Could Knicks Threaten Thunder in Hypothetical NBA Finals?

The 2025 playoffs weren't the time for the New York Knicks to reach the NBA Finals, but with Tyrese Haliburton missing the entire next season for the Indiana Pacers, they are one of the frontrunners in the Eastern Conference.

New York is running it back with the core of Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, but it also made some moves. It signed Jordan Clarkson to a one-year contract in free agency, while firing coach Tom Thibodeau to hire Mike Brown. There's continuity on the roster, but things are going to look different under Brown's leadership.

That should keep the Knicks as contenders, though. The Boston Celtics are also reeling with injuries and were forced to make trades in the offseason, so there's a wide-open path for a team to reach the finals. New York was merely two games away from facing the Oklahoma City Thunder last time around, so who's to say they can't make it there next time?

A Thunder vs Knicks series in 2026 would be an intriguing one. Oklahoma City would be the favorites given that it's the reigning champion and boasts the league's MVP, but New York would certainly put up a fighting chance. Not only does it have elite scorers in Brunson and Towns, but it also has a lot of depth with strong wing defenders that could match up well with the likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams.

This hypothetical series could be competitive, with the potential to stretch to six or seven games if the cards fall right. The Thunder will be a tough team to knock off the pedestal for any team that goes against it — and its young roster might lend itself to improving even more this year. The last postseason run could just be the start of a long run of success for Oklahoma City.

Looking at the landscape of the East, the Knicks will probably have one of the more compelling opportunities to give the Thunder a run for its money. There are some question marks given they have a new coach and failed to perform late in the Pacers series, but the talent is surely prevalent enough to give them a chance.