1946–1967: Early years In 1946, basketball, particularly
college basketball, was a growing and increasingly profitable sport in New York City.
Hockey was another popular sport at the time and generated considerable profits; however, the arenas were not used often.
Max Kase, a New York sportswriter, became the sports editor at the
Boston American in the 1930s, when he met
Boston Garden owner
Walter A. Brown. Kase developed the idea of an organized professional league to showcase college players upon their graduation and felt it could become profitable if properly assembled. Brown, intrigued by the opportunity to attain additional income when the hockey teams were not playing or on the road, contacted several arena owners. On June 6, 1946, Kase and Brown and a group of seventeen others assembled at the
Commodore Hotel in New York City, as the
Basketball Association of America (BAA), where charter franchises were granted to major cities throughout the country.
Ned Irish, a college basketball promoter, retired sportswriter and then president of
Madison Square Garden, was in attendance. Kase originally planned to own and operate the New York franchise himself and approached Irish with a proposal to lease the Garden. Irish explained that the rules of the Arena Managers Association of America stated that Madison Square Garden was required to own any professional teams that played in the arena. On the day of the meeting, Kase made his proposal to the panel of owners; however, they were much more impressed by Irish and his vast resources; Kase relented and the franchise was awarded to Irish. Irish wanted a distinct name for his franchise that was representative of the city of New York. He called together members of his staff for a meeting to cast their votes in a hat. After tallying the votes, the franchise was named the Knickerbockers. The "Knickerbocker" name comes from the pseudonym used by
Washington Irving in his book
A History of New York, a name that became applied to the descendants of the original
Dutch settlers of what later became New York, and later, by extension, to New Yorkers in general. Under Lapchick, the Knicks made nine straight playoff appearances beginning in 1947. Braun, who averaged 14.3 points, emerged as the team's star and paired with
Dick Holub and
Bud Palmer to account for half of the team's offense. Despite this, the Knicks struggled throughout the year, compiling a 26–22 record. Their finish was good enough to place them second in the
Eastern Division and secure a playoff match-up against the
Baltimore Bullets where they lost the series two games to one. In the
1948 NBA draft, the Knicks selected two future
Hall of Fame players in center
Dolph Schayes and
Harry Gallatin. The Knicks were leery of Schayes' talent, prompting the center to leave to play for the
Syracuse Nationals of the struggling
National Basketball League. Despite losing Schayes, the team started the year well going 17–8 before they fell into a slump. They ended the year with a seven-game win streak to finish with a 32–28 record and a third-straight playoff appearance. The Knicks defeated the Bullets in a rematch of their previous encounter in 1947, winning the series 2–1. The team however struggled against the
Washington Capitols and lost the series 1–2. . Prior to the beginning of the
1949–50 season, the BAA merged with the National Basketball League to form the National Basketball Association which comprised 17 teams. Despite division realignments, the Knicks remained in the Eastern Division.
Vince Boryla made his debut in February 1956 as the Knicks' new coach in a win over the
St. Louis Hawks. However, after two seasons of poor performances and no playoff appearances, Boryla tendered his resignation from the team in April 1958. Looking to regain their former dominance,
Andrew Levane was named the head coach and in his first year, the results were significantly better as the team finished with a 40–32 record, securing their playoff spot. However, the Knicks could not manage to get past the Eastern Division semi-finals. The team did not fare much better under Braun and the Knicks hired
Eddie Donovan, who helped build up
St. Bonaventure's basketball team, in 1961. During Donovan's tenure, New York failed to achieve a playoff berth. As a testament to their struggles, on March 2, 1962, the Knicks faced the Philadelphia Warriors in
Hershey, Pennsylvania, where they infamously allowed
Wilt Chamberlain to score an NBA-record
100 points in a 169–147 Warriors victory. After a slow start in 1965,
Dick McGuire, another former Knick, replaced his former teammate Gallatin midway through the season. However, the Knicks lost their next six games, falling to a 1–6 record. They managed to stop their losing streak on November 1, 1967, when the Knicks won the road game against the Lakers, 129–113. During the game, Willis Reed scored a career-high 53 points on 21-of-29 shooting from the field. On November 3, the Knicks defeated the Seattle SuperSonics 134–100 in Seattle. In that game, nine Knicks' player scored at least 10 points. Head coach Dick McGuire was replaced midway through the 1967–68 season after the team began the season with a 15–22 record. In the playoffs, New York made it past the first round of contention for the first time since 1953, sweeping the
Baltimore Bullets in four games, before falling to the
Boston Celtics in the Eastern Division finals. In the
1969–70 season, the Knicks had a then-single-season NBA record
18 straight victories en route to a 60–22 record, which was the best regular season record in the franchise's history to that point. After defeating the Bullets in the Eastern Division semifinals and the
Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Division finals, the Knicks faced the
Los Angeles Lakers in the NBA Finals. Despite his absence, New York went on to win the game, rallying from a 16-point deficit. The team had one more impressive season in
1973–74, as they reached the Eastern Conference finals, where they fell in five games to the Celtics. It was after this season that Willis Reed announced his retirement, and the team's fortunes began to shift once more.
