New York opened training camp with the same group that beat the Spurs for the franchise's first title in 53 years, adding only four names to the back of the roster on September 27. The bigger story is what hasn't been signed: Karl-Anthony Towns' extension talks have stagnated since September 23, and Miles McBride says he's "a little disappointed" by his own.
The Real Question
Can this front office keep the group that won a championship together long enough to win another one? The Knicks return the same core that beat San Antonio in five games last June: Brunson, Anunoby, Bridges, Towns, Hart, McBride, Brown and Shamet. Camp settled the rest of the roster on September 27, when Jaden Akins, Tyler Nickel, Kevin McCullar Jr. and N'Faly Dante rounded out an 18-man group. Everyone who won it is still here. Who stays past this year is the open part.
Why It Holds
Last season's numbers back another run. New York finished third in the league in offensive rating at 118.7, seventh on defense at 112.3, for a net rating of 6.4 that ranked fifth. Brunson posted 26.0 points and 6.8 assists across 74 games, and he's fully cleared for camp after the wrist procedure that worried fans all summer. Nothing about the group on the floor looks different from the one that swept Cleveland in the conference finals.
Why It Doesn't
The bill for that title is $230.2 million, roughly $8.5 million above the league's harshest luxury threshold, and it's already limiting what this front office can do. Two extensions remain unresolved: Towns, whose talks have stalled since a September 23 report from Shams Charania, and McBride, who said three days later he's "a little disappointed" by where his own stand. Neither has an answer yet. And there's little to trade for reinforcements — both 2027 and 2029 first-rounders already belong to Brooklyn, with only pick swaps left in 2028 and 2029.
The Trade-off
Keep both Towns and McBride and the tax bill only grows from a number the league's rules were built to punish. Let either walk and this same title-winning group loses a starting center or its top backup guard. Camp answered every roster question by keeping the group together for one more season. It did nothing to answer what comes after.
Bottom Line
This is a team built to repeat right now, with the same nine who won it all still standing and last season's numbers behind them. But right now is doing a lot of work in that sentence. Towns and McBride will get their answers eventually, and however those land, the roster that opens against Philadelphia on October 20 won't be the one this front office is building toward in 2027. The title defense looks safe. The dynasty question doesn't.
Why hasn't Karl-Anthony Towns signed an extension with the Knicks?
Talks between the two sides have stagnated since a September 23 report from Shams Charania, and neither side has said why.
Is Miles McBride getting a contract extension from the Knicks?
Nothing is signed yet. McBride said on September 26 that he's "a little disappointed" by how his own extension talks have gone.
More from The Garden Line
all Knicks news →
Morning · Mon, Sep 28Knicks Fill Out Camp With Four New Names
From the archives · Sun, Sep 27Knicks Have Never Repeated. This Group Wants To.
By the numbers · Sun, Sep 27Numbers Say Knicks Are Built To Repeat
Morning · Sun, Sep 27McBride Airs His Frustration Over A Stalled Deal
Rumor check · Sat, Sep 26Two Contracts Stall, One Apron To Blame
Around the beat · Sat, Sep 26The Back Pages Doubt Brunson, But New York Isn't Listening