Three Changes for Knicks to Expect Following NBA's Approved Expansion

After weeks of buildup and years of rumors, the NBA's Board of Governors finally approved a vote to expand the league to 32 teams. In an effort to capitalize on the Las Vegas market and revive the lost team that is the Seattle SuperSonics, the wheels are officially in motion to add two more squads.

This starts the NBA's 32-team expansion process. Multiple high-ranking officials have termed expansion as "when, not if." Now the NBA will examine Seattle and Las Vegas bids over the next several months, and whether to execute the new franchise purchases now or in a few years. https://t.co/Rkd0fZ41c7
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) March 25, 2026

This news will deliver huge shockwaves to the rest of the already-established 30 teams as the league spends the next few years locating buyers and putting plans in motion to fortify such mega-establishments. The New York Knicks, like everyone else, won't be exempt from the drama.

This means much more than a simple shake-up in how long they may spend on the occasional West Coast field trip. The conferences will have to be re-aligned to include the fresh markets, and the Vegas and Seattle players will have to come from somewhere, putting the good teams on extra-high alert as they attempt to consolidate their championship windows within a fluctuating league.

An Upcoming Expansion Draft

Franchises like the Oklahoma City Thunder and New Orleans Pelicans may have switched cities from time to time since the start of the 21st century, but no truly-new team has been integrated into the NBA since the Charlotte Bobcats over two decades ago. And just like every expansion before it, that inclusion necessitated a draft.

Every presently-existing team will get their choice at protecting a specific amount of eligible players, leaving fringe-rotational contributors vulnerable to getting scooped up by new organizations forced to form a team on the fly. The 2004 NBA Expansion Draft looks like a who's-who of journeymen and benchwarmers, and while the league is much more talented than it was then, two squads drafting against one another means that twice as many players are destined to get picked.

With the league finally putting the wheels in motion to expand, here’s a throwback to what the last expansion draft looked like. Can’t wait to see if Vegas and Seattle can do any better than Wizards/Maryland legend Lonny Baxter with the first overall pick pic.twitter.com/CCo77xQZbr
— Henry J. Brown (@henryjbr_sports) March 25, 2026

The Knicks likely have an idea of a few of the players they'd shield from the hungry hands of the newcomers, even a few years out from the event's taking place. Jalen Brunson, of course, would be necessary as the franchise face and star scorer, as would a few of his starting-caliber friends in Karl-Anthony Towns and OG Anunoby.

Up-and-comers in Mohamed Diawara and Tyler Kolek will continue pitching intriguing cases at their own long-term future as Knicks, while other present-day regulars like Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart may see their future contractual situations determine whether New York would want to keep them around voluntarily. The decisions as to which Knicks are worth protecting remains a long ways away, but some feelings are doomed to get hurt.

Crowding the Eastern Conference

The Knicks may be losing players in an expansion process, but they certainly won't be running out of local opponents. Given Las Vegas' and Seattle's clear positioning on the western half of the country, expect another western team to have to make the trip over to the east in order to even out the conferences at 16 teams apiece.

Minnesota Timberwolves Guard Anthony Edwards and Memphis Grizzlies Guard Ja Morant — Timberwolves' Anthony Edwards (5) and Grizzlies' Ja Morant (12) hug after the Timberwolves defeated the Grizzlies 141-125 at FedExForum in Memphis, Tenn., on Thursday, April 10, 2025. | Chris Day/The Commercial Appeal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Two clear contenders to make the switch stand out - the Memphis Grizzlies and Minnesota Timberwolves. While the Grizzlies technically sit the farthest east of any western crew, imagining the Wolves pressing closer to the Central Division within which they're already geographically nuzzled isn't a hard change to imagine, either, especially for travel purposes.

Either way, this spells trouble for the Knicks. Either the Anthony Edwards-led Wolves, a team who's appeared in back-to-back Western Conference Finals, continues giving the Knicks trouble by further complicating their own contending goals, or the Grizzlies arise from the dead yet again thanks to their unparalleled scouting eyes. If anyone can locate the diamond in the rough on New York's roster waiting for an opportunity, it's them.

Diluted Talent at the Top

Just like how the Knicks' chances of moving forward with each valued player now look limited with an expansion draft now looming on the horizon, every other team will have to similarly prepare to part ways with well-liked reserves. This certainly won't aid in the production of any more all-time great teams in the near-future, but this can be seen as an advantage to anyone looking to pounce upon weakened competition.

Oklahoma City Thunder Guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and New York Knicks Guard Jalen Brunson — Mar 31, 2024; New York, New York, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (2) sets the play while being defended by New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: John Jones-Imagn Images | John Jones-Imagn Images

The Oklahoma City Thunder, the reigning champions led by the prospective back-to-back MVP winner in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, will be susceptible to getting looted. More local rivals such as the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons and whoever else looking to spend the next few years building themselves up will similarly have to watch their backs.

Saying goodbye to potentially several prized pieces will hurt, but the losses will be shared across the league. As ill-prepared as the older Knicks are for the 2030s, their chance to take control the rest of the league's powers while their down serves as their best chance at extending their contention window into the following decade.

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