Knicks Rival Makes Shocking Announcement

The New York Knicks may have been granted a reprieve when it comes to one of their rivalries in the Eastern Conference.

Indiana Pacers point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who starred for the team as its leading scorer throughout the playoffs, has been ruled out for the entire 2025-26 campaign after tearing his Achilles tendon in Game 7 of the NBA Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Pacers president of basketball operations Kevin Pritchard spoke to reporters about Haliburton's injury.

"I have no doubt that he will be back better than ever... He will not play next year though," Pritchard said h/t WISH-TV. "We would not jeopardize that now. Don't get any hopes up that he will play."

The only team that performed better in the Eastern Conference this past season than the Knicks was the Pacers, so losing their top player for the entire year opens things up for New York.

In theory, the Knicks should be considered one of the favorites to represent the East in the NBA Finals next season, but there's a lot that goes into where they will stack up in the standings.

Other teams like the Detroit Pistons, Cleveland Cavaliers and Orlando Magic could make serious runs after making some adjustments during the offseason, but the Knicks are as good as any team in the conference at this point.

New York will need to improve and fix some problems, but there are some solutions put in place. For starters, the team fired Tom Thibodeau and hired Mike Brown, a head coach with experience participating in the NBA Finals. They also signed Jordan Clarkson and Guerschon Yabusele to boost their depth, giving them another player to work with both in the backcourt and frontcourt.