2025–26 New York Knicks season
Season of National Basketball Association team the New York Knicks
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The 2025–26 New York Knicks season was the 80th season of the franchise in the National Basketball Association (NBA). On June 3, 2025, the Knicks dismissed head coach Tom Thibodeau after five seasons with the team.[1] On July 7, the Knicks hired Mike Brown as their head coach.[2] The Knicks won the NBA Championship during this season, for the first time since 1973. It was their third title in franchise history.
| 2025–26 New York Knicks season | |
|---|---|
NBA champions | |
NBA Cup champions | |
Conference champions | |
| Head coach | Mike Brown |
| President | Leon Rose |
| General manager | Gersson Rosas |
| Owners | Madison Square Garden Sports |
| Arena | Madison Square Garden |
| Results | |
| Record | 53–29 (.646) |
| Place | Division: 2nd (Atlantic) Conference: 3rd (Eastern) |
| Playoff finish | NBA champions (defeated Spurs 4–1) |
Stats at Basketball Reference | |
| Local media | |
| Television | MSG TV |
| Radio | WEPN-FM |
In the 2025 NBA Cup, the Knicks won East Group C with a 3–1 group stage record to advance to the knockout stage for the third straight year, also doing so as a group winner for the second straight year, by clinching the tiebreaker over the Miami Heat via their head-to-head victory on November 14. In the knockout stage, they defeated the Toronto Raptors in the quarterfinals, the Orlando Magic in the semifinals, and finally the San Antonio Spurs in the championship round, winning the Cup title. The Knicks finished the tournament with a 6–1 record, becoming the first Cup champions to win the tournament title without a perfect record.
In a span from December 31 to January 19, the Knicks had a 2–9 stretch that featured two separate four-game losing streaks, their longest since the 2023–24 season. Following a loss to the Dallas Mavericks, the Knicks closed out the month with a five-game winning streak, which included a 120–66 victory over their rival, the Brooklyn Nets, which also broke a franchise record for the largest victory margin in a regular season game.[3]
On March 30, the Knicks clinched the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season following a Philadelphia 76ers loss to the Miami Heat. On April 9, the Knicks improved over their 51–31 record from the previous season with a win over the Boston Celtics. They finished the regular season with a 53–29 record, placing third in the East.
In the first round of the playoffs, the Knicks defeated the Atlanta Hawks in six games, advancing to the conference semifinals for the fourth consecutive year. The series concluded with a record-breaking game where the Knicks set an NBA playoff record for the largest halftime lead (47 points) and a franchise record for the largest playoff margin of victory (51 points).[4][5] They would later sweep the Philadelphia 76ers in the conference semifinals and the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals (New York's second straight appearance) to clinch their first NBA Finals berth since 1999.
The Knicks faced the San Antonio Spurs in the 2026 NBA Finals, which was a rematch of the 1999 Finals and this season's NBA Cup championship game. The Knicks had also won a franchise-record 13 straight playoff games, which stands as the second-longest single-postseason winning streak in NBA history behind only the 2016–17 Golden State Warriors, spanning from a first-round game 4 victory following a 2–1 deficit against the Hawks to a game 3 Finals loss to the Spurs.[6] In game 4 of the Finals, New York achieved the largest comeback in NBA Finals history, in which they overcame a 29-point deficit to beat San Antonio 107–106.[7] The Knicks defeated the Spurs in five games in the NBA Finals to win their first championship since 1973. They also became the first team to win the NBA Cup, win a playoff series, make the Finals, and win the NBA championship in the same season.