1975–1985: Post-championship years In the
1974–75 season, the Knicks posted a 40–42 record, their first losing record in eight seasons. The team still qualified for a playoff spot, however, but they lost to the
Houston Rockets in the first round. In Reed's first year, New York finished the year with a 43–39 record and returned to the Eastern Conference semi-finals, where they were swept by the Philadelphia 76ers. The next season, after the team began with a 6–8 record, Holzman was rehired as the team's coach after Reed had angered Madison Square Garden president
Sonny Werblin. The team did not fare any better under Holzman's direction, finishing with a 31–51 record, their worst in thirteen years.
Hubie Brown replaced Holzman as head coach and in his first season, the team went 44–38 and made it to the second round of the playoffs, where they were swept by the eventual champion
Philadelphia 76ers. The next season, the team, aided by new acquisition
Bernard King, improved to 47–35 and returned to the playoffs. The Knicks ended up winning the number one pick in that year's
NBA draft. They used the pick to select star
center Patrick Ewing of
Georgetown University. The team would not fare as well, though, as they struggled to a 23–59 record in his first season. Under Hill, the Knicks had brief successes but went on to lose seventeen of their twenty-one final games of the season to finish 20–46 under Hill and 24–58 on the season. Hill was dismissed at season's end. The team immediately turned around in the
1987–88 season with the hiring of
Rick Pitino as head coach, who, only months prior to his hiring, led
Providence College to the
Final Four, turning around a program that had struggled prior to his arrival. The resurgence continued
the following season as the team traded backup center
Bill Cartwright to the Bulls for
power forward Charles Oakley before the season started and then posted a 52–30 record, which was good enough for their first
division title in 18 years and their fifth division title in franchise history. In
the playoffs, they defeated the 76ers in the first round before losing to the
Chicago Bulls in the
Eastern Conference semi-finals. Assistant
Stu Jackson was named as Pitino's replacement becoming the team's 14th head coach and the youngest head coach in the NBA, at the time, at the age of 32. Under Jackson's direction, the Knicks went 45–37 and defeated the Celtics in the first round of
the playoffs, winning the final three games after losing the first two. They went on to lose to the eventual NBA champion
Detroit Pistons in the next round. Jackson and the Knicks struggled to a 7–8 record to begin the
1990–91 season and Jackson was replaced by
John MacLeod who led the Knicks to a 32–35 record, ending the season with a 39–43 record overall that was good enough to earn the team another playoff appearance. The Knicks were swept in the first round by the eventual NBA champion, Chicago Bulls.
1991–1996: The Pat Riley/Don Nelson years After the conclusion of the season, MacLeod left the team to become the head coach at the
University of Notre Dame. President
David Checketts reached out to
Pat Riley, who was working as a
commentator for the
National Broadcasting Company (NBC), to see if he was interested in returning to coaching. Riley accepted the Knicks proposition on May 31, 1991. Riley, who coached the Lakers to four NBA titles during the 1980s, implemented a rough and physical style emphasizing defense. After defeating the Pistons in the first round of
the playoffs, the team faced the Bulls, losing the series 4–3 in seven games. and the Knicks hired
Don Nelson as their new head coach. While Nelson had been a successful coach before joining the Knicks, his offensive-oriented
Nellie Ball philosophy failed to mesh with the team, and during the
1995–96 season, Nelson was fired after 59 games, and, instead of going after another well-known coach, the Knicks hired longtime assistant
Jeff Van Gundy, who had no prior experience as a head coach. Van Gundy, who restored the team's defense-first style of his mentor Pat Riley, went 13–10 the rest of the way. The Knicks ended up with a 47–35 record that year, and swept the Cavaliers in the first round of the playoffs before losing to the eventual champion Bulls (who had an NBA record 72 wins in the regular season) in five games.
