It's time for the New York Knicks to look ahead to next season and most importantly, gear up to try and repeat as NBA champions. 

Looking at their roster now as well as looking back on their season reveals some players from 2025-26 and one new addition that will have huge roles than will determine the Knicks' trajectory in a rapidly changing Eastern Conference and play a large part in determining if New York has a dynasty on it's hands. 

Starting with the obvious, the Knicks live and die by what Jalen Brunson is capable of on the court, especially during the clutch. 

Throughout the Knicks' many comebacks throughout their playoff run, especially against the San Antonio Spurs in the Finals, late game performances from Brunson often defined the viability of Knicks' comebacks. 

Of course, his slow starts in the first four games of the series were also big factors in the Knicks falling behind in those Finals games in the first place and it's clear that Brunson's performance plays a big part in setting the tone for the rest of the team.

For the Knicks to continue to compete at a high level both in the regular season and the playoffs, their captain will have to keep up the superstar transformation that he's undergone and continue to be their offensive engine. 

Moving on from New York's first option to it's second, Karl-Anthony Towns has possibly the most pivotal role on the team as it's physical leader and defensive pillar. 

In a team relatively bereft of size, Towns' singular role as the starting center is all the more crucial. He proved in his matchups against Victor Wembanyama, especially in the first two games of the Finals, that he can deliver the kind of hard-hitting defense required of his position.

Keeping that kind of play up while maintaining his proficiency as a three-point shooting big will be huge for both Towns as a player and the Knicks as a whole. 

Mikal Bridges dispelled any and all controversy regarding the draft picks that it took to bring him to the Knicks with the way that he performed in the playoffs and now the Knicks need Bridges more than ever to replicate that performance all season long. 

He had a relatively lackluster regular season, averaging 14.4 points, his lowest scoring average since his sophomore season, with 3.7 rebounds and 3.7 assists. He made up for that with his reliability as he played all 82 games of the season and when the playoffs came around, Bridges seemed like he could not miss. 

He shot 55.9% from the field during the postseason, highest among all guards, and shot 37.5% from three point range.

While it would be unreasonable to expect Bridges to be a 50+% shooter for the entire regular season, if he can get his production back to where it was when he first joined the Knicks, or even up to the heights that he touched with the Brooklyn Nets, then Bridges would truly transform the Knicks into even better contenders than they already are.

The newest Knick may also be one of the most crucial. Andre Drummond was signed primarily to replace the vid left by Mitchell Robinson as the Knicks' backup center and similarly to the Knicks' reliance on Towns, Drummond will play a crucial role in providing additional size to the lineup.

Backing up Towns is a massive role and as Robinson was relied on heavily, so will Drummond. While Drummond is nearing the end of his career, he should still be capable of some crucial production that can give the Knicks life late into games.