The New York Knicks are rounding out their lineup ahead of the 2025-26 season, and while their big players are solid, such as franchise king Jalen Brunson, there are certainly question marks when it comes to some other players on their roster. At this point in the offseason, a lot of the best free agents are already taken, but there are still some great ones left.
The Knicks, of course, are under new head coach Mike Brown, so Brown is putting his stamp on this team. As it turns out, there’s a player who is currently a free agent who has ties to Brown. This NBA player may be just what the franchise needs.
That player is Trey Lyles. In a piece published on Saturday, July 26, from The Daily Knicks, Mikail Nakhuda says Lyles is a player the Knicks should absolutely target, and it’s hard to disagree with that point.
“If Mike Brown wants to hit the ground running in New York as the new head coach, there is one move he should make without hesitation, and that is to find a way to bring Trey Lyles over to the Big Apple,” he notes in the piece.
What Makes NBA Free Agent So Great for the New York Knicks
Right now, Lyles is a free agent, but he’ll likely be signed before the start of the season, because he’s one of the quality free agents left. Nakhuda notes that Lyles is already a “player Brown knows, trusts and has already proven he can win with.”
Brown worked with Lyles at the Kings, and during the Kings’ 2023 playoff run against the Golden State Warriors, Brown moved Lyles to the five. “Trey Lyles at the five was a big adjustment in that series against the Warriors,” Zach Lowe said on The Zach Lowe Show. “That was kind of a funky move by Mike Brown, and it worked.”
So, Brown and Lyles have worked swimmingly well together before, and they could do it again. It’s really a smart idea to bring Lyles into the fold, and it would help Brown to have some familiar faces on the squad.
The Jalen Brunson Equation
In the same piece for The Daily Knicks, Nakhuda says that Lyles would be the “perfect fit beside Jalen Brunson in New York.” Brunson is the star of the franchise, and it would only help to have someone like Lyles around him.
“Lyles would slot in perfectly alongside him,” Nakhuda says. “The great thing about it is that he would not need to be taught the system or the expectations; Brown already knows how to use him.” He adds, “Right now, the Knicks have space on the roster to add a player like this. Giving Mike Brown a familiar face to work with could go a long way, and it makes total sense why they should get a deal done.”
The idea of seeing Lyles and Brunson on the court together is pretty exciting. While it might not be the blockbuster pairing that people have been talking about, it could surprise everyone and help move the needle in New York’s favor.
Knicks Should Nab This Perfect Free Agent to Pair With Jalen Brunson