1996–2000: The Jeff Van Gundy years In the
1996–97 season, the Knicks, with the additions of such players as
Larry Johnson and
Allan Houston, registered a 57–25 record. In the playoffs, the Knicks swept the
Charlotte Hornets in the first round before facing the
Miami Heat (coached by Riley) in the second round. The Knicks took a 3–1 lead in the series before a brawl near the end of Game 5 resulted in suspensions of key players. Many of the suspended Knicks players, Ewing in particular, were disciplined not for participating in the altercation itself, but for violating an NBA rule stipulating that a benched player may not leave the bench during a fight (the rule was subsequently amended, making it illegal to leave the "bench area"). With Ewing and Houston suspended for Game 6, Johnson and Starks suspended for Game 7, and
Charlie Ward suspended for both, the Knicks lost the series. The
1997–98 season was marred by a wrist injury to Ewing on December 22, which forced him to miss the rest of the season and much of the playoffs. The team, which had a 43–39 record that season, still managed to defeat the Heat in the first round (a series, which saw another violent bench-clearing brawl at the end of Game 4, this time between Johnson and former Hornets teammate
Alonzo Mourning) of the playoffs before having another meeting with the Pacers in the second round. Ewing returned in time for game two of the series. This time, the Pacers easily won the series in five games, as
Reggie Miller once again broke the hearts of Knicks fans by hitting a tying three-pointer with 5.1 seconds remaining in Game 4, en route to a Pacers overtime victory. For the fourth straight year, the Knicks were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs. Prior to the lockout-shortened
1998–99 season, the Knicks traded
Charles Oakley to the
Toronto Raptors for
Marcus Camby while also trading
John Starks in a package to the
Golden State Warriors for 1994's 1st team all-league shooting guard
Latrell Sprewell (whose contract was voided by the Warriors after choking Warriors' head coach
P. J. Carlesimo during the previous season). After barely getting into the playoffs with a 27–23 record, the Knicks started a
Cinderella run. It started with the Knicks eliminating the #1 seeded Heat in the first round after
Allan Houston bounced in a running one-hander off the front of the rim, high off the backboard, and in with 0.8 seconds left in the deciding 5th game. This remarkable upset marked only the second time in NBA history that an 8-seed had defeated the 1-seed in the NBA playoffs, and also the first time it happened in the Eastern Conference. After defeating the
Atlanta Hawks in the second round four games to none, they faced the Pacers yet again in the Eastern Conference Finals. Despite losing Ewing to injury for the rest of the playoffs prior to Game 3, the Knicks won the series (aided in part to a four-point play by Johnson in the final seconds of Game 3) to become the first eighth-seeded playoff team to make it to the NBA Finals. However, in the Finals, the
San Antonio Spurs, with superstars
David Robinson and
Tim Duncan, proved too much for the injury-laden Knicks, who lost in five games. The remarkable fifth game of this Finals is remembered for its 2nd half scoring duel between the Spurs'
Tim Duncan and the Knicks'
Latrell Sprewell, and was decided by a long jumper by
Avery Johnson with 47 seconds left to clinch the title for the Spurs. The
1999–2000 season, would prove to be the last one in New York for Ewing, as the Knicks, who had a 50–32 record that season swept the
Toronto Raptors a team led by
Vince Carter,
Antonio Davis and a young
Tracy McGrady in three games in the first round, defeated the
Miami Heat in another dramatic seven-game series in which Ewing's dunk with over a minute remaining in game 7, provided the winning margin in a 1-point road victory. They would, however, lose in the Eastern Conference Finals to the
Reggie Miller-led
Indiana Pacers in six games. After the season, Ewing was traded on September 20, 2000, to the
Seattle SuperSonics, and the Ewing era, which produced many successful playoff appearances but no NBA championship titles, came to an end.
2000–2003: Downfall has been the home of the Knicks since 1968. Despite the loss of Ewing, the Knicks remained successful in the regular season, as they posted a 48–34 record under the direction of Houston and Sprewell. In the first round of playoff contention, however, New York fell to the
Toronto Raptors in five games, failing to get past the first round of the playoffs for the first time in a decade. After a poor start to
the season, the Knicks managed to get above .500 with a 10–9 record. In spite of their recent success, Van Gundy unexpectedly resigned as head coach on December 8, 2001, explaining he had "lost focus" and would no longer be able to properly coach the team. The team, which named longtime assistant
Don Chaney as their new head coach, ended the season with a 30–52 record, and for the first time since the 1986–87 season they did not qualify for the playoffs. Rather than rebuilding, the Knicks opted to add veterans to the roster including
Antonio McDyess who had been dealing with knee problems in the preceding years. Furthermore, the Knicks were criticized by many analysts as multiple players on the roster were overpaid in light of their poor performances, causing salary cap problems that would persist until
Donnie Walsh took over as team president. McDyess injured his knee during the team's third preseason game and was subjected to further operations in April 2003 after a
CT scan revealed the injured knee necessitated he undergo bone-graft surgery.
2003–2008: Isiah Thomas era After a 10–18 start to the 2003–04 season, the Knicks underwent a massive overhaul.
Isiah Thomas was named the Knicks' president on December 22, 2003, upon the firing of
Scott Layden. Thomas continued to restructure the team, firing Chaney after an unproductive tenure and hiring Hall of Famer
Lenny Wilkens to coach the team. Additionally, Thomas orchestrated multiple trades, including one that brought
point guard Stephon Marbury to the team. The team qualified for the playoffs that year with a 39–43 record, but were swept by the
New Jersey Nets in the first round. The series included a highly publicized spat between the Knicks'
Tim Thomas and Nets'
Kenyon Martin, in which Thomas all but challenged Martin to a fight and called him "Fugazy". The following season, the Knicks struggled to a 17–22 record before Wilkens resigned as head coach.
