5 Free Agency Moves by Rivals That Should Have Knicks' Attention

While the Knicks have spent the first week of free agency bringing back most of their core roster, other teams have gone through major changes in an attempt to better position themselves to dethrone New York.

The Knicks should still start the year off as the team to beat. But there have been several moves since free agency officially opened that should have their attention.

1. Pistons signing John Collins should give the Knicks confidence

The Knicks shouldn't have their eyes on this for basketball reasons. It's true that the Pistons dominated the Knicks during the regular season. But they couldn't even get past a Cavaliers team that New York swept with relative ease.

At this moment, these two teams are not close. Yet the Pistons came into this offseason likely one major move, or a few smaller moves, away from taking another step towards true contention.

Cade Cunnhingham is one of the best players in the league, and they have the flexibility and assets to become a win-now team. Instead, by letting Tobias Harris walk and signing a younger but similarly talented John Collins, the Pistons took a sidestep.

New York shouldn't be scared of anybody. They won the championship and did so in dominant fashion. But Detroit signing Collins and calling it a day says a lot. It says the front office doesn't want to go all in.

Maybe they don't see the right moves out there. Maybe they still feel like they are a year or two away. Regardless of their reason(s), the Pistons have managed to make a lateral move while a lot of teams in the conference got better. And that means one less team the Knicks have to worry about.

2. Pacers sign Kelly Oubre, strengthening the only team the Knicks have consistently struggled against

Up until last season, Kelly Oubre being considered a 3-and-D player felt lazy. He was an above-average defender, but he wasn't what you would call a shooter. Most teams would live with forcing him to shoot threes.

However, Oubre improved significantly from beyond the arc in 2025-26. A season after 29.3% from three, Oubre upped his three-point percentage to 36%. If that wasn't a fluke and he can maintain a similar level of shooting, it gives the Pacers another shooter and defender to surround Tyrese Haliburton with.

Jalen Brunson and the Knicks have seen plenty of Oubre over the last few years. And he's never troubled them. But if the Pacers can stay healthy, he, along with Ivica Zubac, could provide them with more firepower.

The Knicks have been able to beat pretty much everyone in the playoffs except the Pacers, so any move that potentially makes them better should warrant some attention.

3. Cavaliers extend Donovan Mitchell and give the Knicks a lot to think about with Jalen Brunson

As previously mentioned, the Cavaliers aren't particularly close to competing with the Knicks as things currently stand. That didn't stop the Cavaliers from extending their star guard to a four-year $273 million extension.

Much like the Collins signing, I don't expect the Knicks to care very much about this signing from an on-court perspective. It doesn't change how Cleveland will look, nor will it change how good they'll be for the foreseeable future.

What it does do though, is give the Knicks a lot of thought with their Jalen Brunson situation. One, they have to once again be extremely grateful that Brunson took the contract that he did.

Next season, Mitchell will make over $10 million more than Brunson, and that number jumps to over $20 million the season after. From 2022 (when Brunson signed with the Knicks) to 2029, Brunson will make approximately $234.4 million. Mitchell will have made $468.7 million between 2022 and 2031.

But Brunson won't take a pay cut forever. He's publicly stated that he expects the front office to "do right by [him]". If and when that time comes, the Knicks will likely be looking at a similar kind of deal. New York could be monitoring the Cavaliers to see how they navigate paying such a large figure to a player on the wrong side of 30.

4. Spurs sign Tobias Harris for some much needed veteran leadership and depth

The Knicks won't play the Spurs often and if they do play in the playoffs, it obviously won't be until the Finals. Because of that, what San Antonio does during the offseason shouldn't be at the very top of New York's mind.

But the Spurs, much like the Knicks, are very capable of getting back to the Finals. If the two teams meet up once again, the addition of Tobias Harris could be a difference-maker.

The former Piston isn't a flashy signing. His numbers never amaze you. And he has the tendency of having some very poor games from time to time. But his teams generally tend to be better with him on the court than they are without him.

Some of that is due to the teams he's been on. But he provides solid shooting, decent self-creation, reliable defense and rebounding. His presence in a young Spurs rotation will give them some much needed leadership. And by sliding Julian Champagnie down, it'll give them depth as well.

Harris in a vacuum doesn't worry the Knicks. Or any team for that matter. But he does make the Spurs better. Assuming both New York and San Antonio remain in the title hunt for 2026-27, this move could end up being notable.

5. Celtics and 76ers swap Jaylen Brown for Paul George in a blockbuster move that changes both team's dynamic

Though the Jaylen Brown-Paul George trade is the oldest news here, it still majorly pertains to the Knicks' upcoming quest for a repeat. This is a rare swap where you could argue both teams got better.

The Celtics look worse on paper from strictly a talent level. George has had a successful, long career but Brown is the superior player in a vacuum at this point. Yet George is a much easier player to plug in.

In George, the Celtics get a better defender, passer, and shooter. All of those skills should amplify what Joe Mazzulla and the Celtics want to do. They can now go all-in on quick decision making, three-point shooting, defense, and maximizing the number of possessions they have.

There are some injury and durability concerns. Assuming he stays healthy though, the Celtics now have a roster that better supports star forward Jayson Tatum, and just makes more sense overall. They should be better than they were last season.

The 76ers, on the other hand, have the opposite problem. They look better on paper as they traded in an aging George for an All-NBA player that was in some MVP conversations. His availability during the regular season should help them navigate the inevitable Joel Embiid injury.

But the 76ers' starting roster is now clunky as it has ever been. Talented? Yes. Though as has always been said, there is only one basketball to go around. How will Nick Nurse and the 76ers manage to please three players who are all significantly better with the ball in their hands?

It won't be an easy task. They'll be a better regular season team than they have been over the last few years. If Nurse can accomplish the unthinkable and somehow optimize them offensively, they could graduate from dark horse to true championship contender.

The Knicks should have the upperhand in both matchups, but both also have the potential of being noticeably better than they were last season.

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