James Dolan thinks this upcoming season will be the most fun he’s ever had as owner. He says the squad is “coming back pretty much intact.” That phrase sounds great for a summer chat, but it hides a massive problem for New York. The rest of the league isn’t standing still while the Knicks pat themselves on the back. Everyone else is building a specific plan to stop this team.
The League Has a Target on New York
New York used Boston as a blueprint to win the championship. Now the roles have flipped. The team everyone wants to beat is the Knicks. According to Posting and Toasting, the 76ers, Heat, and other contenders have made moves specifically to counter New York’s greatness. This isn’t a theory; it’s a fact based on roster changes across the East. The 76ers brought in OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges to stop elite wings like Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. Now, those same two players are the ones causing trouble for the Knicks. The league has adjusted its defense to match the Knicks’ offense. That is a hard shift to make.
Kendrick Perkins didn’t even rank the Knicks as the number one team in the East for the 2027 season. He also didn’t call Jalen Brunson the most important player after the title win. This shows that even former players see the team as vulnerable. The pressure is on the roster to prove them wrong. They can’t rely on last year’s glory. They must earn it again against a smarter, hungrier field.
Money Talks and Villains Rise
There is also the matter of contract talks and player feelings. According to reports, Karl-Anthony Towns expressed disappointment that the Knicks failed to propose an extension while the season was ongoing. Although Towns stated his desire to remain a Knick for life, the absence of an offer remains painful. “I always feel the animosity,” Towns said regarding these kinds of situations. That tension can poison a locker room if it isn’t fixed soon. The front office must resolve this before training camp starts.
Then there is the villain of the story. Josh Hart fired back at Draymond Green after the veteran claimed Brunson took a hometown discount. Green argued that the star should have demanded full value while role players made sacrifices. Hart told Green to stop counting other people’s pockets. Hours later, Green signed a $27.7 million deal with Golden State (he’ll get paid the 66th-highest salary in the NBA next season). “Nothing you can hate about him,” Hart said about the move, but the hypocrisy is clear. A player ranked 155th in PER and 253rd in wins shared by the league is getting paid like a star. It’s a bad look for the game.
The Broadcast Shift Changes Everything
For fans who get tired of the channel hopping, there is a new deal. All Knicks non-national broadcasts will air on DAZN for the 2026-27 season. This simplifies how fans watch the games. It might make it easier to follow the team, but it doesn’t fix the roster issues. The team must be good enough to watch. Dolan hopes for a fun ride, but the road ahead is full of traps. The 76ers have the length to match New York’s wings. The Heat have the history to beat anyone. The Knicks must be ready for a war, not a parade. The season opener is set for October 22.