Herb Williams, who had previously coached the team in a game against the
Orlando Magic prior to the team hiring Wilkens, took over as interim head coach for the remainder of the season and did not fare much better as the Knicks ended their season with a 33–49 record and out of playoff contention. Hoping to find a leader that could put the team back on track, New York hired
Larry Brown to coach the team. Brown, who idolized the team during his childhood, was well regarded for his coaching abilities and his arrival brought a sense of hope to the franchise. Curry, who reportedly had a worrying heart condition, refused to take a controversial DNA test, and fell out of favor with
John Paxson,
Chicago's general manager. The Bulls signed-and-traded him to the Knicks along with
Antonio Davis for Tim Thomas,
Michael Sweetney, the Knicks' 2006 first-round pick, and the right to swap first-round picks with the Knicks in 2007, as well as 2007 and 2009 second-round picks. The season concluded with the firing and $18.5 million buy-out of head coach Larry Brown after one season. With the departure of Brown, team president Isiah Thomas took over the head coaching responsibilities. Because of the
Trent Tucker Rule, a player is allowed solely to tip the ball to score when the ball is put back into play with three-tenths of a second or less remaining. Because of this rule, the rarity of Lee's play increases. The Knicks won, 111–109 in double overtime. Faced with a trial, the jury returned a verdict finding Thomas and Madison Square Garden liable for sexual harassment. The jury also levied $11.6 million in
punitive damages against Madison Square Garden, though this was later reduced to $11.5 million in a settlement between both parties. On November 29, 2007, the Knicks were handed one of their worst defeats in their history by the
Boston Celtics, with a final score of 104–59. This matched their third-largest margin of defeat. At the introductory press conference, Walsh, while not proclaiming to be a savior, did set goals, which included getting the team under the salary cap and bringing back a competitive environment. Upon the conclusion of the 2007–2008 regular season, Walsh fired Thomas, and on May 13, 2008, officially named former
Phoenix Suns head coach
Mike D'Antoni as head coach. D'Antoni signed a four-year, $24 million deal to coach the team. On November 21, 2008, the Knicks dealt one of their top scorers,
Jamal Crawford, to the
Golden State Warriors for
Al Harrington. Hours later, New York traded
Zach Randolph, along with
Mardy Collins, to the
Los Angeles Clippers for
Cuttino Mobley and Tim Thomas, with the intention of freeing cap space for the 2010 off-season, when top-flight players such as
LeBron James,
Dwyane Wade,
Chris Bosh, and
Amar'e Stoudemire would be available. Additionally, the long-standing controversy with
Stephon Marbury ended when the two sides agreed to a buy-out of Marbury's contract, which allowed him to sign with the Celtics when he cleared waivers on February 27, 2009. In spite of a volatile roster,
the Knicks improved by nine wins from the previous season in D'Antoni's first season, to finish 32–50, coinciding with the emergence of forward-center
David Lee, who led the league with 65
double-doubles, and the continued development of guard Nate Robinson and swingman
Wilson Chandler. In the
2009 NBA draft, the Knicks selected forward
Jordan Hill eighth after targets such as
Stephen Curry,
Jonny Flynn, and
Ricky Rubio were off the board. Guard
Toney Douglas was then selected with a 29th overall pick, which was acquired from the
Los Angeles Lakers. Shortly afterwards, New York executed a trade with the
Memphis Grizzlies in which the Knicks acquired
Darko Miličić in exchange for
Quentin Richardson. The Knicks responded by winning nine games and losing six in December. On January 24, 2010, the Knicks suffered their worst home loss in Madison Square Garden history against the
Dallas Mavericks in front of a sellout crowd. The 50-point loss was also the second-worst in Knicks franchise history. On February 17, the Knicks shook up the roster, trading Miličić to the
Minnesota Timberwolves for
Brian Cardinal and cash considerations. A day later, the Knicks and Celtics swapped guard
Nate Robinson for shooting guard
Eddie House. The deal also included forward
Marcus Landry going to the Celtics and the Knicks acquiring bench players
J. R. Giddens and
Bill Walker. The Knicks also acquired All-Star forward
Tracy McGrady from the
Houston Rockets and point guard
Sergio Rodríguez from the
Sacramento Kings in a three-way trade. The deal sent Knicks shooting guard
Larry Hughes to Sacramento and forward Jordan Hill and power forward
Jared Jeffries to Houston. The trades, orchestrated to give the Knicks more cap space for the summer of 2010, netted the Knicks $30 million of cap space. About three weeks after these team-changing trades, the Knicks played the Dallas Mavericks at
American Airlines Center and blew them out by a score of 128–94 for their largest win of the season. However, the Knicks were eliminated from playoff contention in late March 2010 and completed their season with a 29–53 record, a regression from their first season under D'Antoni.
