notched a triple-double in Game 4 — the first of his playoff career — in a 16-point win.

The Knicks won the final two games of the series by a combined 80 points. In the clincher, they set an NBA playoff record for the largest halftime lead of 47 points, going on to win by a whopping 51. The entire starting five reached double figures on a night the Knicks shot a scalding 59 percent from the field. It also included a Mikal Bridges breakout. Amid calls for Bridges to be benched, Brown stuck with the struggling veteran wing, and he rewarded him with a 24-point performance on 10-for-12 shooting. It started a torrid stretch for Bridges and the Knicks, who wouldn’t lose again until the NBA Finals.

“He just did what he’s capable of doing,” Brown said. “Is he gonna go 10-for-12 every night? No. But he was aggressive. Took great shots. I wouldn’t let it go unnoticed that his defense was phenomenal.”

Eastern Conference semifinals

Opponent: Philadelphia 76ers

Outcome: Knicks win series, 4-0

Leaders:

Jalen Brunson (29.0 ppg, 6.0 apg, 44.8 3P%
Mikal Bridges (17.5 PPG, 3.5 rpg, 3.5 apg, 38.5 3P%)
Karl-Anthony Towns (15.5 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 7.5 apg, 1.3 bpg)

How it happened:

This series was never close. The 76ers’ lack of depth combined with a short turnaround after a grueling seven-game series victory over the Celtics gave them no shot. Only one of the four games was decided by single digits — the Knicks’ six-point Game 2 victory – and even that was never really considered in doubt. A hobbled Joel Embiid created major defensive issues for Philadelphia that the Knicks took advantage of. They won the four contests by an average of 22.2 points.

The most interesting part of the series was the final two games in Philly. Ahead of the matchup, Embiid implored 76ers fans to not sell their tickets, to avoid a repeat of two years prior when Knicks fans took over Xfinity Mobile Arena (then Wells Fargo Center). His plea fell on deaf ears.

Game 4 sounded like Madison Square Garden. Embiid heard boos during warmups.

Afterward, a giddy Josh Hart joked: “I used to think Philly was a sports town. I don’t know if it is anymore.”

Said 76ers guard Tyrese Maxey: “It absolutely sucks, if I’m being honest. It just sucks.”

There wasn’t much for 76ers fans to cheer about. The Knicks won the series finale by 30 points, 144-114, and equaled an NBA playoff record with 25 3-pointers.

The series also showed off their depth. Anunoby suffered a mild hamstring strain late in Game 2 and missed the last two games. It didn’t matter. McBride and Landry Shamet stepped up in his place. Shamet, buried on the bench before Anunoby’s injury, exploded for 15 points in Game 3 and McBride drained seven 3-pointers in Game 4.

“I always feel like I’m going to make shots,” McBride said. “I trust my work, trust my preparation. They left me open.”

Eastern Conference finals

Opponent: Cleveland Cavaliers

Outcome: Knicks win series, 4-0

Leaders:

Jalen Brunson (25.5 ppg, 7.8 apg, 3.3 rpg)
Mikal Bridges (18.5 PPG, 4.3 rpg, 2.8 apg)
Karl-Anthony Towns (15.8 ppg, 12.0 rpg, 4.0 apg)
Josh Hart (14.3 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 5.5 apg)

How it happened:

The series was really decided by Game 1. With a nine-day layoff, the Knicks were rusty. The Cavaliers took advantage, building a 22-point lead early in the fourth quarter. Cleveland seemed on its way to stealing home-court advantage. Then, Brunson slipped on his Superman cape.

The Knicks’ captain rallied them from down 22 in the final 7:52 of regulation, finishing with 38 points. He relentlessly attacked Cavaliers All-Star James Harden during an 18-1 run, and the Knicks dominated overtime. The win marked the Knicks’ eighth straight playoff victory. It was also the first time in the play-by-play era (1997 and on) that a team that trailed by 20 or more points in the final seven minutes of the fourth quarter had ever won.

The Cavaliers never recovered, blasted in the final three games by a combined 66 points. There was a different Knicks star in every game. Brunson owned the first game, Josh Hart was terrific in Game 2 — he made five 3-pointers and scored 26 points – Anunoby and Bridges shared the spotlight in Game 3 and the bench took over the finale, scoring 58 points in a 37-point romp.

