Josh Hart and the New York Knicks are the reigning NBA champions, but will face a more challenging path through the Eastern Conference in the coming season, including having to face the new-look Philadelphia 76ers. With the Knicks returning most of their core roster, including all five starters, they're still considered among the top contenders to win it all, but the 76ers are right there with them, as far as the early odds to capture the championship. Hart shared his reaction to LeBron James joining Philadelphia this offseason in a free agency signing that occurred weeks after the team acquired Jaylen Brown via trade with the Boston Celtics.
"It fits them very well in terms of his style of play," Hart said. "Obviously, that adds another piece that we gotta try to gameplan for, to already having to gameplan for Jaylen Brown, two new pieces." "We've been having to gameplan for Joel [Embiid] and Tyrese [Maxey] for the past couple of years we've had to play them in the playoffs, so it adds more complexity to their roster, and they got better," he admitted on Yahoo Sports Daily. More news: Jayson Tatum’s Father Rips Celtics Roster After Jaylen Brown Trade The Knicks won this past season's championship, adding the franchise's first in over 50 years.
Their playoff run included sweeping the Philadelphia 76ers, who at the time had Embiid and Maxey playing, in the second round. Now the 76ers have added Brown and James to that starting lineup, which also includes talented young guard VJ Edgecombe. Some believe that gives the 76ers the edge over the Eastern Conference this coming season, since they have four All Stars in the starting five.
They also have two players who have won championships with Brown and James, as well as two league MVPs. James won the award four times, while Embiid won it once. For 2026-27, New York is back with the majority of the team that won last year's title, sans Mitchell Robinson, who joined the Celtics this offseason.
The Knicks begin their challenging championship defense with their banner-hoisting night on Oct. 20, when they'll also host that new-look 76ers team featuring James. And that game could provide an early measuring stick for both teams, to see how they stack up against one another, although other teams are also waiting in the wings to take them down, including the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Boston Celtics. More news: Angel Reese Makes WNBA History in Record-Setting Performance Against Sparks For more about the NBA, head over to Newsweek Sports.
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