2010–2013: Arrival of Carmelo Anthony The Knicks and former Phoenix Suns forward-center
Amar'e Stoudemire came to an agreement on July 5, 2010. The sign and trade deal was made official on July 8 as Stoudemire agreed to an approximately $100 million contract over the span of five years. The Knicks continued to redesign their roster, trading
David Lee to the
Golden State Warriors for
Anthony Randolph,
Kelenna Azubuike and
Ronny Turiaf. The Knicks also struck deals with former
Bobcats point guard
Raymond Felton and Russian center
Timofey Mozgov. D'Antoni along with Stoudemire and the core of young players, including Felton,
Danilo Gallinari, Mozgov,
Wilson Chandler and rookie
Landry Fields, piloted the Knicks to a 28–26 record prior to the All-Star break, marking the first time the team had been above the .500 mark at that point of the season since 2000. In spite of the team's mounting success, New York made a push to acquire
Denver Nuggets forward
Carmelo Anthony. After months of speculation, on February 22, 2011, Anthony was traded to New York, with teammates
Chauncey Billups,
Shelden Williams,
Anthony Carter, and former Knicks player
Renaldo Balkman. Denver acquired Felton,
Danilo Gallinari,
Wilson Chandler, Mozgov,
Kosta Koufos, a 2014 first-round draft pick, the Warriors' second-round draft picks for 2013 and 2014 and $3 million in cash. In addition, the Knicks sent Anthony Randolph and
Eddy Curry to the Minnesota Timberwolves and in return the Timberwolves'
Corey Brewer was sent to the Knicks. The Knicks clinched their first playoff berth since the
2004 NBA playoffs in a rout of the
Cleveland Cavaliers on April 3, 2011. Carmelo Anthony ensured the franchise's first winning season
since 2001 on April 10, 2011, against the Indiana Pacers, as Anthony scored the game-winning basket for the Knicks and subsequently blocked
Danny Granger's shot in the final seconds of the game. The Knicks were ultimately eliminated from contention in
the first round on April 24, 2011, by the
Boston Celtics, losing the series 0–4. In spite of Donnie Walsh's successful efforts to help rebuild the franchise, he decided not to return as the team's president, electing to step down at the end of June 2011, citing the uncertainty surrounding his ability to continue to manage the daily operations of the team.
Glen Grunwald was elected as interim president and general manager. In return, the Knicks sent
Andy Rautins to the Mavericks, generating a trade exception for Dallas. Ronny Turiaf and $3 million in cash considerations were sent to the
Wizards to complete the three-way trade. The Knicks also obtained the draft rights to
Ahmad Nivins and
Georgios Printezis from Dallas. In order to fit Chandler under the salary cap, Chauncey Billups was earlier waived under the amnesty clause of the new collective bargaining agreement. The Knicks also signed veteran point guard
Baron Davis on December 19 to a one-year contract. At the time, Davis had suffered a herniated disk and was not expected to compete for about 6–8 weeks, leaving Toney Douglas as the team's starting point guard. The Knicks struggled early in the season because Douglas and Bibby struggled to facilitate the offense and subsequently, it became stagnated. Subsequently, rookie
Iman Shumpert was thrust into the role as the starting point guard after Douglas was relegated to the bench due to his struggles. In addition, head coach D'Antoni also decided to use Carmelo Anthony as a point forward to help generate a more up-tempo offense; however, there were concerns Anthony was holding the ball for too long, thus contributing to the stagnation of the Knicks' offense.
"Linsanity" was a surprise player that came off the bench during the
2011–12 season. With the Knicks struggling to an 8–15 record, D'Antoni inserted third-string point guard
Jeremy Lin into the rotation against the
New Jersey Nets on February 4, 2012. Lin was praised for his ability to facilitate the offense, something the Knicks had struggled to do for the first 23 games of the season. Lin guided the Knicks to a seven-game winning streak, despite being without Anthony and
Amar'e Stoudemire for five games due to a groin injury and a death in the family respectively, that brought the team back to a .500 winning percentage. The surge of positive play by the Knicks accompanied by the performance of Lin caused extensive national and worldwide media coverage that was referred to as "Linsanity". To bolster their depth and perimeter shooting percentage, the Knicks signed
J. R. Smith on February 18, 2012. The team struggled to congeal when Anthony returned from injury and went on to lose seven of eight games before head coach Mike D'Antoni resigned on March 14, 2012. Assistant
Mike Woodson was named the interim head coach.