Like Philadelphia, Knicks fans took over Cleveland to see their team advance to the NBA Finals for the first time in 27 years. The playoff win streak was now at 11, and 10 of those victories had come by at least 11 points.

“To be part of this team that revives the word ‘hope’ in this city, it’s something special,” Towns said. “It’s something really, really special. And it’s an honor.”

NBA Finals

Opponent: San Antonio Spurs

Outcome: Knicks win series, 4-1

Leaders:

Jalen Brunson (32.6 ppg, 4.6 apg, 38.9 3P%)
OG Anunoby (21.2 ppg, 4.8 pg, 1.4 bpg, 50.0 3P%)
Karl-Anthony Towns (13.0 ppg, 10.6 rpg, 2.4 apg)

How it happened:

The Spurs started fast and the Knicks finished faster. That was this series in a nutshell. In all four wins, the Knicks trailed by double digits and were behind late in the fourth quarter. It included a Finals-record comeback from 29 points down in the third quarter of Game 4. It included the Knicks becoming the third road team in Finals history to win the first two games of the series, along with the 1993 Bulls and 1995 Rockets.

It included Brunson proving all his critics wrong, that he was good enough to be the star of a championship team despite all the questions about his limitations. He poured in 38 points in that Game 4 rally, then scored 45 more in the clincher en route to MVP honors.

Anunoby had the biggest play of the series – arguably the biggest play in franchise history — with his flying tip-in of a Brunson miss with 1.2 seconds left, capping that iconic Game 4 comeback. It saved the Knicks from a 2-0 series lead becoming 2-2, a win that will stand alone among the 16 it took to end a 53-year drought.

“That has to be the most iconic shot in the history of New York basketball,” Brown said.

The Spurs entered the betting favorite after eliminating the defending champion Thunder. They had the superhuman Victor Wembanyama and two of the brightest young guards in the league in Dylan Harper and Stephon Castle. But the Knicks had experience, and they had Jalen Brunson. That won out in the end, as the Knicks won all three games in San Antonio at Frost Bank Center.

“I’m sorry it took so long but here we are,” owner James Dolan said, “and hopefully it won’t take that long again.”

The NBA season is officially over, and the rest of the league is finally catching up to where the Phoenix Suns have been for the past month and a half: the offseason.

We currently find ourselves in that two-week window between the conclusion of the NBA Finals and the start of free agency, a period in which teams can begin conversations with their own restricted and unrestricted free agents as they lay the groundwork for the 2026-27 season. For the Suns, that means turning their attention toward roster construction and determining which players they want to retain as they continue navigating a challenging financial landscape.

This year’s free agent class isn’t particularly noteworthy, but that’s become the norm in today’s NBA. Star players rarely reach unrestricted free agency anymore, choosing instead to sign extensions with their current teams or force their way to preferred destinations via trade. As a result, the available talent pool is often thinner than it once was. That reality creates additional value for teams that already possess productive players entering free agency.

The Suns find themselves in that position with several players whose futures remain unresolved. Whether it’s restricted free agents, unrestricted free agents, or players the organization has various rights attached to, Phoenix has decisions to make and negotiations to begin.

One interesting perspective on that value comes from John Hollinger of The Athletic⁠, who annually publishes his Top 25 NBA Free Agents list. What makes Hollinger’s rankings unique is that they aren’t simply based on reputation or box score statistics. He uses a valuation system of his own creation to quantify a player’s market value and expected contract value based on production, age, role, and projected impact.

I developed a player valuation system called BORD$ (short for “Big Old Rating Dollars”) that uses analytics and playing time data from the last two seasons, projects values for the coming season based on a player’s age and performance and then converts the projected performance and playing time into a salary estimate based on the projected cap in 2026-27 of $165 million. (More on the methodology from this story five years ago.)

It’s an interesting exercise, especially when evaluating some of the Suns’ internal free agents and determining where they might fit in the broader landscape of this offseason market.

On Hollinger’s list this year, two of the Suns’ four notable free agents made the cut.

Jordan Goodwin and Amir Coffey did not crack the top 25, but Collin Gillespie landed at No. 10 while Mark Williams checked in at No. 23. Using his BORD$ valuation system, Hollinger views both as players who carry significant market value entering free agency. 

