The New York Knicks' 2026 NBA Championship ended a 53-year title drought — and made them the eighth team in the last eight years to earn the Larry O'Brien trophy. They'll enter the 2026-27 regular season looking to become the first repeat champion since Stephen Curry's Golden State Warriors.
The rest of the Eastern Conference has no intention of doing them any favors, with almost every team looking to improve on their roster from last season. Aside from the Milwaukee Bucks, who kept superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo in the east by sending him to the Miami Heat, how many teams took clear steps back?
The Third Apron Podcast's Sam Quinn and Yossi Gozlan took stock of the Eastern Conference's top teams — and their lifespans — concluding most will either age out, which shouldn't concern the 29 to 31-year-old Knicks, or be priced out of their current cores, which New York can address with one more extension.
Leon Rose's ball club might have just established itself as the standard, for years to come. The Knicks just need Karl-Anthony Towns to put pen to paper.
This strong Eastern Conference isn't exactly built to last
Quinn's analysis of the Eastern Conference's power players in years to come effectively sorted them into two bins. He identified both the Detroit Pistons and Orlando Magic as teams that might get broken apart by the second apron, with Jalen Duren's ongoing restricted free agency failing to quell any concerns.
For a variety of reasons, he identified the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto Raptors, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, and Knicks as teams that have injury or age-related worries at the top of their lists.
Jayson Tatum's recovery from Achilles surgery seems to be going well, but Quinn and Gozlan wondered how much longer he can drive that bus. Donovan Mitchell turns 30 years old ahead of the 2027 regular season, and the Cavaliers' other star guard in James Harden is already 36.
The Raptors, assuming they land Kawhi Leonard via trade, are set up as one of the conference's best teams. They have depth at every position and a great mix of both young and veteran players.
However, it's Leonard's status as a (proven) 1A championship-winning superstar that's going to put them over the top. The two-time Finals MVP is 35, though, and will be bringing a long list of recorded health problems back across the border.
The Heat's newest superstar in Giannis Antetokounmpo isn't leaving his calf issues behind in Milwaukee. And the 76ers' star — in LeBron James — will turn 42 in December. Several of these teams will likely find ways to stay competitive well into the future. But, for now, the nature of veteran athletes and the pressure of the second apron are making it hard to build for both now and later.
Extending Towns could prime Knicks for years of contention
While Quinn and Gozlan identified the Knicks as needing to worry about both finances and age, simply extending Towns could reasonably quiet most of those issues. The big man, who starred on both ends of the court throughout New York's playoff run, isn't exactly on an expiring deal. But he does have a player option for the 2027-28 season.
The Knicks' trio of 29-year-olds — Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, and OG Anunoby — are all signed through that year. Josh Hart has a team option. Of their championship-winning starting five, Towns is the only member not under any kind of team control after next season.
An offseason commitment from the Knicks to KAT, and vice versa, would essentially lock in the "entire" core for 164 regular season games at minimum. If Towns' postseason performance has anything to do with his next contract, the big man should get every penny he can.
His positional matchup from the NBA Finals, Victor Wembanyama, did just take a stepped-down maximum contract to help his San Antonio Spurs maintain flexibility. While some who watched The Finals may think Towns deserves the bigger deal, the Knicks have a guy in Brunson who might be able to convince him of the benefits of leaving some money on the table.
New York already lost Mitchell Robinson this offseason because of their refusal to surpass the second apron. Should Towns be responsible for sacrificing his pay to help them recoup their depth on a lower budget?
Definitely not. But it's the current reality of the NBA, and the Knicks' location offers players — especially stars — the unique opportunity to recoup those earnings off the court. The Knicks, and Towns, have some tough calls to make. If they continue succeeding in their shared goal of winning together, though, Rose's roster will be tough to deal with for at least two more seasons.
The NBA world isn't getting rid of these Knicks just yet.
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