Five bold (and not-so-bold) Knicks predictions for 2025

If 2024 felt like the best year for the New York Knicks in more than 30 years, 2025 is shaping up to be even better.

A week into the new calendar year, New York is the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference with room to grow. All of the Knicks’ goals are ahead of them. Their starters, despite playing significantly more minutes than any other five-man group in the NBA, have remained relatively healthy. The beginning of the Earth’s current revolution feels like it could be fruitful for New York faithful.

And yet, even with the forward momentum, no one knows what’s ahead for the Knicks. Well, no one except me … Jamestradamus.

Here are five (bold and not-so-bold) predictions for New York in 2025.

1. The Knicks won’t make a trade of significance until the summer — at the earliest

My gut has told me, and continues to tell me, that New York will use this entire season as an evaluation period. If it comes with a trip to the Eastern Conference finals or beyond, great. However, it feels right now that the Knicks will reassess and make significant tweaks around the margins after the season.

I don’t necessarily think that is the route they want to take, though. It’s the situation they find themselves in with so much money tied to the starters, as well as Mitchell Robinson, the only other player with a hefty contract, possibly not playing in a game before the Feb. 6 trade deadline. The long-term injury to Robinson has New York in a bit of a jam. If healthy, the team very much could use his services as an elite rim protector and lob threat. They could use the depth. With that said, the team also has to strongly consider drawing a line in the sand for a player who is rarely available.

As far as non-player assets go, the most enticing chips — and I use “enticing” loosely — the Knicks can offer another team is a 2026 first-round pick swap and 2030 first-round pick swap. If the Knicks aren’t a top-four team in the East in 2026, something went really wrong. Teams I’ve talked to around the league don’t value that asset at all as of right now. The 2030 swap, though, is far enough to where a team could talk itself into it and is deemed to have differing degrees of value by rival teams. Other teams, however, have more to offer than the Knicks for good role players.

The 2030 pick swap WITH a healthy Robinson and the expiring contract of Precious Achiuwa might move the needle for a rival team or two, while also allowing New York to take in $20 million in salary to bolster its bench. Yet, there hasn’t been any real indication that Robinson will be back on the floor anytime soon. Head coach Tom Thibodeau said the other day that Robinson hasn’t even been cleared for sprinting as of yet.

Maybe I’ll end up being wrong. Right now, though, I don’t see it.

2. The Knicks won’t make it to the Eastern Conference finals this season

Don’t hate me, New Yorkers. I just think the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers are destined to be the top teams in the East come the postseason, and their continuity is a big reason why.

I do think the Knicks will face one of these two squads in the semifinals and give them a good fight, but end up losing in six or seven games. The Cavaliers have no real weaknesses, and the Celtics are the defending champs who I believe will get back to that level when the postseason comes.

New York feels a year away from being the team the front office envisioned when it went all out to acquire both Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns. As I mentioned above, I think it’ll take one more offseason to get there.

Again, please don’t hate me.

3. New York will be the No. 1 seed in the East by the end of 2025

Hopefully, I’ve got you back on my side, Knicks fans.

My prediction is that the Celtics will win back-to-back titles and not have the same hunger to begin next season. From there, after a year and change of the Knicks playing together, with some bench upgrades in the offseason, New York will have the bona fide best team in the East by Dec. 31.

There are too many weapons offensively. The defense will be improved because Thibodeau will know the best way to utilize Towns on that end, and Bridges will have a year under his belt in his role. Furthermore, I believe the bench will be upgraded and used more.

The Knicks will enter 2026 as the No. 1 seed in the East. Book it.

4. Bridges will sign a four-year, $156 million contract extension this year

There was a point where I wondered if Bridges would want to sign a long-term contract — or if the Knicks would want him to. But, yeah, that thought came and went very quickly.

Bridges has been really good the last two months. And while very few players are worth a handful of first-round picks, Bridges has settled in well and been a positive longer than he was a negative for the team.

Surely, the Knicks and Bridges had a wink-wink deal in place when he turned down a two-year, $60 million extension before the season started. New York almost has no choice but to extend Bridges, and I’d be surprised if it’s not for that max number allowed.

Bridges fits in well alongside the likes of Jalen Brunson and Towns. He’ll be 29 by the start of next season. He’s got familiar faces and support with him in New York.

This feels like the biggest no-brainer prediction so far.

5. Both Brunson and Towns will be All-NBA players this season

Towns has been the best big man in the East. And for a player who has had a decorated offensive career, this season has been his best. He’s shooting a career best from the field and from 3, and he is the league’s leading rebounder. He’s a lock for one of the All-NBA teams. I’m confident saying that in January, barring injury.

Brunson might have a tougher time getting on one of the three teams — primarily due to the noise around him not being as loud —  but I think he’s having a better season than most people appear to give him credit for. Brunson’s efficiency across the board is better than it was a year ago, when he was a top-five MVP candidate. His points are down, which is expected given that the Knicks added Towns and Bridges this offseason, but his assists are up, which is also expected.

When the dust settles, and when New York ends the season as a top-three team in the East, I think both Towns and Brunson earn the postseason honor.

(Top photo of Jalen Brunson: Stephen Gosling / NBAE via Getty Images)