New York Knicks Roster 2025: Full Breakdown of the Team

The New York Knicks roster pulled off the kind of offseason that makes you wonder if someone slipped something into Leon Rose's coffee. First, they shocked their own fans by trading with their crosstown rivals, bringing Mikal Bridges over from Brooklyn in exchange for Bojan Bogdanovic and a treasure chest of first-round picks. Bridges isn't just another New York Knicks players, he's the kind of two-way wing who can guard the opponent's best scorer while knocking down clutch threes, perfectly complementing OG Anunoby's defensive prowess. The trade sent Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo packing to the Minnesota Lynx, and suddenly the Knicks had a legitimate superstar big man who can stretch the floor like few centers in the league.

Of course, swinging for the fences means striking out on some fan favorites. Isaiah Hartenstein, who had quietly become the heart and soul of the team's gritty identity, took his talents to the Oklahoma City Thunder for a three-year, $87 million payday that the Knicks simply couldn't match. Losing Hartenstein stung; he was one of those players who made you believe in the team even when the box score didn't look pretty.

But now the Knicks have a starting five that looks like something out of a video game: Jalen Brunson orchestrating the offense, Josh Hart doing all the dirty work, Bridges and Anunoby forming a defensive wall that opposing wings have nightmares about, and Towns providing the kind of shooting and scoring punch from the center position that teams dream about. The pressure is squarely on Tom Thibodeau's shoulders now, he's got the pieces to compete with the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers, but can he make them fit together when the lights are brightest? In this article we will discuss about New York Knicks roster, New York Knicks players, New York Knicks basketball players, and many more.

New York Knicks Roster 2025

The New York Knicks proved something during the 2024-25 season that felt almost too good to be true for long-suffering fans, they weren't just another "scrappy" team anymore. After years of watching games through their fingers, Knicks fans finally got to see their team win 51 games and actually look like they belonged in the playoffs. Meanwhile, Mikal Bridges brought that suffocating defense that had opposing scorers checking over their shoulders all season long.

What made this Knicks team different was how they'd finally cracked the code of modern basketball. No more hoping role New York Knicks basketball players would magically become stars, they had Karl-Anthony Towns stretching the floor, OG Anunoby locking down wings, and Josh Hart doing all the dirty work that championship teams need. The Eastern Conference learned the hard way that this wasn't the same old Knicks team that would fold under pressure. After decades of disappointment, the Knicks had quietly built something real, a 51-win season that felt like the beginning of something bigger, not just another false start in franchise history. In the table below, we have presented the New York Knicks roster for 2025:

New York Knicks Key Players

The New York Knicks transformed into genuine contenders in 2025 with the New York Knicks players Karl-Anthony Towns, Jalen Brunson, and OG Anunoby - a trio that perfectly balanced individual excellence with team-first mentality. Towns, who arrived via blockbuster trade, brought the floor-spacing and offensive versatility that unlocked the Knicks' system, while Brunson's steady leadership and ice-cold fourth-quarter performances became the heartbeat of their playoff push. What made this group special wasn't just their talent, but how they seemed to feed off each other's energy - Towns finding his rhythm in the Garden's atmosphere, Brunson embracing the pressure that comes with being the face of a starved franchise, and Anunoby quietly doing the dirty work that championship teams require.

The team absorbed Brunson's blue-collar mentality, playing with a grit and unselfishness that made their deep playoff run feel inevitable rather than surprising. Though they ultimately fell short of their championship dreams, this group proved that star power paired with authentic team chemistry could revive the mystique of Knicks basketball and give their long-suffering fanbase something real to believe in again.

#1: Karl-Anthony Towns (24.4 PPG)

Karl-Anthony Towns has been the missing piece the Knicks never knew they desperately needed. After watching other teams' big men torch them from deep for years, New York finally got their own walking mismatch. Towns put up 24.4 points and 12.8 rebounds while casually knocking down 42% of his threes - the kind of numbers that make you wonder how Minnesota ever let him go. But honestly, it's not just the stats that matter here.

Towns walked into the Garden and immediately got it. He understood what it means to play for this franchise, embracing every bit of the madness that comes with wearing orange and blue. The moment that said everything? When he dropped 44 points against the Miami Heat early in the season - the most by a Knicks center since Patrick Ewing back in '95. The crowd went absolutely insane, and you could feel something shift in the building. Suddenly, this wasn't just another season of false hope. Towns didn't just join a basketball team; he helped bring back that feeling Knicks fans had been chasing for decades. Sometimes the right player in the right place really can change everything.