Under Mike Woodson , head coach of the Knicks from 2012 to 2014 Under Woodson, the Knicks finished 18–6 during the regular season and clinched a playoff spot for the second straight year this time as the seventh seed, making it the first time they have clinched consecutive playoff berths since making 13 straight playoff appearances from
1988 to
2001. Not only did they also clinch consecutive winning seasons for the first time in a decade, but their 36–30 record was the highest winning percentage for the team since the
2000–01 season. The team's struggles were partially attributed to injuries as Jeremy Lin, Baron Davis and Iman Shumpert were all sidelined by knee ailments. The Knicks proceeded to win a close Game 4, which snapped their streak and ensured that they would not be swept out of the first round; however, they failed to keep up with the Heat's up-tempo offense in Game 5 and lost the series 4–1. The Knicks began their off-season by selecting Greek forward
Kostas Papanikolaou in the
2012 NBA draft. One week later, the team came to terms with veteran point guard
Jason Kidd, who was originally supposed to serve as a backup to Lin. The Knicks also re-acquired
Marcus Camby from the
Houston Rockets in a sign and trade sending Houston
Josh Harrellson,
Jerome Jordan,
Toney Douglas and 2014 and 2015 two second-round picks and completed a sign-and-trade with the
Portland Trail Blazers that brought back
Raymond Felton and
Kurt Thomas in exchange for
Jared Jeffries,
Dan Gadzuric, and the draft rights to Papanikolaou and Greek forward
Georgios Printezis, whose draft rights had been acquired by the Knicks in December 2011. The Knicks also re-signed free agents
J. R. Smith and
Steve Novak and added more players to the roster, such as
James White,
Chris Copeland, and Argentinian point guard
Pablo Prigioni. However the Knicks lost restricted free agents
shooting guard,
Landry Fields to the
Toronto Raptors and
point guard,
Jeremy Lin to the
Houston Rockets, who were both key players during the
2011–12 season. The Knicks decided not to match those teams' offers. Despite these losses, the Knicks continued to add players to the roster, signing former Chicago Bulls guard
Ronnie Brewer on July 25, 2012, and signing
Chris Smith, the younger brother of
J. R. Smith, on August 1, 2012. It was also announced that
Rasheed Wallace would come out of retirement to play for the Knicks on October 2, 2012. Despite playing without an injured Iman Shumpert and Amar'e Stoudemire, the Knicks compiled an 18–5 record to start the season, their best start since
1993. In their first four games, they scored at least 100 points and won by double digits in all of those games. The streak ended after a 10-point loss to
Memphis Grizzlies. The following Sunday, in a game against the
Indiana Pacers, the Knicks at home went on to win 88–76, assuring them a 7–1 record. After two tough losses to the
Dallas Mavericks and
Houston Rockets, the Knicks returned home in a game against the
Detroit Pistons on November 25, with a 121–100 blowout win, making them one of only three teams undefeated at home along with the Miami Heat and Utah Jazz. The Knicks finished November with an 11–4 record, their best month record since going 11–6 in March 2000. By the All-Star break in mid-February 2013, the Knicks compiled a 32–18 record, good for second in the Eastern Conference. On February 21, on the trade deadline, the team traded Ronnie Brewer for a 2014 second-round draft pick. The Knicks then signed veteran power forward
Kenyon Martin to a 10-day contract. In late March, the Knicks went on to compile a four-game losing streak, tying their worst skid of the season. They would go on and face the Jazz on the road, eventually winning the game and starting what would turn out to be a 13-game winning streak, including wins against the Miami Heat and the Oklahoma City Thunder. This was the third-longest winning streak in franchise history. On April 9, the Knicks beat the Washington Wizards to secure the Atlantic Division title for the first time since the 1993–94 NBA season. The Knicks' 13-game winning streak came to an end on April 11 as they lost to the Chicago Bulls. Despite that, they set the NBA single-season record for three-pointers. On May 3, the Knicks defeated the Boston Celtics in the first round of the NBA playoffs, 4–2, their first playoff victory since 2000. On May 18, the Knicks were eliminated in the second round of the playoffs, losing the series to the Indiana Pacers 4–2. Point guard Jason Kidd retired following the end of the season—he was named head coach of the Brooklyn Nets a few days later. In the 2013 NBA draft, the Knicks selected
Tim Hardaway Jr. as the 24th pick in the first round. During the 2013 off-season, The Knicks claimed Los Angeles Lakers F
Metta World Peace off of waivers. They re-signed J. R. Smith to a 3-year, $18 million deal and traded
Quentin Richardson,
Steve Novak,
Marcus Camby, and three draft picks to acquire
Andrea Bargnani from the
Toronto Raptors.
2013–2017: Phil Jackson era The Knicks also saw changes to business operations in late 2013, replacing general manager Glen Grunwald with former MSG president
Steve Mills. The Knicks also purchased an
NBA D-League team located
White Plains, which began operations at the start of the
2014–15 NBDL season. The Knicks then appointed former coach
Phil Jackson as president of basketball operations, with Mills remaining as general manager, with the duo working directly under MSG chairman James Dolan. Following the
2013–14 season, coach
Mike Woodson and his entire staff were fired, and was replaced by
Derek Fisher. Fisher played under Jackson with the
Los Angeles Lakers, winning five
NBA championships with the franchise. The Knicks finished the season with a disappointing 37–45 record and finished ninth in the Eastern Conference, but was the season
Carmelo Anthony established his career high, the Knicks' franchise record, and the Madison Square Garden record for single-game scoring. Anthony recorded 62 points and 13 rebounds in a victory against the
Charlotte Bobcats. , who acted as the president of the franchise from 2013 to 2017.
