"Knicks Aren’t Gonna Get Back": Kevin Durant Disses Jalen Brunson & Co Over Championship Win

Ending a 53-year title drought by beating the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 in the 2026 NBA Finals sent New York Knicks fans into a frenzy and the city into celebration. It was even sweeter because it came against the Spurs, who denied the Knicks a win in their last Finals appearance in 1999. Naturally, it is time to soak it all in. And if Kevin Durant is to be believed, the Knicks should embrace every moment of it.

"I'll tell (Jalen Brunson) to strike the iron while it's hot," Durant said. "This is a time I don't think New Yorkers or the Knicks will get back. ... You don't know if this will come around. It’s been 53 years. It could be another 53-year wait."

Brunson was the biggest reason New York Knicks fans got to taste success after half a century. He averaged 26 ppg and 6.8 apg in the regular season and led them to a dominant 13-game win streak in the post-season, winning the Eastern Conference Finals MVP in the process.

He averaged 28.4 ppg in the Knicks' 4-0 routing of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and then went on to win the Finals MVP in their victory over Victor Wembanyama's Spurs. In the Finals, he averaged 32.6 ppg, 4.6 apg, and 4.2 apg in five games. So, even though Durant took a slight dig at Knicks fans, reminding them that euphoria won't last forever, he had to acknowledge Brunson's greatness.

"I would say take all the opportunities ... I think Jalen has done such a great job of being him every single day stepping up," the Houston Rockets star continued. "His identity is just about grinding from the bottom. ... Right now it's an important time for him and the Knicks."

Looking at how the Eastern Conference is shaping up for next season, there might be some truth behind Durant's sentiments.

While there's no denying that the Knicks have proved to be a strong team after winning the championship, the recent Giannis Antetokounmpo trade to the Miami Heat might shake up the conference. Pairing him with Bam Adebayo, along with any other potential trades yet to happen, would make the Heat a contender. And then there are also rumors of the King returning home.

LeBron James has yet to decide his future, but a return to the Cleveland Cavaliers is on the cards, considering it could be his last year in the league, and going for a title win with the very team that drafted him back in 2003 would make for a fairytale ending.

On top of that, teams that performed well this season but fell short in the playoffs could make some moves and emerge as contenders again, like the Boston Celtics, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the No. 1 seed in the East this season, the Detroit Pistons. All of this comes while the Knicks have been forced to part ways with two of their talents.

Jalen Brunson and the Knicks Set to Lose Two Key Players Next Season

When an NBA team wins a championship, ideally, they'd want to keep the same roster that helped win the gold. However, in the case of the New York Knicks, it appears they won't be able to do so due to the league's second apron rule.

According to NBA insider Sham Charania, both Mitchell Robinson and Landry Shamet can no longer be re-signed by the Knicks. Robinson completed his four-year contract with the team, while Shamet's one-year deal ended in 2026.

Unfortunately for the Knicks, the franchise is already paying 11 of the remaining players on the roster a total of $211 million. They no longer have enough cap space for Robinson and Shamet.

Robinson and Shamet's value as players skyrocketed after a successful title run in New York. Analytics suggest that Robinson is now expected to make $15 million annually, while Shamet could soon be making $8 million a year. Sadly, that's way above what the Knicks can afford at the moment.

New York will need to figure out how to fill the gaps with cheaper players. To replace Robinson, they need a center who is reliable coming off the bench, as Robinson made some key plays in the Finals, including a defensive move on Victor Wembanyama that directly helped the Knicks win Game 2.

Meanwhile, Shamet provided shooting spark for the Knicks off the bench, averaging just about 10 ppg but scoring almost 40% of his shots from downtown. They need a low-cost alternative to that.