#2: Jalen Brunson (26.0 PPG)

Jalen Brunson has become everything the Knicks hoped for and more, putting up a monster 26.0 points and 7.3 assists per game while shooting a crisp 38.3% from three. But here's what the numbers don't tell you: this guy just gets it. He walked into Madison Square Garden and immediately understood the weight of wearing that jersey, the pressure that comes with being the face of a franchise that hasn't won anything meaningful in decades. Brunson doesn't just score - he controls games like a seasoned veteran, slowing things down when the crowd gets too loud, speeding up when the moment calls for it.

His clutch gene is absolutely ridiculous; ask any Knicks fan about those fourth-quarter daggers and watch their eyes light up. The crazy part? He's only getting better. After making his first All-Star team and earning All-NBA Second Team honors, Brunson followed it up by winning Clutch Player of the Year, proving that sometimes the best leaders aren't the loudest ones in the room.

#3: OG Anunoby (18.0 PPG)

OG Anunoby has quietly become the glue that holds this Knicks team together, averaging 18.0 points and 4.8 rebounds while shooting a solid 37.2% from three. But honestly, those numbers don't even scratch the surface of what he brings to New York. This guy is the ultimate "your favorite player's favorite player" - the kind of dude who'll guard the other team's best scorer for 36 minutes a night, hit clutch threes when nobody's looking, and never say a word about it. Anunoby's defense is genuinely elite; he can switch onto anyone from point guards to power forwards and make their lives miserable.

What makes him special, though, is how he's expanded his offensive game since coming to the Knicks. He's not just a corner three specialist anymore, he's driving hard to the rim, finishing through contact, and creating his own shot when needed. The quiet intensity he brings perfectly complements Brunson's leadership and Towns' star power. Sometimes the best New York Knicks players are the ones who just make everyone else better.

New York Knicks Draft Picks 2025

The New York Knicks draft picks for 2025 is Mohamed Diawara, a forward from France, with the 51st overall pick in the second round. The Knicks originally held the 50th pick but executed a minor trade with the Los Angeles Clippers to move down one spot. It's also worth noting that the 2025 NBA Draft featured only 59 picks instead of the usual 60 in the second round, as the Knicks forfeited their own 2025 second-round pick due to a tampering violation related to their signing of Jalen Brunson in 2022. Let's take a look at why the New York Knicks draft picks for 2025 is Mohamed Diawara.

Mohamed Diawara (Forward)

Diawara, standing at 6'9" with a 7'4" wingspan, is considered a developmental prospect with significant defensive potential. He has professional experience playing in France and won a gold medal with the French Under-20 EuroBasket team. While he may not contribute immediately, the Knicks are hoping his size, athleticism, and defensive versatility will make him a valuable long-term asset, potentially developing in the G-League initially.

Mohamed Diawara, a forward recently drafted by the New York Knicks, has primarily built his resume through international club play and youth national team competitions. In the 2024-25 season with Cholet Basket in LNB Élite (France), he averaged around 5.8 points, 3.1 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 27 games. He also played in the FIBA Europe Cup, averaging 6.8 points and 3.1 rebounds. On the international stage, Diawara has been a consistent contributor for France's youth teams, winning a bronze medal at the 2022 FIBA U17 Basketball World Cup and participating in the 2024 FIBA U20 EuroBasket, where he averaged 7 points and 3.7 rebounds.

New York Knicks Season Expectations

The New York Knicks entered the 2025 season with genuine championship dreams with a well-calculated New York Knicks roster, and damn, it felt good to finally mean it. After finishing 51-31 and snagging the third seed in the East, this team actually delivered on all that preseason talk that usually turns into heartbreak by February. The trades for Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges weren't just moves - they were the front office finally saying, "we're done being a punchline." What made this season different was how it felt watching games.

No more nervous energy wondering when the wheels would fall off, no more bracing for the inevitable fourth-quarter meltdowns that haunted so many seasons before. The Garden was alive again, packed with fans who'd been kicked in the teeth so many times they'd forgotten what hope actually looked like. Sure, losing to the Indiana Pacers in the Conference Finals hurt like crazy, but this wasn't about moral victories or "building for the future" anymore. The Knicks proved they could run with the big dogs, and after years of being the league's favorite disaster story, that meant everything to a fanbase that never stopped believing something special was coming.