Collin Gillespie: $21,472,942

Obviously, if $21.5 million is what Collin Gillespie is worth and somebody is willing to offer him that kind of money, I don’t think the Suns bring him back. That’s a lot to pay for a backup point guard.

Per Hollinger:

This valuation may sound pretty extreme because Gillespie’s career had little traction until he blew up in his age-26 season, but he was fantastic last year. He’s also a career 40.5 percent 3-point shooter on serious volume, holds his own on defense and can run an offense. Paying him fifth-starter money isn’t crazy.

Obviously, if $21.5 million is what Collin Gillespie is worth and somebody is willing to offer him that kind of money, I don’t think the Suns bring him back. That’s a lot to pay for a backup point guard.

Make no mistake about it, as fantastic as Gillespie was last season, and understanding that he faded a bit down the stretch, he’s not a starting caliber point guard. Or perhaps he is, but not in a Phoenix Suns ecosystem that already features both Devin Booker and Jalen Green. And that’s the decision facing Phoenix this offseason.

Gillespie or Green?

One path involves moving on from Jalen Green, who is ultimately a duplicate of Devin Booker in many ways, and attempting to acquire assets that fortify the roster. In that scenario, Gillespie and Booker become your starting backcourt, allowing you to build differently around them.

The other path is to retain Green and pay Gillespie to come off the bench. At that point, the question becomes simple: how much are you willing to pay a reserve guard?

I think the answer lands somewhere in the middle.

My guess is that the Suns and Gillespie ultimately settle in the $12 million to $14 million per year range. If that happens, I could see it being a four-year deal with a team option attached to the final season, giving Phoenix some flexibility as it continues navigating its long-term cap situation. But that’s only my guess.

Mark Williams (restricted): $16,190,218

As we can see, Hollinger’s system has a little inflation built into it. I don’t see Mark Williams commanding $16.2 million annually in free agency. That said, I don’t think it’s wildly off either.

Per Hollinger:

Williams helped answer questions about his durability by playing a career-high 60 games for the Suns, and now he seems set for a raise. His qualifying offer of $9.6 million is inexpensive enough that Phoenix surely will tender it to make him a restricted free agent.

The trick for Phoenix is having enough room below the first apron to bring back both Williams and Collin Gillespie, which may require the Suns to trade one of their 19 shooting guards.

Yes, the Suns do have a shooting guard problem, don’t they? Still, I’m not sure that is the issue. Because the Suns may not be prioritizing being under the first apron, as Hollinger suggests. What they do have to battle is the open market. There are plenty of teams around the league that could view Williams as worth something in that $16 million neighborhood.

The Lakers immediately come to mind. Yes, they’re the same team that failed Williams on his physical and voided the trade. But they still have a glaring need at center, and it wouldn’t be surprising if they revisited him this summer. All it takes is one team to believe in the talent and be willing to overlook the injury concerns.

The question then becomes whether the Suns would match. The center position is arguably the most important storyline of Phoenix’s offseason. You have a lottery pick waiting in the wings in Khaman Maluach, but is he ready to handle that responsibility from Day 1? Or is it smarter to fortify the depth around him and allow his development to occur at a more natural pace?

Personally, I’m all for bringing Williams back. I loved what I saw from him during his time in Phoenix. Yes, the health concerns are real and should not be ignored. But he plays with a high motor. He’s constantly sprinting the floor, running in transition, attacking the glass, and putting pressure on defenses simply through effort. That’s the kind of player you want around a young center.

You want Maluach to watch that every day and understand that success in this league isn’t solely about talent. It’s about energy. It’s about effort. It’s about consistently doing the little things. Hustle, running, and perhaps most importantly, catching the damn ball.

Of course, the Suns could let Williams walk and take their chances in unrestricted free agency. There are some intriguing names available, and some of them would likely come at a lower price point. But are any of them good enough to help fortify the development of your young center? That’s the question Phoenix has to answer. The price, obviously, has to be right.

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We’ll know more in the coming days as negotiations begin and the market starts to reveal itself. That’s when we’ll get a better understanding of what these players are actually worth and where they may ultimately end up. For now, all we have are projections, evaluations, and educated guesses.

