After years of dysfunction, the Knicks have stabilized themselves by making the playoffs in two of the last three seasons. However, they’ve only won a single playoff series during that stretch and are still likely another star player away from becoming a Finals contender.
And it appears the franchise may be on the same page, as they’ve been named previously as a potential landing spot for numerous top names. But more specifically, one NBA analyst believes it is a foregone conclusion that New York adds a star in the near future. Bill Simmons expects one of three star players to end up in New York in the near future.
“They’ll get one of those three guys, I guarantee,” Simmons said on The Bill Simmons Podcast. “Giannis, Embiid, or [Donovan] Mitchell will be on that team a year from now.”
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Simmons is referencing Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo, Sixers center Joel Embiid and Cavaliers Donovan Mitchell. Of the three, Mitchell has been connected to New York, and was reportedly almost a Knick in 2022 before the Jazz traded him to Cleveland, but he is set to hit free agency in the 2026 offseason unless he opts out a year earlier.
However, Antetokounmpo and Embiid have been linked to New York if their current situations fizzle out. Antetokounmpo has the same contract situation as Mitchell, while Embiid has an extra year remaining on his current deal.
For now, the Knicks are led by Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle as they try to take the next step in the Eastern Conference. However, if they can’t make that leap, New York could be an attractive destination for whichever star next becomes available.
