The New York Knicks have already partially decided their fate for the 2026–27 regular season. They’ll be the defending champions in both the upcoming Emirates NBA Cup and NBA Playoffs.
Going from one of the 29 hunters to the only hunted squad isn’t an easy transition for any group. It's going to be made even more difficult than usual for these Knicks by an incredibly competitive Eastern Conference.
In the fallout of the announcement of the Los Angeles Clippers' punishment for circumventing salary cap regulations, superstar wing Kawhi Leonard wrote definitively on Instagram that he’s still headed to the Toronto Raptors. Leonard's group will still have to prove they can return to contending status; it's been eight years since the 2019 title. But that note leaves the Knicks facing an even rougher path back to the NBA Finals.
East is set for second-straight year as tougher conference than West
Last season, the Eastern Conference had more wins in the regular season than its Western counterpart. The eventual NBA champion was also, as fans may remember, an Eastern squad.
Those two data points don’t definitively render the Knicks’ half of the league as the tougher group. Regular season sample sizes have proven worthless throughout countless postseasons, for just as many reasons. This offseason, however, shifted the balance of superstar distribution in the NBA.
Leonard believes he’s all set to move back from Los Angeles to Toronto. LeBron James is leaving the other team in the same city for the Philadelphia 76ers. Giannis Antetokounmpo changed teams, but not conferences, when he finally moved on from the Milwaukee Bucks.
One Eastern Conference Finalist lost Mitchell Robinson, but to a rival in the Atlantic Division. While their replacement in Andre Drummond profiles as a definite downgrade, the team was able to keep the entire rest of their title-winning rotation around while staying under the second apron.
The other Eastern Finalist signed both Donovan Mitchell and James Harden to new contracts that tie them to the Cleveland Cavaliers for the next several seasons.
The Toronto Raptors were already working their way up the ranks of the conference. Their treasured young star, Scottie Barnes, is one of the league’s best defenders. Brandon Ingram, the player meant to draw the majority of defensive attention, became one of several potential upgrade spots for the team continuing to face tougher competition.
Now, with Leonard’s return, the Raptors have their proven “1A” superstar back.
The next path to becoming the first champion in nine years to successfully defend a title was never going to be easy for the Knicks. Leonard, who played 65 games last regular season, might be ready to make it even tougher.
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