NBA injuries open door for Knicks: ‘The entire Eastern Conference order has been reshaped’

When Tyrese Haliburton went down with an Achilles tear in Game 7 of the NBA Finals Sunday night, he became the third NBA star this postseason to suffer that gruesome injury.

In a strange twist of fate, Haliburton (Indiana Pacers), Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics) and Damian Lillard (Milwaukee Bucks) all wear No. 0.

All three also play for Eastern Conference powers and, with the trio expected to miss most, or all, of the 2025-26 season, the door appears wide open for the Knicks to come out of the Eastern Conference.

“The entire Eastern Conference order has been reshaped by three Achilles injuries,” ESPN’s Brian Windhorst said Monday on SportsCenter.

Per FanDuel, the Knicks and the Cleveland Cavaliers are tied for the second favorite to win the 2026 title behind Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the newly-minted NBA champion Oklahoma City Thunder, who look like they could start a mini-dynasty.

“If you’re going to break through, it’s now,” ESPN NBA Insider Alan Hahn said of the Knicks Thursday on “Don, Hahn and Rosenberg.”

The Knicks, of course, lost to Haliburton and the Pacers in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals and then fired coach Tom Thibodeau several days later.

They still haven’t chosen his replacement but figure to return much of their core from this season, including Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby -- barring a blockbuster trade for Giannis [Antetokounmpo].

“Do you call the Bucks about Giannis, do you see if Giannis can get himself out of there?” Hahn asked on air. “Do you do whatever it takes to get [Jason] Kidd out of Dallas because you gotta feel like next year is your best chance to win a championship in maybe 30 years.”

As of now it doesn’t appear that Giannis will be traded, but that could potentially change if he doesn’t think the Bucks can contend.

“Giannis isn’t going anywhere this summer,” one NBA executive told NJ Advance Media.

The East won’t be a cake walk for the Knicks, of course. Donovan Mitchell and the Cavaliers won 64 games this season. The Celtics will still have Jayson Tatum, Derrick White and Kristaps Porzingis. The Pacers will still be solid even without Haliburton. The Magic upgraded their young and talented team by trading for Desmond Bane.

And more trades could still happen during and after Wednesday’s NBA Draft.

“You know how many trades are gonna happen on Wednesday?” the NBA executive asked rhetorically.

For now, though, it appears the East has opened up for the Knicks.

Now they just need to hire a coach.

Here is where all 30 teams stand, as of now, to win the 2026 title, per FanDuel.

2026 NBA championship odds