Knicks Retain Championship Starters, Add Andre Drummond for 2026-27 Title Defense

After snapping a 53-year title drought in 2026, the New York Knicks retained their entire starting lineup but lost center Mitchell Robinson to the Boston Celtics.

The New York Knicks enter the 2026-27 season as defending champions after ending a 53-year title drought in 2026. According to ESPN, the franchise retained all five starters from the championship squad but lost backup center Mitchell Robinson to the Boston Celtics, who signed him to a deal worth over $15 million per season. To fill the vacancy behind Karl-Anthony Towns, the Knicks signed veteran Andre Drummond while securing bench depth by re-signing Jordan Clarkson, Jose Alvarado, Landry Shamet, and Mohamed Diawara.

Financial constraints influenced the roster changes, as owner James Dolan stated the team would not exceed the NBA's punitive second apron despite a franchise valuation of nearly $10 billion. Zach Kram of ESPN assigned the offseason a B- grade, noting that while Alvarado and Shamet signed high-value contracts, the transition from Robinson to Drummond represents a depth downgrade. The Knicks led the 2026 postseason in 3-point shooting and held opponents to a league-low 31% from beyond the arc during their title run.

Karl-Anthony Towns is currently eligible for a four-year, $272 million contract extension. He is coming off a season where he appeared in 75 games, his highest total since 2018-19, and helped lead an offense that ranked first in the playoffs with 120.4 points per 100 possessions. Under coach Mike Brown, the team enters the new campaign ranked No. 3 in the Basketball Power Index.