Forbes magazine released its franchise value rankings for NBA teams, and listed the Knicks as the world's most valuable basketball organization at $1.4 billion in 2014, edging out the
Los Angeles Lakers by $50 million. The Knicks were valued at 40% more than the third-place
Chicago Bulls valuation of $1 billion, and were valued nearly twice as highly as their crosstown rivals, the
Brooklyn Nets, who came in at $780 million. In the off-season, the Knicks traded controversial guard
Raymond Felton, along with former NBA defensive player of the year,
Tyson Chandler, to the
Dallas Mavericks. In return, the Knicks received
Shane Larkin,
José Calderón,
Samuel Dalembert, and
Wayne Ellington along with two picks for the
2014 NBA draft. The trade was the first one that Jackson ever executed as a front office executive. On June 26, as part of the draft, the Knicks selected
Cleanthony Early as the 34th overall pick, and
Thanasis Antetokounmpo as the 51st overall pick, using the draft picks received in the trade from the Mavericks. The Knicks also acquired
Louis Labeyrie, an additional second-round draft pick, in a trade with the
Indiana Pacers for cash considerations. The Knicks would then go onto set a franchise record with its 13th consecutive loss, losing 101–91 to the
Washington Wizards, giving New York its longest losing streak in the franchise's 69-season history. This record was extended to 16th consecutive losses, after the
NBA Global Games loss against the
Milwaukee Bucks in London. The Knicks would finish the
2014–15 season with a win–loss record of 17–65, the worst record in franchise history, and allowed them to gain the 4th overall selection in the upcoming draft. The Knicks also bought out
Amar'e Stoudemire's $100 million contract a season early. On June 24, 2015, the Knicks selected
Kristaps Porziņģis with the fourth overall pick in the draft, and traded
Tim Hardaway Jr. to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for
Jerian Grant, the 19th overall pick. Midway through another losing season, Fisher was relieved of his coaching duties, with
Kurt Rambis being named as interim head coach as the Knicks finished the season with a record of 32–50.
Jeff Hornacek was then hired as their next head coach, which also oversaw Jackson's most notable acts as an executive. On June 22, former
NBA MVP Derrick Rose was traded, along with
Justin Holiday and a second-round pick from Chicago, to New York in exchange for
Robin Lopez,
José Calderón and Grant. The Knicks also signed
Joakim Noah,
Brandon Jennings, and
Courtney Lee to contracts worth a combined $127 million, and regressed the following season, causing the franchise to part ways with Jackson after three years as the Knicks' president of basketball operations. Under Jackson's presidency, the Knicks had gone 80–166, suffered three consecutive losing seasons, and missed three consecutive playoffs. In his last act prior to leaving the Knicks, Jackson selected
Frank Ntilikina with the eighth overall pick,
Damyean Dotson with the 44th overall pick, and
Ognjen Jaramaz with the 58th overall pick in the
2017 NBA draft.
2017–2020: Further struggles Following Jackson's departure, the Knicks appointed
Scott Perry as general manager and named
Steve Mills president of basketball operations. The Knicks also saw Carmelo Anthony demanding a trade from the team, which posed difficulty for both player and franchise due to a no-trade clause inserted in Anthony's contract given by Jackson in 2013. Originally, the only teams for which he would waive his no-trade clause were for the
Cleveland Cavaliers and the
Houston Rockets, with the former eventually removed from trade discussions due to internal conflicts. Anthony intended to join the Rockets, with a three-way trade with the
Portland Trail Blazers set up involving
Ryan Anderson. Anderson's three-year, $60 million contract was not feasibly able to be absorbed by either franchise, however, causing Perry to cease talks with the Rockets, before agreeing to a deal with the
Oklahoma City Thunder, after Anthony agreed to expand his no-trade clause to include the Thunder. The Knicks received
Enes Kanter,
Doug McDermott and a 2018 second-round pick in exchange for Anthony on September 25, 2017, while also positioning
Kristaps Porziņģis as the new centerpiece of the franchise. The Knicks also re-signed
Tim Hardaway Jr. to a four-year, $71 million contract, while also agreeing to a one-year, minimum contract with
Michael Beasley. The franchise also traded for former lottery pick
Emmanuel Mudiay from the
Denver Nuggets at the trade deadline, who was a point guard the Knicks were rumored to have targeted prior to selecting Porziņģis in 2015. The trade also included the
Dallas Mavericks, with Dallas acquiring McDermott from the Knicks, and the Nuggets obtaining
Devin Harris from Dallas. However, the season again ended poorly, with 29–53 record to leave the Knicks as the 11th seed in the Eastern Conference. This caused the Knicks to part ways with head coach
Jeff Hornacek. Hornacek's two full seasons retained criticism for the team's continued struggle on defense, as well as the inability to implement an efficient, modern offense. He was replaced with former
Memphis Grizzlies head coach
David Fizdale. Fizdale signed a four-year deal, and was tasked to deliver on player development and improving the team's basketball philosophy. On May 15, 2018, the Knicks were awarded the ninth overall pick in the
2018 NBA draft, and selected
Kevin Knox II from the
Kentucky. The team also acquired
Mitchell Robinson with the 36th overall pick, and signed former lottery pick
Mario Hezonja. They further invested in untapped potential by signing another former lottery pick, with
Noah Vonleh agreeing to a one-year deal. However, following a dismal start to
the season, and after a meeting with Porziņģis gave team officials the impression that he wanted to be traded, Porziņģis was traded on January 30, 2019, alongside
Trey Burke,
Courtney Lee and
Tim Hardaway Jr., to the
Dallas Mavericks in exchange for
DeAndre Jordan,
Wesley Matthews,
Dennis Smith Jr., an unprotected 2021 first-round draft pick, and an additional top-ten protected 2023 first-round draft pick. The Knicks finished the 2018–19 season with a league worst 17–65 regular season record, but the season was notable for the emergence of undrafted rookie
Allonzo Trier, as well as for the progression of Dotson and Robinson. The Knicks won the third overall pick in the
2019 NBA draft, and selected
RJ Barrett from
Duke. The team also traded for forward
Iggy Brazdeikis, who was drafted in the second round from
Michigan. In preparation for the 2019–20 season, and as a result of having a record $74 million in cap space following the Porziņģis trade, the team divided it among five new signings. The Knicks agreed terms with veteran role players
Wayne Ellington and
Taj Gibson, with forward
Bobby Portis also signing. The team then signed former lottery picks
Elfrid Payton and
Julius Randle. On February 4, 2020, the Knicks fired Steve Mills after seven seasons as president with Scott Perry taking over on an interim basis.