Still, the fact that the Suns have two players ranked among Hollinger’s top 25 free agents speaks to the value they’ve created internally. Whether you agree with his exact dollar figures or not, the underlying point remains the same. Collin Gillespie and Mark Williams have established themselves as legitimate NBA players with real market value. And that’s exactly why Phoenix should be focused on bringing them back.

The Suns aren’t operating from a position of financial strength. They don’t have the cap space to replace productive players on the open market, nor do they possess a treasure chest of draft assets to quickly replenish the roster. Continuity matters. Internal development matters. Retaining players who have already proven they fit within your system is a must.

That’s why this offseason feels so important. The Suns have spent the past year trying to establish an identity, build a culture, and find players who complement what they’re attempting to become. Gillespie and Williams appear to check those boxes. Now comes the hard part. Figuring out what it costs to keep them.

Welcome to SB Nation Reacts, a survey of fans across the NBA. Throughout the year we ask questions of the most plugged-in Cavs fans and fans across the country. Sign up here to participate in the weekly emailed surveys.

Summer should be a season of growth for the Cleveland Cavaliers. While all eyes are on competing for a title in the immediate future, the continued development of their youth is arguably just as important. There aren’t as many prospects on the roster as there were a few years ago — but there are still a few players worth talking about.

Jaylon Tyson, Tyrese Proctor, and whoever the Cavs potentially select 29th overall in this year’s NBA Draft are the main prospects we are focusing on.

In your opinion, whose development is the most important?

Tyson is probably the closest to making an impact. He had a breakout sophomore season as a multifaceted role player who knocked down over 40% of his three-point attempts. Tyson’s on-ball game is ripe with potential, and he has one of the highest motors on the team. A more refined defensive game could make him a highly valuable two-way threat.

Proctor, meanwhile, is still lurking in the shadows. Opportunities were limited during his rookie season. But Cleveland is counting on him to take a leap and be playable next year. He’s got all the tools to play next to James Harden and Donovan Mitchell as an efficient shooter who can defend the point of attack. The Cavs would love to have Proctor in their rotation.

Finally, the 29th pick in the draft is a mystery. We don’t know who they might pick or what position they would even play. If there’s a prospect that has piqued your interest, then maybe you’ll vote for them.

Either way, we want to hear from you in the comments. Do you believe Tyson, Proctor, or the 29th pick can develop into something special on this roster? Who has the highest ceiling? Let us know!

The Knicks now boast three championship teams in their history, three forever squads anchored by legendary players who delivered unforgettable memories.

Here’s a closer look at each title-winning team:

1969-70

The coach: Red Holzman

The regular-season record: 60-22

The playoff record: 12-7 (4-3 vs. Bullets in Eastern Division semifinals, 4-1 vs. Bucks in Eastern Division finals, 4-3 vs. Lakers in NBA Finals)

The playoff stats: Willis Reed was a double-double machine, averaging 23.7 points and 13.8 rebounds. He had plenty of help at both ends from Dave DeBusschere (16.1 ppg and 11.6 rpg). Clyde Frazier was swishin’ and dishin’ his way to 16 points and 8.2 assists per game, while hitting the glass for 7.8 rebounds.

The memories: The most famous moment in Knicks history is the sight of Reed limping out of the tunnel before Game 7 of the NBA Finals. Teammates left the locker room not knowing if the league’s MVP would play after missing Game 6 with a torn thigh muscle.

Reed scored the first two baskets of the game – his only four points – but an inspired Frazier authored a Game 7 masterpiece with 36 points, 19 assists, seven rebounds and five steals.

To get to the Finals – where they overcame Jerry West’s game-tying 60-foot buzzer-beater in Game 2 – the Knicks first outlasted the rival Bullets in Game 7 behind 28 points apiece from DeBusschere and Dick Barnett, then took out the Bucks, led by rookie center Lew Alcindor (later Kareem Abdul-Jabbar).

The team’s 18-game regular-season winning streak remains a franchise record.

1972-73

The coach: Red Holzman

The regular-season record: 57-25

The playoff record: 12-5 (4-1 vs. Bullets in Eastern Conference semifinals, 4-3 vs. Celtics in Eastern Conference finals, 4-1 vs. Lakers in NBA Finals)

The playoff stats: Frazier was unstoppable with the ball in his hands, leading the Knicks in scoring (21.9 points per game) and assists (6.2) while logging 45 minutes per night. His backcourt mate was an old rival: Earl Monroe chipped in 16.1 points and 3.2 assists per game. The bigs weren’t quite as potent as they were three years earlier, but DeBusschere (10.5 rpg) and Reed (7.6 rpg) still made their presence felt.

