The New York Knicks have surrounded guard Jalen Brunson with his best college teammates for the past two seasons, and now they’re shaping up to be one of the NBA’s most cohesive groups next season with the Villanova collective.
What started with the 2022 signing of Brunson, the Knicks traded for Josh Hart later that season to pair them up for a playoff run. They added another key piece from Villanova the following offseason by signing Donte DiVincenzo, who would have his best season as a pro and break the Knicks’ record for most three-pointers in a single season in his first year in the Big Apple.
New York wasn’t done reassembling the group that won an NCAA championship in 2016, as the team reportedly traded for Mikal Bridges this offseason to add to what already looks like a championship-caliber roster. Now, the Knicks have several go-to options and four players who already have experience sharing the floor. Somewhere, Jay Wright is smiling as he watches this unfold.
They’ll all be led by Brunson, a National College Player of the Year with Villanova in 2018. Since then, he’s blossomed into a bonafide NBA superstar, coming off a season in which he averaged 28.7 points, was named an All-Star for the first time, and was named to the All-NBA Second Team.
The rest of the guys have continued to grow as well, with Bridges now serving as the Knicks’ third option on offense and a defensive bulwark on the opposite end. DiVincenzo and Hart, who both saw their roles expanded last season amid a glut of injuries on the roster, will now lead the second unit, making New York one of the deepest teams in the league.
Along with the Villanova guys, the Knicks have other key pieces to mesh well with, most notably fellow All-Star Julius Randle and defensive threat OG Anunoby. The immense talent throughout the roster makes them a team to fear, as they have a legitimate chance to unseat the champion Boston Celtics from the pinnacle of the NBA world.