Draft
| Round | Pick | Player | Position(s) | Nationality | College / club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 50 | Kobe Sanders | SG/SF |  United States |
Nevada (Sr.) |
The Knicks entered the draft with a single second-round pick, which originally belonged to the Memphis Grizzlies. The Knicks acquired the selection from the Oklahoma City Thunder via a 2024 trade; it conveyed as a more favorable pick because Memphis finished with a worse record in the 2024–25 season than the Boston Celtics, the pick's first trade destination before such condition was added.[8][9] The team had originally held another second-round selection, but it was forfeited due to tampering violations related to the free agency signing of Jalen Brunson in 2022, following three consecutive drafts that each featured only 58 total picks due to various teams—including the Knicks in prior years—being penalized for free agency violations.[10] They had also traded their original 2025 first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets in 2024 as an exchange for Mikal Bridges.[11]
With the 50th overall pick, the Knicks selected Kobe Sanders, but immediately traded his draft rights to the Los Angeles Clippers in exchange for the draft rights to the 51st pick, Mohamed Diawara, and to Luka Mitrović.[12]
Roster
| Players | Coaches | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Head coach
Assistant(s)
Legend
Roster |
Standings
Division
| Atlantic Division | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| y – Boston Celtics | 56 | 26 | .683 | – | 30–11 | 26–15 | 10–6 | 82 |
| x – New York Knicks | 53 | 29 | .646 | 3.0 | 30–10 | 23–19 | 14–3 | 82 |
| x – Toronto Raptors | 46 | 36 | .561 | 10.0 | 24–17 | 22–19 | 5–12 | 82 |
| x – Philadelphia 76ers | 45 | 37 | .549 | 11.0 | 23–18 | 22–19 | 9–7 | 82 |
| Brooklyn Nets | 20 | 62 | .244 | 36.0 | 12–29 | 8–33 | 3–13 | 82 |
Conference
| Eastern Conference | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB | GP |
| 1 | c – Detroit Pistons * | 60 | 22 | .732 | – | 82 |
| 2 | y – Boston Celtics * | 56 | 26 | .683 | 4.0 | 82 |
| 3 | x – New York Knicks | 53 | 29 | .646 | 7.0 | 82 |
| 4 | x – Cleveland Cavaliers | 52 | 30 | .634 | 8.0 | 82 |
| 5 | x – Toronto Raptors | 46 | 36 | .561 | 14.0 | 82 |
| 6 | y – Atlanta Hawks * | 46 | 36 | .561 | 14.0 | 82 |
| 7 | x – Philadelphia 76ers | 45 | 37 | .549 | 15.0 | 82 |
| 8 | x – Orlando Magic | 45 | 37 | .549 | 15.0 | 82 |
| 9 | pi – Charlotte Hornets | 44 | 38 | .537 | 16.0 | 82 |
| 10 | pi – Miami Heat | 43 | 39 | .524 | 17.0 | 82 |
| 11 | Milwaukee Bucks | 32 | 50 | .390 | 28.0 | 82 |
| 12 | Chicago Bulls | 31 | 51 | .378 | 29.0 | 82 |
| 13 | Brooklyn Nets | 20 | 62 | .244 | 40.0 | 82 |
| 14 | Indiana Pacers | 19 | 63 | .232 | 41.0 | 82 |
| 15 | Washington Wizards | 17 | 65 | .207 | 43.0 | 82 |
Game log
Preseason
| 2025 preseason game log Total: 4–1 (Home: 3–1; Road: 1–0) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Preseason: 4–1 (home: 3–1; road: 1–0)
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| 2025–26 preseason schedule | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Regular season
