After winning the 2026 NBA Championship, every member of the New York Knicks was likely due for a ratings increase in NBA 2K27. Each summer, players' ratings in the latest edition of the video game generate plenty of discourse. And with the video game set to release in the coming weeks, they've started to trickle out.
Ratings are fluid once the season begins, but NBA 2K revealed the top-100 rated players going into the season to generate buzz for the game. All five Knick starters landed on the list, with none of the five reigning champions being ranked below 79th.
Here's where New York's first five landed in the first iteration of the NBA roster in NBA 2K27.
Jalen Brunson — 96 overall
Only three players rank ahead of the Knicks' Captain and reigning NBA Finals MVP. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Victor Wembanyama, and Nikola Jokic all share a 97 overall rating.
Brunson isn't alone at 96, though. The guard is tied with Luka Doncic and Giannis Antetokounmpo for fourth place. Knick fans don't have much to complain about here.
Karl-Anthony Towns — 93 overall
Mike Brown was clear throughout the regular season that while the Knicks' depth was one of his team's biggest strengths, Towns was definitely their second option. It's no surprise that the uniquely-talented big man came in as the Knicks' second-highest rated player.
Towns emerged throughout New York's championship run as a playmaker for his teammates. He also continued a trend of strong playoff defense against superstar big men, giving Jokic problems back in his days with the Minnesota Timberwolves and outdueling Wembanyama in the 2026 NBA Finals.
As a result, he's the 14th best player in the video game. Fair enough.
OG Anunoby — 88 overall
Last season, Daily Knicks asked if Anunoby was one of the NBA's 30 best players. In the first iteration of rosters on NBA 2K27, only 23 players rank ahead of the two-way force.
Anunoby's defensive versatility and efficiency as a play-finisher — both inside the paint and from behind the 3-point line — made him an instant fit as a complement to Brunson. Putting the wing between Brunson and Towns, however, unlocked more of his offensive potential.
His shining playoff moment came in Game 4 against the San Antonio Spurs, when a last-second tip-in of a missed Brunson 3-pointer helped the Knicks complete their historic 29-point comeback.
Congratulations on the 88, OG. Well deserved.
Mikal Bridges — 84 overall
The Knicks' iron man coming in at an 84 feels right in a vacuum. But given that he's just 68th in the league, some of the other ratings this game gave out start feeling questionable. It's honestly a bit surprising to see the wing fail to reach the 85 overall benchmark.
Bridges is a dream of a complementary wing, able to pressure opposing defenses as a scorer and offenses as a disruptor. He didn't have as many memorable, game-winning moments in his team's 2026 playoff run as he did the season before. But the Knicks didn't see the Boston Celtics on their way to this year's Eastern Conference Finals.
Josh Hart — 82 overall
Hart slots in as the Knicks' "worst" starter, a claim his recent tweets imply he might not care to contest this offseason. He's not just an NBA Champion, though. He was a key starter of a title-winning squad. That includes the pivotal Game 2 against the Cleveland Cavaliers in which he helped New York counter Kenny Atkinson's adjustments on Brunson.
The coach decided not to leave James Harden alone on Brunson after an awfully-repetitive end to Game 1. Brunson scored on Harden, time and time again, as the Knicks clawed back from a 22-point deficit.
While Hart's missed layup may have added to the drama of New York's 29-point comeback in the next round, he was ultimately irreplaceable to the Knicks' championship-winning efforts. He's the 79th highest-ranked player in the league as a result, even if Brunson disagrees.
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