The New York Knicks will open the 2025-26 regular season with realistic championship aspirations, as they have the fourth-best title odds at DraftKings Sportsbook and have the second-shortest odds of coming out of a weakened Eastern Conference. Their journey will begin tomorrow night with a 7:10 p.m. ET clash against the Cleveland Cavaliers, the East’s first seed last season and the current favorite to win the conference. New York is a 1.5-point favorite (-112 on the Moneyline).
However, if they want to start Mike Brown’s tenure off with a win, the Knicks will have to do it without two key rotation players from last season’s run to the Eastern Conference Finals, center Mitchell Robinson and forward Josh Hart.
The oft-injured Robinson hasn’t sustained any fresh ailment, but he’s being held out as New York manages his ramp-up process with the aim of protecting his surgically-repaired left ankle. Hart, meanwhile, suffered a back injury in the Knicks’ preseason opener in Abu Dhabi and didn’t suit up again in the preseason. He seems to be ramping up towards a return, though, as he’s participated in practice this week.
Last season, Robinson proved indispensable in the playoffs, appearing in all 18 games and starting each of the last four games of the Eastern Conference Finals. In his 20.6 minutes per game, he averaged 4.7 points and 7.1 rebounds per game while making 60.8% of his shots and playing solid interior defense. Hart, meanwhile, led the league in minutes per game while appearing in 77 contests, averaging 13.6 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, though it’s likely that he’ll play a smaller role this season under Brown. New York went 3-2 in the games Hart missed.
In the pair’s absence, it’s likely that Miles McBride will slide into the starting lineup alongside Jalen Brunson, OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Karl-Anthony Towns. McBride averaged 14.0 points per game as a starter last season, so he should be well-suited to a larger role. Towns could also be in line for a dominant performance on the glass with the team’s two best pound-for-pound rebounders sidelined. Last season, his 12.8 rebounds per game ranked second league-wide.