The memories: The Knicks became the first road team in NBA history to win a Game 7 at Boston Garden, clinching the Eastern Conference finals.

In Game 4 against the Lakers in the NBA Finals, the Knicks 13-point lead was trimmed to two in the final minute before DeBusschere grabbed an offensive rebound over Wilt Chamberlain, scored a putback and was fouled. DeBusschere’s signature game (33 points, 14 rebounds) in the 103-98 victory restored command of the series.

The 1973 Knicks are the last NBA team to send all five starters to the Hall of Fame.

“The Lakers wanted us,” Reed said after winning his second NBA Finals MVP in four years. “They got us.”

2025-26

The coach: Mike Brown

The regular-season record: 53-29

The playoff record: 16-3 (4-2 vs. Hawks in Eastern Conference first round, 4-0 vs. 76ers in Eastern Conference semifinals, 4-0 vs. Cavs in Eastern Conference finals, 4-1 vs. Spurs in NBA Finals)

The playoff stats: Jalen Brunson (28.4 points per game) earned his “Captain Clutch” moniker in fourth quarters, and OG Anunoby also averaged 20.1 points per night. Karl-Anthony Towns controlled the boards, averaging 10.6 rebounds. Brunson (6.1 assists per game) and Towns (4.9) were the primary facilitators at different times.

The memories: What tops a 22-point comeback in the final eight minutes of Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Cavs? How about a 29-point second-half comeback (20 in the fourth quarter) in Game 4 of the NBA Finals versus the Spurs, capped by Anunoby’s immortal go-ahead flying tip-in with 1.2 seconds remaining?

The Knicks not only tied the NBA record for second-longest playoff winning streak (13) but did so in unprecedented blowout fashion, with 11 victories by double-digit margins during the elimination of the Hawks, 76ers and Cavaliers. Their first three series close-out wins came by an average of 39.3 points before their 94-90 championship-winning clincher in Game 5 in San Antonio. In that one, a dazzling Brunson poured in 45 points on 14-for-27 shooting from the field. 

Warriors open to getting older to improve this NBA offseason, but it's unlikely originally appeared on NBC Sports Bay Area

It’s no secret the Warriors’ roster needs improvement this NBA offseason.

And for a team whose stars — Steph Curry,Jimmy Butler and Draymond Green — all are age 36 or older, Golden State especially could benefit from finding younger role players to ease their load.

But that’s easier said than done. So general manager Mike Dunleavy knows he must be open to any methods of helping the Warriors from a talent standpoint, as he discussed in a press conference Wednesday before next week’s 2026 NBA Draft.

A reporter asked Dunleavy if the organization is comfortable with adding older veterans this summer instead of fresher, but less experienced players.

“Frankly, it’s not the best thing, but if it’s going to make us better — like significantly better — I think we have to look at that, because that’s really our thought process and job right now, is to make this team better,” Dunleavy responded. “So if it means doing older, then we’ll do it, but that’s pretty unlikely. There’s only so many guys I feel like we could bring in that are older, and we’ve got some guys on the back end of it already, and to add to that, you know, there would definitely be some risk. But maybe there’s a situation we do that and go for it, but yeah, I mean, we obviously prefer to get younger.”

Last offseason, the Warriors largely stuck to the strategy of adding more proven players, such as De’Anthony Melton and Al Horford. However, the downside was their inconsistent availability, as both Melton and Horford largely were unable to play both ends of back-to-backs, along with other needed off days.

And with Butler and Curry dealing with long-term injuries of their own, Golden State often seemed to have more players on the injury report than not. So naturally, acquiring younger, less injury-prone players seems like the right move.

But, of course, if an older star — say, LeBron James or Kawhi Leonard — decides they want to join forces with Curry and Co. on the Warriors, Dunleavy could determine the team would be better off with that established force instead of some more youthful energy.

With the NBA offseason about to come into full gear in the coming weeks, Dub Nation will find out Dunleavy’s decided strategy soon enough.

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