How Knicks built NBA Finals roster, from Karl-Anthony Towns trade to gambling on Jalen Brunson

The New York Knicks' return to the NBA Finals is a long time coming, as the team had a tough two-and-a-half decades in between now and their last Finals appearance.

Knicks president Leon Rose took over the team in the winter of 2019 and helped slowly build the team up from being the worst team in the NBA. Over time, New York was able to accumulate talent, draft capital and cap space, then consolidate those assets to build a team capable of winning the NBA title.

The 2026 Knicks NBA Finals roster is very different from the one that Rose had when he took over, and it's because New York made calculated moves over time. Now, with the Knicks four wins away from securing the title, New York can breathe knowing the roster is full of talent and experience.

Here's a breakdown of how the Knicks built their 2026 NBA Finals team.

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How the Knicks were built

The Knicks were mainly built through a few different avenues. Of New York's five best players, none were drafted by the team and four of the five came via trade. However, the depth of the team shows how well New York drafted over the past several years.

Drafting Mitchell Robinson

Date: June 21, 2018

The longest-tenured player on the Knicks roster is Mitchell Robinson, who is also the only player remaining from the team's rosters before 2021-22. Robinson was a raw, young center who didn't play college basketball, but had the size and athleticism to go with the No. 36 overall pick in the second round.

Robinson is the best Knicks development story of the last two decades, as he needed a lot of time and help to get to where he is today. Under multiple head coaches, Robinson has become a stalwart on defense and a rebounding machine, even though he has dealt with injuries throughout his career.

Signing Jalen Brunson

Date: June 3, 2022

A year after breaking their postseason drought, the Knicks took a step back and missed the playoffs in 2021-22. To counter, New York signed Jalen Brunson to a four-year, $104 million deal in free agency as the point guard was coming off a career year with the Dallas Mavericks.

In order to sign Brunson, the Knicks had to clear payroll ahead of free agency. On draft night, New York sent Nerlens Noel and Alec Burks along with draft picks and $6 million to the Detroit Pistons, getting back very little in return.

The Knicks are trading center Nerlens Noel and guard Alec Burks to the Pistons, sources tell ESPN. The Knicks will unload $19M more in salary, clearing the way for cap space to try and sign free agent guard Jalen Brunson.

Brunson was so good that the team signed him to a four-year, $156.5 million extension, with Brunson leaving some money on the table so the team could add talent elsewhere.

MORE: Revisiting 1999 Knicks playoff run led by Patrick Ewing, Allan Houston

Josh Hart trade

Date: February 9, 2023

In Brunson's first year with the team, the Knicks were on pace to return to the playoffs and needed reinforcements at the trade deadline. New York then acquired Josh Hart from the Portland Trail Blazers in a multi-team deal, adding a versatile defensive piece to the team.

Hart and Brunson are good friends from their Villanova days, so he added instant chemistry as well. Hart was such a seamless fit with New York that he ended up signing a four-year, $81 million deal extension with the Knicks in the offseason. 

Knicks acquire: Josh Hart

Trail Blazers acquire: Cam Reddish, Ryan Arcidiacano, protected first-round pick

Hornets acquire: Svi Mykhailiuk

OG Anunoby trade

Date: December 30, 2023

Once it became clear that Brunson was the Knicks' franchise player, New York went to work to perfect his supporting cast. First up, the Knicks traded RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley, two former first-round picks who were key parts of the team's revival, in order to acquire OG Anunoby from the Toronto Raptors.

Anunoby was the best player on a bad Raptors team and was set to hit free agency at the end of the year. The Knicks jumped the trade market, getting Anunoby right before the New Year, and got an elite defensive player who fit perfectly on both ends of the floor with Brunson.

Anunoby battled injuries in that half-season, but his play was enough for the Knicks to give him a five-year, $212.5 million deal in free agency.

Knicks acquire: OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa, Malachi Flynn

Raptors acquire: RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, 2024 second-round pick

Mikal Bridges trade

Date: July 6, 2024

The Knicks kept all of their draft capital in hopes of making a move for a superstar, and New York finally cashed in with the Mikal Bridges trade. In the Summer of 2024, New York sent five of its own first-round picks as part of a package to acquire Mikal Bridges, pairing Brunson and Hart with another Villanova grad.

Bridges has not had the smoothest Knicks career, but his defense has been at his best in each of the last two playoffs. The forward also gave the Knicks a secondary ball handler to manage when Brunson was on the bench. New York signed Bridges to a four-year, $150 million extension that begins in 2026-27.

Knicks acquire: Mikal Bridges, Keita Bates-Diop, 2026 second-round pick

Nets acquire: 2025 first-round pick, protected 2025 first-round pick via Bucks, 2025 second-round pick, 2027 first-round pick, 2029 first-round pick, 2031 first-round pick, 2028 first-round pick swap, Bojan Bogdanovic, Mamadi Diakite, Shake Milton

MORE: Where Knicks' dominant run ranks among longest playoff win streaks in league history

Karl-Anthony Towns trade

Date: September 27, 2024

The biggest Knicks move after signing Brunson was trading for Karl-Anthony Towns. While Julius Randle was at the center of the Knicks' resurgence since signing with the team in the Summer of 2019, New York decided he wasn't the best fit with Brunson. Donte DiVincenzo, meanwhile, was traded as well despite one strong year in New York and that same Villanova chemistry.

In return, Towns gave the Knicks a unique talent to pair with Brunson. Towns' shooting and passing abilities gave the Knicks versatility, and after struggling on defense in 2024-25, Towns improved significantly this year to produce one of the best all-around years of his career.

Towns is in the middle of a four-year, $220 million deal that Minnesota wanted to unload, but the Knicks' decision to take on the contract has paid off.

Knicks acquire: Karl-Anthony Towns

Timberwolves acquire: Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo, protected 2025 first-round pick via Pistons

Drafting Deuce McBride

Date: July 29, 2021

While the Knicks consolidated many of their successful draft picks to build this team, they did keep Deuce McBride around. The guard is a strong defender who stretches the floor with his shooting and is a key member of New York's bench.

After trading Quickley and Barrett to Toronto, the Knicks immediately signed McBride to a three-year, $13 million deal, which proved to be a steal for the guard's production.

Other savvy moves

Signing Landry Shamet: In each of the last two offseason, the Knicks signed Landry Shamet to non-roster invites to training camp. Both times, Shamet played his way onto a full-season contract, and he is now one of the most important pieces of the Knicks' bench.

Signing Jordan Clarkson: Clarkson signed with the Knicks on a one-year, $3.6 million free agency deal and was New York's only big player acquisition of the 2025 offseason.

Trading for Jose Alvarado: At the trade deadline, the Knicks acquired Jose Alvarado from the New Orleans Pelicans for Dalen Terry and two second-round picks. The New York native is Brunson's backup point guard and provides energy off the bench.

Signing Jeremy Sochan: The Spurs released Sochan in the middle of the year, and New York picked him up on a rest-of-season contract for depth.

Other draft picks

While the Knicks team is largely built on trades, a few bench pieces came from the most recent draft classes. Those players include:

• Pacome Dadiet (2024 first-round pick)
• Tyler Kolek (2024 second-round pick)
• Kevin McCullar Jr. (2024 second-round pick)
• Ariel Hukporti (2024 second-round pick)
• Mohamed Diawara (2025 second-round pick)

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Knicks roster for 2026 NBA Finals