Knicks' Top Threats in East Have Changed Right Before Their Eyes

The return of Kawhi Leonard with the Raptors changes things for the Knicks.

The East landscape already looks new for the Knicks. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It does feel like ever since the New York Knicks shocked the world, teams have reacted drastically, both positively and negatively. Brian Windhorst parroted some social media sentiments that the Knicks have broken teams, and he could be right.

Just look at the Celtics. They traded Jaylen Brown, breaking up that dynamic tandem between him and Jayson Tatum, but they sent him to a direct rival in the Sixers. Mitchell Robinson is a solid add, and while they'll still be a force in the East, it doesn't feel like enough to make up for losing Brown.

Then there's the Pistons, who are in some disarray since trading Isaiah Stewart, banking on John Collins as Tobias Harris' replacement, and nearing losing Jalen Duren. Their chances of being the No. 1 seed this year have dropped.

As a result, the entire conference has a different outlook than even the beginning of this offseason.

The Raptors are a worrisome Knicks threat now

Of course, not everyone is falling apart. Look at the Toronto Raptors.

The Raptors were the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference, and even though they were ousted in the first round in a tough seven-game series, the reacquisition of Kawhi Leonard changes things. The Raptors were already one of the better teams in the Eastern Conference, and now, with Leonard, their starting five is getting a huge boost.

Leonard was electric with the Clippers last season, averaging 27.9 points per game, shooting 50.5% from the field, and shooting 38.7% from three. With the Pistons and Celtics potentially on the downswing, the Raptors have a real shot at being a top-three team in the Eastern Conference.

That starting five of Leonard, a notorious playoff riser in his career, with Scottie Barnes, Jakob Poeltl, and former Knicks Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett, should be battling New York for the top seed all year.

The Knicks were 5-0 against the Raptors this season. They won all of those games by 15 or more points. What does that look like with Leonard now? It probably won't be a season sweep.

Regular season aside, let's say things play out similarly this year in the playoffs as they did last season. This incarnation of the Raptors likely beats the Cavaliers. A team led by Leonard probably doesn't lie down and die as easily as Cleveland did last year against the Knicks. If anything, it's more of a series.

These Raptors would be much tougher than any of the teams the Knicks trounced en route to hoisting the Larry O'Brien Trophy, aside from the Spurs.

Cavs or Heat reunion with LeBron would change things for Knicks

Then, of course, you have the LeBron James of it all. According to Shams Charania, 12 teams have reached out to James, including the Cavaliers and the Miami Heat. He's also willing to take a minimum deal to sign with a contender.

It's clear that James, one of the best to do it even at the age of 41, would improve both raise Cleveland and Miami as Knicks threat. If New York does have any rooting interest in where he goes, it should be hoping that he wants to suit up with Steph Curry and the Warriors.

Things get trickier if he returns to Miami, and he and Pat Riley have their swan song together. The issue with the Heat landing Giannis Antetokounmpo is that it ate up a lot of their depth.

That weakness is somewhat mitigated by the acquisition of James, who, in one of his final seasons last year, still remained productive. It's not quite the impact Leonard makes with the Raptors, but James averaged 20.9 points last season. He shot 51.5% from the field and 31.7% from beyond the arc.

The Heat could join the Knicks and Raptors as the top three teams in the East if James joins, but the one hole to poke in the tandem of him and Antetokounmpo is health. The Celtics could still be better than them since they did land Robinson and added Mike Conley for some reliable veteran playmaking.

Antetokounmpo played 36 games last year, and it's fair to wonder how James, who will be 42 this year, holds up over the course of an entire season. What will they look like by next summer, by the time the playoffs start up? The worst place James could go is the Heat, but at the same time, the Raptors are still the bigger-picture threat.

Whatever happens from here on out, the Knicks should be happy they won this past season. It was the best time to do it for them. Things are going to look very different in the East this fall.

76ers have better shot at exacting revenge against Knicks now

Speaking of the aforementioned Sixers, they've gone from a victim of New York's incredible playoff run to reloading in hopes of knocking the Knicks off.

While Paul George was a steady contributor for Philly, there's no denying the team has raised its ceiling significantly by adding a star who's seven years younger and just finished sixth in MVP voting.

The 76ers have also done extremely well adding on the margins this summer, snagging a potential steal in flamethrower scorer Labaron Philon Jr. in the draft and inking Dean Wade during free agency to boost their 3-and-D power.

Before all of this, Philadelphia wasn't much of a concern for New York given how their playoff series went. But with massive changes to the Sixers' core and supporting cast, this is not the same team the Knicks swept, which raises their threat potential in 2026-27.