New York Knicks 2026-27
The New York Knicks went 53-29 in 2025-26 and ranked 5th in net rating and 7th in defense. The sportsbooks set their 2026-27 win total at 52.5. Our model has them at 51 wins, and our projected record, which weights the line three to one, is 52-30, the No. 1 seed in the East. The model and the line are within five wins of each other, so there's no lean.
The question
Can the defending champions replicate their playoff form over the regular season, and can Drummond replace Mitchell Robinson's defense behind Towns?
Projected starters
Reporting confidence: high.
Bench rotation
Andre Drummond · Mohamed Diawara
Players at 1.73 or better on AQI
- Karl-Anthony Towns 2.34
- Jalen Brunson 2.16
- OG Anunoby 2.02
- Miles McBride 1.96
Top-three salaries, 2025-26 games
Karl-Anthony Towns 75; OG Anunoby 67; Jalen Brunson 74 (88% of possible games)
Injuries
No significant injuries reported.
Roster and contracts
| Player | Pos | Age | 2026-27 salary | AQI | AQI season | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Karl-Anthony Towns | C | 30 | $57.1M | 2.34 | 2025-26 | |
| OG Anunoby | F | 29 | $42.5M | 2.02 | 2025-26 | |
| Jalen Brunson | G | 30 | $37.7M | 2.16 | 2025-26 | |
| Mikal Bridges | G | 30 | $33.5M | 1.02 | 2025-26 | |
| Josh Hart | G | 31 | $20.9M | 0.97 | 2025-26 | |
| Jose Alvarado | G | 28 | $4.5M | 0.14 | 2025-26 | |
| Miles McBride | G | 26 | $4.0M | 1.96 | 2025-26 | |
| Pacome Dadiet | F | 21 | $3.0M | — | ||
| Tyler Kolek | G | 25 | $2.3M | — | ||
| Ochai Agbaji | G | 26 | — | -0.96 | 2024-25 | |
| Jaden AkinsRookie | G | 23 | — | — | ||
| Tony Bradley | C | 28 | — | — | ||
| Bruce Brown | G | 30 | — | -0.28 | 2025-26 | |
| Jordan Clarkson | G | 34 | — | 0.89 | 2025-26 | |
| Mohamed Diawara | F | 21 | — | — | ||
| Andre Drummond | C | 33 | — | -0.49 | 2025-26 | |
| Drew Eubanks | F | 29 | — | — | ||
| Kevin McCullar Jr. | G | 25 | — | — | ||
| Tyler NickelRookie | F | 23 | — | — | ||
| Landry Shamet | G | 29 | — | 1.38 | 2025-26 | |
| James Wiseman | C | 25 | — | — |
AQI is a player's on-court net rating × usage × (true shooting ÷ 0.550): his 2025-26 number if he played 1,000 minutes, otherwise his latest 1,500-minute season. Highlighted players are at or above 1.73, the floor every champion's best player has cleared. Salaries and injury designations from ESPN as of October 13, 2026.
Common questions
What is the New York Knicks win total for 2026-27?
The median win total across BetMGM, DraftKings, Caesars, bet365 and BetRivers is 52.5 (BetMGM 52.5 · BetRivers 52.5 · Caesars 51.5 · DraftKings 52.5 · bet365 52.5).
How many games will the Knicks win in 2026-27?
DataDunkNBA projects 52-30. The model and the line are within five wins of each other, so there's no lean.
Who is injured for the Knicks?
No significant injuries were reported as of October 13, 2026.
East projected standings
| Seed | Team | Line | Our record |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York Knicks | 52.5 | 52-30 |
| 2 | Boston Celtics | 51.5 | 52-30 |
| 3 | Detroit Pistons | 48.5 | 50-32 |
| 4 | Philadelphia 76ers | 50.5 | 48-34 |
| 5 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 48.5 | 48-34 |
| 6 | Toronto Raptors | 46.5 | 46-36 |
| 7 | Miami Heat | 46.5 | 45-37 |
| 8 | Orlando Magic | 43.5 | 43-39 |
| 9 | Atlanta Hawks | 43.5 | 43-39 |
| 10 | Charlotte Hornets | 38.5 | 40-42 |
| 11 | Indiana Pacers | 43.5 | 40-42 |
| 12 | Washington Wizards | 34.5 | 32-50 |
| 13 | Chicago Bulls | 29.5 | 30-52 |
| 14 | Milwaukee Bucks | 25.5 | 27-55 |
| 15 | Brooklyn Nets | 24.5 | 25-57 |
Read the full reasoning for every team in Vegas vs. the Numbers: our 2026-27 predictions, and how the contender tests work in the four tests preview and the AQI explainer.