3 Losers and 2 Winners From Knicks' Free Agency Activity

Free agency is far from done for the Knicks, but the team has a pretty clear picture of this roster as Summer League now takes center stage. Though backup center is the only seismic change, there are still several effects that will be felt in New York as a direct result of how the team played the free-agent market.

Let's take a look at who benefits and who could end up hurt from the Knicks' initial free-agent dealings.

Loser No. 1: Karl-Anthony Towns

A mostly undiscussed element of the Knicks' backup center shakeup is how it may negatively impact Karl-Anthony Towns.

While Mitchell Robinson was clearly the No. 2, rather than 1B, he filled very meaningful minutes during the team's championship run. This led to Towns getting extra rest during the regular season, as evidenced by his paltry 31.0 mpg in 2025-26.

It's no surprise, then, that Towns went on to star during the postseason—and on both ends of the court. He had more than enough left in the tank not only to step up as a primary hub on offense, but also to become a stalwart on defense. This proved massive with the likes of Joel Embiid, Evan Mobley, Jarrett Allen and Victor Wembanyama all crossing New York's playoff path.

Robinson's steady presence off the bench (when healthy) left zero worries about subbing Towns out; the reserve big was even valuable as someone who challenged opponents and helped wear them down, making Towns' life even easier when he did check back in.

New York and Towns no longer have that luxury to the same extent with Robinson gone. While Andre Drummond is an elite rebounder, he's not the same kind of physical threat above the rim or while protecting it.

He's likely to stress out opposing bigs to a much lesser degree than Robinson, so Towns' matchups are going to be tougher. And it's still to be seen how the almost 33-year-old holds up playing the most significant minutes of his career for a title defense in 2026-27.

This situation may end with Towns needing to carry a larger load in the frontcourt. While he's more than capable of it, it opens up negative consequences given the toll it'll take on his body, especially when the postseason rolls around next April.

Winner No. 1: The Celtics

Speaking of Robinson, New York's refusal to go into the second apron and pay him opened the door for one of its rivals to get better. The Celtics jumped on that opportunity, signing him to a three-year deal.

Not only did Boston give its center rotation a huge boost by adding an outside talent, but it also dealt a blow to the Knicks in the process. Now Joe Mazzulla has a player who knows all the ins and outs of what Mike Brown and New York want to do, which the C's surely will use to their advantage.

This also addressed one of Boston's biggest needs, considering its lack of size was painfully on display during the 76ers' upset in the first round of this year's playoffs.

Though Leon Rose had reasons to let Robinson walk, there's no denying Drummond is a downgrade, and this swap could age poorly.

Loser No. 2: Tyler Kolek

The Knicks took care of some huge free agent business before legal tampering opened by retaining Jose Alvarado on a modest three-year, $14.6 million deal. However, this win for New York is also a lost opportunity for Tyler Kolek.

Heading into his third season, Kolek was a player who had a decent case to be given a larger role. He improved his numbers across the board as an NBA sophomore and even put together a few big performances during the campaign that showcased his upside with more minutes.

Yet, New York instead made it a priority to keep Alvarado, putting Kolek in an awkward place as his rookie contract nears its end. It seems as though the team doesn't fully trust Kolek to take over the main point guard duties, which limits his ability to contribute to the Knicks and impress other teams if he's best off being traded elsewhere.

Now, Kolek is set up to be in a similar role, around 10 minutes per game, given almost every important non-center is returning to the Big Apple.

Maybe Brown, who gave Kolek more of a chance than his predecessor, will find a way to play the young guard more than he did in 2025-26. But otherwise, Kolek could be left to warm the bench and dream of what he could do with a larger runway somewhere else.

Winner No. 2: Mike Brown

Though Brown did lose his backup center and the backup to the backup, keeping two of his favorites in Alvarado and Landry Shamet has to leave him thrilled.

Brown's trust in Alvarado was more than rewarded in the playoffs, as the scrappy guard could always be counted upon for a jolt of energy on both ends of the floor. Then, when things got scary in the Finals, it was Alvarado who rose to the occasion and was one of the most influential players during the team's championship series.

With the vet back, Brown doesn't have to be forced to rely upon a minimally used Kolek for huge minutes as the top initiator on the second unit. Alvarado's return also allows Brown to experiment more with the double-PG lineups, which he had success with Jalen Brunson and Alvarado in the Finals. It could help unlock more upside for New York during its title defense.

Meanwhile, Shamet's re-signing means a top 3-and-D option off the bench isn't going anywhere yet either. Brown deciding to go back to Shamet in the playoffs after the latter's early struggles paid massive dividends, as the Wichita State product caught fire during the second and third series and was pivotal to advancing.

In Shamet, Brown has not just a threat during second-unit minutes but also a player capable of closing out games. The 29-year-old is more than equipped to start in a pinch or carry the load when a starter is out, like he did with OG Anunoby sidelined against Philly.

Alvarado and Shamet fully proved they can help a team win the championship, so it's a huge plus for Brown to have them back as he plans his 2026-27 rotation.

Loser No. 3: Mohamed Diawara

The returns of key free agents also hurt another young player, as Mohamed Diawara may find himself in the same spot as Kolek entering his second season.

Though Diawara showed some of his potential this past campaign, he's still more of an end-of-bench option than a key reserve despite earning an extension this summer.

Between Shamet and Miles McBride, plus arguably the best starting five in the league, there's not a ton of minutes to go around for an inexperienced wing. Especially when winning another title is the goal rather than focusing on developing youngsters.

There are also murmurs that Jordan Clarkson could be returning, which would provide another veteran who could siphon away valuable playing time.

This leaves Diawara likely scavenging for minutes in 2026-27 with Shamet back, Clarkson possibly re-signing, McBride not getting traded so far, and a promising second-round pick in Tyler Nickel (who's a much better shooter at forward) joining the fray.

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