2020–present: Return to success On March 2, 2020,
Leon Rose was named president of the team. On July 30, the Knicks announced that they hired
Tom Thibodeau as their head coach.
Julius Randle had a breakout season and, on February 23, 2021, Randle was named as a reserve for the
2021 NBA All-Star Game. On May 3, with a 118–104 win over the
Memphis Grizzlies, the Knicks clinched their first winning season since the
2012–13 season. On May 12, the Knicks clinched their first playoff appearance since 2013, ending their eight-year playoff drought. At the end of the regular season, Randle was named
NBA Most Improved Player, while Thibodeau was named the
NBA Coach of the Year, becoming the first Knicks head coach since
Pat Riley in
1992–93 to receive the award. The Knicks faced the
Atlanta Hawks in the first round of the
2021 NBA playoffs as the fourth seed, losing in five games. Fan attendance in home games during the 2020–21 season was prohibited until February 23, 2021, per an executive order from
Governor of New York Andrew Cuomo. The Knicks reopened
Madison Square Garden to spectators on February 23. In the 2021 off-season, the Knicks retained much of their old talent, while bringing in former all-star guard
Kemba Walker and forward
Evan Fournier. Additionally, after Randle's breakthrough season, the Knicks extended his contract for four years in August 2021. On January 13, 2022, the Knicks traded former eighth overall pick of the
2018 NBA draft,
Kevin Knox II and a protected future first round pick in exchange for former 10th overall pick of the
2019 NBA draft,
Cam Reddish,
Solomon Hill and a 2025 second-round draft pick and cash considerations. During the 2021–22 season, the Knicks struggled regressed finishing 11th in the Eastern Conference with a 37–45 record. Randle took a step back having a down season across the boards and his shooting percentages took a hit that resulted in fans booing Randle and increased trade rumours, and the lack of leadership of Randle was questioned, along with attitude and desire to be a Knick. The signings of guard
Kemba Walker and forward
Evan Fournier were considered extreme failures that set the Knicks back as well. The third overall pick of the
2019 NBA draft,
RJ Barrett in his third season averaged 20.0 points, 5.8 rebounds and 3.0 assists. signed with the Knicks in 2022. The 2022 off-season brought a lot of change to the Knicks' roster. During the
2022 NBA draft, the Knicks traded
Alec Burks,
Nerlens Noel and
Kemba Walker to the
Detroit Pistons to clear cap space for the free agency period, as well as trading their 11th overall pick for protected future first round picks. On June 12, 2022, the Knicks signed point guard
Jalen Brunson to a four-year contract, with hopes he could bring some much-needed stability to the position. The Knicks completed the 2022–23 season with a 47–35 record, finishing in fifth place in the Eastern Conference. Randle represented the Knicks in the
2023 NBA All-Star Game. In the first round of the
2023 playoffs, the Knicks defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games, their first playoff series win since 2013. They were then defeated 4–2 by the
Miami Heat in the second round. In 2024, the Knicks saw Brunson and Randle represent them at the
NBA All-Star Game. The team finished with 50 wins and secured the second seed, with a first round matchup against the Philadelphia 76ers. The Knicks defeated the 76ers in six games, before falling short in seven games against the Indiana Pacers. During the 2024 off-season, the Knicks traded away Julius Randle,
Donte DiVincenzo and
Keita Bates-Diop to the
Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for
Karl-Anthony Towns. On June 3, 2025, the Knicks fired head coach Tom Thibodeau.
Mike Brown was later hired by the Knicks on July 7, as their new head coach. In the 2025–26 season, the Knicks won the
2025 NBA Cup championship, after defeating the
San Antonio Spurs in the championship game. Jalen Brunson was named the Cup MVP. ==Season-by-season record==