On Wednesday, the Knicks begin their first Eastern Conference Finals since Bill Clinton was in office. Whether or not they advance past Indiana and win this year’s title, their fingerprints will be on the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
The Knicks’ most-recent top-10 pick plays for the Pacers, their reserve center from last season is the Thunder’s starting big man, and the player who helped start the team’s recent turnaround in earnest is currently the sidekick to Anthony Edwards in Minnesota.
Obi Toppin, the Knicks’ 2020 first-round pick, has emerged into a reliable scoring option off the bench for the Pacers. He played three seasons in New York and was due for a contract extension, but he was traded to the Pacers in 2023 for two second-round picks after struggling to get regular minutes. Indiana signed him to a four-year, $58 million extension in June 2024.
Isaiah Hartenstein went from a journeyman to a key piece of the Knicks’ rotation and became one of the most coveted free agents last summer. Hartenstein had played for four NBA teams in as many seasons from 2018-2022 before signing with the Knicks in 2023. Due to Early Bird Rights, the Knicks were limited to offering a four-year, $72.5 million deal, but the Thunder outbid them with three years and $87 million. Hartenstein had a career year in Oklahoma City, averaging 11.2 points and 10.7 rebounds per game while anchoring the league’s top defense.
Hartenstein will likely be guarding another former Knick in the Western Conference Finals in Julius Randle, who was part of the last-minute blockbuster trade for Karl-Anthony Towns. The deal was a reunion on multiple fronts: Knicks president Leon Rose used to be Towns’s agent, while Tom Thibodeau coached him for two and a half seasons for two and a half seasons in Minnesota. But it also sent playoff hero Donte DiVincenzo to the Wolves, separating him from Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges, his teammates at Villanova.
The trade has been a win for both teams: Towns played in 72 games for the Knicks this season and averaged a double-double, while Randle has emerged as the Wolves’ second star.
The Knicks traded for Towns in the first season of his four-year, $220 million extension, while Randle has a $31 million player option for next season. His strong postseason play has led to wonder if he will test the free-agent market or take the money in front of him.
Now they could meet in the NBA Finals.
