The New York Knicks don't appear to be taking too much stock in being the reigning NBA Champions.
Generally speaking, most title winners in the association enter their follow-up season outwardly feeling the pressure of having a proverbial target on their back, having gone from fighting their way up the mountain with 29 other teams to laying claim at the top as the lone survivor.
However, as Josh Hart put it this past offseason, New York still sees itself as "the hunters" rather than the hunted.
During his October 19 post-practice media session, Jalen Brunson only continued to peddle this sentiment.
Jalen Brunson further reinforces Knicks are still hunters
When asked whether having just won the championship makes the Knicks more lax heading into 2026-27, the reigning Finals MVP was quick to say "there's no relaxation whatsoever," only to further note that last year's successes are exactly that -- last year's.
"Every year is a new year to attack something. When people say we're 'defending the title,' I mean, that's one way to look at it. It's something we've won, we've put it in our past, and now we're just trying to attack another," Brunson said.
The Knicks are a team filled from the top down with hungry dogs. From OG Anunoby admitting that they'll be "hunting other teams" themselves this season to Landry Shamet stressing that New York is coming in with nothing more than a "0-0" mindset, it's evident that this club isn't taking last year's championship run as a sign that they've found the secret to sustained success.
Once their banner is raised into the rafters at Madison Square Garden Tuesday night, it will be official -- a new year, filled with new possibilities, has begun.
From a mindset standpoint, it clearly seems the Knicks are ready for what's to come.
Both Knicks title and deadline to sign Karl-Anthony Towns are in the past
Just like their championship, the deadline to re-up with Karl-Anthony Towns to a multi-year extension is, in fact, officially in the rearview.
October 19 was the final day the Knicks could extend their star center while having him pick up his $61 million player option for next season.
While this may have been far from a surprising newsbreak, as reports have been for quite some time that New York was planning on tabling extension talks with Towns until later on in the season, it's still certainly something worth analyzing, for one could argue that this is a clear sign from Leon Rose that he's now looking for the veteran big to take an even more notable pay cut in 2027-28.
Though he currently holds a player option worth a whopping $61 million for next season, the Knicks may be hoping he'll be willing to opt out and sign for less in AAV.
Based on their offers, it seems New York is banking on it being much less.
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