The New York Knicks are coming off a championship winning season, and based on the moves they've made this offseason, it's clear the franchise is looking to repeat with almost the same roster. 

New York has brought back the likes of Jordan Clarkson and Jose Alvarado, and their one major loss from their rotation was Mitchell Robinson. To replace Robinson is Andre Drummond. Drummond is a veteran player who can provide close to the same level of production as Robinson did in the postseason. 

The Knicks are going to keep their starting lineup of Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, and Karl-Anthony Towns. This was the group of five that got the team so far in the playoffs in the first place, and they will be looking to maintain that same level of production in 2026-2027. 

Off the bench, Landry Shamet earned the role of the sixth man in the postseason. Shamet shot over 90 percent from long range in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers, and if he plays similar to how he played in that series, it will be his role to lose for this team. 

After Shamet gets his run with the starters, Miles McBride, Jordan Clarkson, Jose Alvarado and Andre Drummond will all eventually check into the game. This Knicks bench were hot and cold at times, but did show up for the franchise in its biggest moments. 

Another player looking to emerge on the Knicks' roster is young guard Tyler Kolek. Kolek is entering his second season in the league and showed flashes of being a future rotational piece or pivotal bench piece his rookie season. 

On Christmas Day 2025, he had a breakout performance in which he scored 16 points and 9 assists in 25 minutes to help the Knicks beat the Cavaliers. If Kolek can come into his second season a better player, he would be giving the Knicks a big lift coming off the bench and adding to an already deep backcourt. 

Kolek's emergence could be detrimental to a player like Jordan Clarkson's minutes. Clarkson was not all too productive in 2025-2026, but proved to be a valuable piece in the playoffs as he was a bit of a spark plug for the Knicks. 

New York knows what the task at hand is this season, and for them it's all or nothing. The same group has a chance to do something that has not been done since 2018, repeat a championship season.