3 Knicks Who Have a Foot Out the Door Despite Finals Win

New York Knicks guard Jordan Clarkson (00) reacts against the Los Angeles Lakers in the second half at Crypto.com Arena. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

The New York Knicks are the newly crowned champions of the NBA after defeating the San Antonio Spurs in five games on Saturday night in the 2026 NBA Finals. This title is a long time coming for many Knicks fans. The last time the franchise won a championship was in 1973. 

It’s been 53 long years since the last title, but this current Knicks’ group, led by Finals MVP Jalen Brunson, made the wait that much more special. Brunson added to his Knicks’ lore with a terrific Game 5 as he scored 45 points on an efficient 14-of-27 shooting from the field and 4-of-7 from beyond the arc in 41 minutes.

New York needed all those points from Brunson, as the rest of the team scored 49 points combined. The bench wasn’t a huge factor like it has been in this postseason, scoring only nine points.

Looking ahead to the offseason, which has officially begun, Knicks fans will start to wonder who will be back and who might be playing elsewhere. Guys such as Mitchell Robinson and Landry Shamet, who will be unrestricted free agents, seem likely to be back in New York next season.

Late last month, ESPN’s Tim Bontemps reported that the belief regarding Mitchell and Shamet is that they’ll be back and “likely be on two-year deals,” as the Knicks will be heading back into the second apron.

But how about the few players who might not be playing in Madison Square Garden next season? Let’s talk about those guys below.

1. Jordan Clarkson

With the Knicks already having Jose Alvarado (player option for the 2026-27 season), Tyler Kolek, and Miles McBride locked under contract for another year, plus Shamet’s possible return, the 34-year-old Clarkson could find himself on the outside looking in.

Clarkson signed a one-year, $3.63 million contract last summer with New York after agreeing to a buyout with the Jazz. The veteran guard played okay during the regular season, averaging 7.2 points on 45.1 percent shooting from the field and 32.7 percent from beyond the arc.

However, when the NBA playoffs rolled around, Clarkson’s playing time became more sporadic as he went from 14.5 minutes per game in the first round to 7.5 minutes per game in the Finals.

Now, to his credit, after only playing six minutes in Game 1 against the Spurs and being a DNP in Game 2, Clarkson gave the Knicks a spark off the bench in Game 3. He scored 10 points (4-7 FG, 2-2 3pt), while adding three rebounds and an assist in 13 minutes.

That was the first time in the Knicks' playoff run that he scored in double figures and made at least two threes.

While they’re thankful for his services and veteran qualities, the Knicks can find a guard or wing in this year’s draft class that they can hopefully develop to be a Clarkson — a guy who can score and knock down shots from the perimeter, which has been his calling card in his NBA career.

2. Jeremy Sochan 

New York Knicks forward Jeremy Sochan (20) attends practice during the NBA Finals media day at Frost Bank Center. | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

The former San Antonio Spurs forward joined the Knicks in February after being waived by the Spurs. Sochan didn’t play much for the Knicks in the regular season, averaging 6.9 minutes per game in 16 games.

Sochan also didn’t do much with those minutes, producing a pedestrian 2.8 points and 2.1 rebounds per game. Then, when the postseason started for the Knicks, the former first-round pick found himself at the end of the bench, only coming in during garbage time or for a brief period at the end of a half.

In fact, the most playing time Sochan saw in the playoffs was in the Knicks’ Game 4 blowout win against the Sixers in the Eastern Conference semifinals. He recorded five points, two rebounds, and two assists in nine minutes. The former Spur also played three minutes against his former team in Game 4 of the NBA Finals.

With the Knicks having their frontcourt locked in and three draft picks at their disposal, they could find another forward to develop with better offensive skills than Sochan. Therefore, the 23-year-old will likely find himself wearing a different jersey on a team that will actually give him minutes or at least a rotation spot. It’s not happening in New York.

 3. Mohamed Diawara

New York Knicks forward Mohamed Diawara (51) dribbles up court during the second half against the Charlotte Hornets at Madison Square Garden. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Diawara is one of five Knicks set to become restricted free agents this summer. The 21-year-old wing found his way to New York last summer, thanks to a trade by the Los Angeles Clippers during the 2025 NBA Draft.

The rookie wing from France signed an Exhibit 10 contract in September and appeared in 69 games with the Knicks, which included seven starts. During the regular season, Diawara averaged 3.6 points and 1.4 rebounds in 9.2 minutes per game, which is nothing to be overly excited about.

However, Diawara shot 42.3% from the field and 36.9% from the three-point range (1.9 attempts), showing there’s some potential.

But when Diawara got his number called in the playoffs, it did not fare well for the youngster. He looked out of place and didn’t exactly exude confidence. Overall, he appeared in six games and played a total of 43 minutes.

That’s a far cry from what fellow RFA Ariel Hukporti received in comparison. Hukporti played in 10 playoff games and saw 76 minutes of action, which included a couple of appearances in the NBA Finals.

When the Knicks’ bigs were in foul trouble, Brown showed no fear in going to Hukporti, which is more than we can say about Diawara. 

Given that he’s an RFA, the Knicks could still bring Diawara back without any issue, as there are probably not a lot of teams lining up to sign him to an offer sheet. However, New York also has a couple of second-round picks in this year’s draft, which could help it find a more polished wing than the young Frenchman.