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Golden State Warriors forward Draymond Green cast doubt on the New York Knicks’ championship outlook in the aftermath of their Eastern Conference Finals exit, emphasizing the need for a true star to lead the franchise to a title.
Green addressed the Knicks’ future on a recent episode of The Draymond Green Show, stating bluntly that New York is still not equipped to win it all.
“As far as the Knicks going forward, I think going forward in order to win it ain’t there yet,” Green said. “I just don’t foresee it. I think in order to win the Knicks need to bring in a great player. I can’t talk specific names because I’m not going to give my money away for that, but if the Knicks want to compete for a championship I think they need a great player.”
The comments follow the Knicks’ elimination by the Indiana Pacers in six games, cutting short a postseason run that saw the franchise reach the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time since 2000. Despite making key additions last offseason — most notably Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns — New York ultimately fell short in its bid to return to the NBA Finals.
Despite Jalen Brunson’s playoff brilliance, Draymond Green says Knicks need a ‘great player’
Jalen Brunson once again delivered an elite postseason performance. The All-NBA guard averaged 29.4 points, seven assists and 3.4 rebounds while shooting 46.1% from the field and 35.8% from three-point range across 18 games. He played 37.8 minutes per contest and carried much of the offensive load.
Still, the absence of another top-tier shot creator or All-NBA-caliber star appeared to loom large in the series loss to Indiana.
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In the aftermath of the season-ending defeat, ESPN’s Shams Charania reported on SportsCenter that the Knicks are conducting internal meetings this week to evaluate their path forward.
“I'm told the Knicks have internal meetings this week to really evaluate everything from their coaches to their players and just see how they move forward to continue to compete for a championship in the Eastern Conference,” Charania said. “But if we've seen the last year and a half as any indication, for Leon Rose, the Knicks president, went out and got OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Karl-Anthony Towns to elevate this team. I do expect the Knicks to be aggressive to see, is there a move out there, a landmark move, potentially, that takes this team over the top, or do they just make moves around the edges for their bench?”
Knicks part ways with Tom Thibodeau as pursuit of star talent like Giannis or Durant looms
New York has already made a significant change, firing head coach Tom Thibodeau on Tuesday, according to Charania. Thibodeau, hired ahead of the 2020-21 season, led the team to four playoff appearances in five years, missing only in 2021-22.
Ian Begley of SNY reported that the organization holds “great respect for Thibodeau and what he did for [the] Knicks, but simply felt a new voice was needed.”
The Knicks have been linked to potential trade pursuits of Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo and Phoenix Suns star Kevin Durant. As the team prepares for the 2025-26 season, Green’s remarks reflect a broader belief that one more elite player may be the missing piece.
