Knicks Among Teams Projected to Have Biggest Jumps in Win Total

Getty Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks reacts after scoring during the second half against the Denver Nuggets.

The addition of Mikal Bridges into the mix has the oddsmakers bullish about the New York Knicks next season.

BetOnline, one of the top offshore sportsbooks, opened the lines for the Knicks as a -110 favorite to win 52.5 games in the regular season. Last season, they won 50 regular-season games despite Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson‘s serious injuries, topping their projected 44.5-win total.

The Knicks’ eight-win jump projection from last season’s BetOnline odds is tied for third-most with the Indiana Pacers (45.5 wins) and Minnesota Timberwolves (52.5 wins), according to Substacker Tommy Beer.

Oklahoma City Thunder (55.5 wins) top the list with a projected 11.5-win jump after trading for Alex Caruso and signing former Knicks center Isaiah Hartenstein.

The Houston Rockets (42.5 wins) and Orlando Magic (47.5 wins) are both close behind with a projected 11-win jump.

The defending champion Boston Celtics are again the favorites to rule the East with a projected 57.5 wins. The Milwaukee Bucks and the Philadelphia 76ers, who snagged nine-time All-Star Paul George in free agency, are tied with a projected 51.5-win total behind the Knicks.

Knicks’ All-in Moves

The Knicks cashed in their draft capital for Bridges to reunite him with his Villanova teammates Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Donte DiVincenzo. They gave up five first-round picks, including four unprotected, and a pick swap to get Bridges to Madison Square Garden across the Brooklyn bridge from the Nets.

After Bridges’ addition and OG Anunoby returning on a monster five-year, $212.5 million deal, Brunson gave the Knicks a hometown discount.

The Knicks star point guard quickly agreed on a four-year, $156.5 million extension this summer,  leaving $113 million guaranteed money on the table if he waited for another year.

Barring any more moves, the Knicks have a deep roster with a projected starting lineup of Brunson, Bridges, Anunoby, Randle and Mitchell. DiVincenzo, Hart, Miles McBride and Jericho Sims comprise their bench.

The Knicks believe their championship window is now open.

They came one win away from reaching the Eastern Conference Finals last season despite being without Randle and losing Robinson again in their first-round win over the 76ers.

Julius Randle’s Future

Lost in the din of celebration of Brunson’s unprecedented move to leave a substantial money on the table is Randle, the face of the Knicks before the star point guard’s arrival.

Randle is also extension-eligible this summer. He can sign as much as a four-year, $181.5 million extension beginning on August 3.

However, SNY’s Ian Begley reported on July 7 that “the extension talks aren’t at the forefront for either the Knicks or Randle.”

The Knicks are divided on Randle, who is coming off a shoulder injury that limited him to 46 games last season.

“On Randle, some in the organization believe that Randle can fit well with this group and think that Randle’s play in January – after the OG Anunoby trade – supports that point,” Begley wrote.

The Knicks went 12-2 in January with a healthy trio of Randle, Brunson and Anunoby.

“Others are concerned about Randle going into this pivotal season with free agency looming and the challenges that may present. In addition, some decision-makers aren’t as bullish about the general fit of the current group,” Begley continued.

Randle has a $32.4 million player option for the 2025-26 season which he will likely decline if he comes back strong from his shoulder injury. He will be eligible for a five-year deal worth more than $300 million in free agency, per Forbes.