| 2025–26 game log Total: 53–29 (Home: 30–10; Road: 23–19) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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October: 2–3 (home: 2–0; road: 0–3)
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November: 11–3 (home: 8–1; road: 3–2)
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December: 10–4 (home: 5–1; road: 5–3)
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January: 7–8 (home: 4–4; road: 3–4)
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February: 8–4 (home: 3–2; road: 5–2)
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March: 10–6 (home: 5–1; road: 5–5)
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April: 5–1 (home: 3–1; road: 2–0)
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| 2025–26 season schedule | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Playoffs
| 2026 playoff game log Total: 16–3 (home: 7–2; road: 9–1) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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First round: 4–2 (home: 2–1; road: 2–1)
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Conference semifinals: 4–0 (home: 2–0; road: 2–0)
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Conference finals: 4–0 (home: 2–0; road: 2–0)
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NBA Finals: 4–1 (home: 1–1; road: 3–0)
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| 2026 playoff schedule | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
NBA Cup
East Group C
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | L | PF | PA | PD | Qualification |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York Knicks | 4 | 3 | 1 | 512 | 477 | +35 | Advanced to knockout rounds |
| 2 | Miami Heat | 4 | 3 | 1 | 507 | 458 | +49 | |
| 3 | Milwaukee Bucks | 4 | 2 | 2 | 467 | 463 | +4 | |
| 4 | Charlotte Hornets | 4 | 1 | 3 | 461 | 500 | −39 | |
| 5 | Chicago Bulls | 4 | 1 | 3 | 468 | 517 | −49 |
Source: NBA
Player statistics
| GP | Games played | GS | Games started | MPG | Minutes per game |
| FG% | Field-goal percentage | 3P% | 3-point field-goal percentage | FT% | Free-throw percentage |
| RPG | Rebounds per game | APG | Assists per game | SPG | Steals per game |
| BPG | Blocks per game | PPG | Points per game |
Regular season
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jose Alvarado† | 28 | 3 | 16.9 | .414 | .330 | .682 | 2.0 | 3.8 | 1.0 | .1 | 6.6 |
| OG Anunoby | 67 | 67 | 33.2 | .484 | .386 | .828 | 5.2 | 2.2 | 1.6 | .7 | 16.7 |
| Mikal Bridges | 82 | 82 | 32.8 | .490 | .371 | .827 | 3.8 | 3.7 | 1.3 | .8 | 14.4 |
| Jalen Brunson | 74 | 74 | 35.0 | .467 | .369 | .841 | 3.3 | 6.8 | .8 | .1 | 26.0 |
| Jordan Clarkson | 72 | 1 | 17.8 | .451 | .327 | .830 | 1.8 | 1.3 | .4 | .1 | 8.6 |
| Pacôme Dadiet | 29 | 0 | 4.7 | .333 | .219 | .818 | .9 | .4 | .1 | .0 | 1.7 |
| Mohamed Diawara | 69 | 7 | 9.2 | .423 | .369 | .750 | 1.4 | .8 | .2 | .1 | 3.6 |
| Tosan Evbuomwan | 5 | 0 | 1.6 | .000 | — | — | .4 | .0 | .0 | .0 | .0 |
| Josh Hart | 66 | 52 | 30.2 | .508 | .413 | .720 | 7.4 | 4.8 | 1.1 | .3 | 12.0 |
