NBA All-star ‘confident' that New York Knicks will make title run next season
On Saturday, the Indiana Pacers ended the Eastern Conference Finals by knocking out the New York Knicks. With that loss, New York's hopes of winning their first championship in 50 years came to an end. But Knicks guard Jalen Brunson isn't giving up. He strongly believes the team can win it all next year.
After the game, Brunson was asked if he thought this Knicks team could make a serious run at the title next season. His answer made it clear how much he trusts this group.
"The most confidence. Overconfident. Seriously," Brunson said. "There's not an ounce of any type of doubt that I'm not confident with this group."
Brunson had a great series, averaging 30.6 points across the six games against the Pacers. Still, losing in the East finals was tough, especially for a Knicks team that showed so much promise all year.
The front office made several big moves before the 2024–25 season to build a roster ready to compete. They re-signed starting forward OG Anunoby to a five-year, $212.5 million deal in July, making him the second-highest-paid player on the team. In September, the Knicks traded three-time All-Star Julius Randle to the Minnesota Timberwolves. In return, they got veteran center Karl-Anthony Towns as part of a three-team deal.
While teams like the Pacers and Thunder stayed under the luxury tax, the Knicks spent big. Their payroll was the fourth-highest in the league at just under $189 million—more than $18 million over the tax line. Towns was the highest-paid Knick this season at $49.2 million, followed by Anunoby at $36.6 million.
Also Read: Pacers beat Knicks 125-108 in Game 6 to reach NBA Finals for the second time in franchise history
With Mikal Bridges joining the core group, the Knicks had four key starters all performing well. Brunson led the way with 26 points per game, while Towns averaged a double-double. Anunoby and Bridges both scored in double figures and played more than 36 minutes a game. Josh Hart, who later came off the bench during the East finals, still had a strong season with 13.6 points and 9.6 rebounds per game—almost a double-double himself. The Knicks finished third in the East with a 51-31 record.
In the playoffs, those numbers stayed strong. New York battled hard and earned series wins over the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics before falling short against Indiana.
In the end, it wasn't enough. Once again, the Knicks will be watching the NBA Finals from home. But if you ask Jalen Brunson, there's always next year—and he truly believes it could be their year.
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