Sacramento Kings head coach Mike Brown instructs his players against the Atlanta Hawks. Mandatory Credit: Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

Insider Questions Knicks Upcoming Rotation

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Aug 19, 2025 7:00 AM ET

The New York Knicks are figuring out what their rotation will look like going into the upcoming season.

With new head coach Mike Brown in charge, there are a lot of scenarios that could take place. The Athletic insider James Edwards III took a stab at what he thinks the Knicks will run during the regular season.

"My hunch is that Brown will consistently use a nine-man rotation. Here is who I think it will consist of: [Jalen] Brunson, [Mikal] Bridges, [OG] Anunoby, [Karl-Anthony] Towns, [Josh] Hart, [Mitchell] Robinson, Miles McBride, [Jordan] Clarkson and [Guerschon] Yabusele," Edwards wrote.

"I don’t think the Knicks have the depth to go 10 deep, though it may benefit the organization to find occasional minutes for someone like Pacôme Dadiet. New York could still use a backup point guard, as I view McBride more as an off-ball guard. However, if the Knicks were to use their final veteran-minimum spot on Landry Shamet, which I’m led to believe is a real possibility, McBride will likely be the backup point guard."

Atlanta Hawks forward Jalen Johnson drives to the basket against New York Knicks guard Miles McBride Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Knicks are in need of a deeper rotation after seeing a few of their top players struggle towards the end of the season and playoffs. That was a big reason why the Knicks made the difficult decision to fire Tom Thibodeau and bring in Brown to replace him.

Brown employs a more typical nine or 10-man rotation and the Knicks made the moves in the offseason to ensure that they had enough capable players that could tackle playoff minutes.

The Knicks are hoping that these changes will be what they need in order to remain one of the top contenders in the Eastern Conference, especially the additions of Yabusele and Clarkson, who both signed with the team in free agency.

Having Yabusele and Clarkson come off the bench will be a major relief for players like Hart, Bridges and Anunoby, all of whom were among the top players in minutes in the league last season.

If this relief can give them fresher legs for the playoffs, the Knicks might have what it takes to reach the NBA Finals and possibly win it all.

This article first appeared on New York Knicks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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