| Ariel Hukporti | 54 | 5 | 9.2 | .563 | .250 | .788 | 2.9 | .5 | .2 | .5 | 2.2 |
| Trey Jemison III | 13 | 0 | 6.3 | .600 | — | 1.000 | 1.4 | .4 | .1 | .2 | 1.0 |
| Dillon Jones | 7 | 0 | 5.6 | .222 | .200 | 1.000 | 1.0 | .6 | .4 | .0 | 1.3 |
| Tyler Kolek | 62 | 1 | 11.7 | .435 | .386 | .700 | 1.6 | 2.7 | .4 | .1 | 4.4 |
| Miles McBride | 41 | 15 | 26.3 | .423 | .413 | .787 | 2.4 | 2.6 | .9 | .2 | 12.0 |
| Kevin McCullar Jr. | 21 | 0 | 7.4 | .426 | .333 | .400 | 1.3 | 1.0 | .4 | .0 | 2.4 |
| Mitchell Robinson | 60 | 16 | 19.6 | .723 | — | .408 | 8.8 | .9 | .9 | 1.2 | 5.1 |
| Landry Shamet | 51 | 12 | 23.0 | .437 | .392 | .711 | 1.8 | 1.4 | .6 | .2 | 9.3 |
| Jeremy Sochan† | 16 | 0 | 6.9 | .567 | .200 | .800 | 2.1 | .8 | .4 | .1 | 2.8 |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | 75 | 75 | 31.0 | .501 | .368 | .858 | 11.9 | 3.9 | .9 | .5 | 20.1 |
| Guerschon Yabusele† | 41 | 0 | 8.9 | .393 | .294 | .667 | 2.1 | .4 | .1 | .1 | 2.7 |
Playoffs
| Player | GP | GS | MPG | FG% | 3P% | FT% | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | PPG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jose Alvarado | 18 | 0 | 9.4 | .433 | .353 | .833 | 1.4 | 1.2 | .6 | .1 | 4.2 |
| OG Anunoby | 17 | 17 | 34.5 | .561 | .489 | .854 | 6.3 | 1.6 | 1.5 | 1.1 | 20.1 |
| Mikal Bridges | 19 | 19 | 32.0 | .559 | .365 | .920 | 3.2 | 2.7 | 1.0 | .3 | 13.5 |
| Jalen Brunson | 19 | 19 | 36.9 | .465 | .363 | .846 | 3.2 | 6.1 | 1.2 | .0 | 28.4 |
| Jordan Clarkson | 18 | 0 | 10.8 | .455 | .211 | .789 | 1.7 | .6 | .2 | .1 | 4.9 |
| Pacôme Dadiet | 7 | 0 | 5.7 | .500 | .375 | .500 | 1.0 | .4 | .3 | .0 | 2.9 |
| Mohamed Diawara | 6 | 0 | 7.1 | .231 | .167 | — | 1.5 | 1.0 | .2 | .0 | 1.2 |
| Josh Hart | 19 | 19 | 32.3 | .431 | .326 | .606 | 8.9 | 4.6 | 1.7 | .2 | 10.4 |
| Ariel Hukporti | 10 | 0 | 7.6 | .455 | .000 | .467 | 3.2 | .3 | .2 | .7 | 1.7 |
| Tyler Kolek | 8 | 0 | 6.7 | .440 | .444 | 1.000 | .8 | 1.5 | .0 | .1 | 3.5 |
| Miles McBride | 19 | 2 | 17.6 | .333 | .375 | .875 | 1.2 | 1.2 | .4 | .2 | 5.6 |
| Mitchell Robinson | 18 | 0 | 13.9 | .673 | — | .293 | 5.5 | .4 | .4 | .6 | 4.8 |
| Landry Shamet | 19 | 0 | 16.3 | .453 | .475 | .778 | 1.1 | .7 | .2 | .1 | 6.0 |
| Jeremy Sochan | 8 | 0 | 3.2 | .778 | .500 | .625 | .6 | .3 | .1 | .1 | 2.5 |
| Karl-Anthony Towns | 19 | 19 | 30.4 | .551 | .456 | .909 | 10.6 | 4.9 | 1.3 | 1.3 | 15.9 |
- † Denotes player spent time with another team in the season. Stats reflect time with the Knicks only.
Transactions
Trades
| June 26, 2025[13] | To Los Angeles Clippers Draft rights to Kobe Sanders (No. 50) |
To New York Knicks Draft rights to Mohamed Diawara (No. 51) Draft rights to Luka Mitrović (2015 No. 60) |
| February 5, 2026 [14] | To Chicago Bulls Guerschon Yabusele Cash considerations |
To New York Knicks Dalen Terry |
| February 5, 2026[15] | To New Orleans Pelicans Dalen Terry |
To New York Knicks Jose Alvarado |
Free agency
Additions
| Date | Player | Former Team | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|
| July 7 | Jordan Clarkson | Utah Jazz | [16] |
| July 7 | Guerschon Yabusele | Philadelphia 76ers | [17] |