The New York Knicks walked into next season already carrying two trophies and a target on their backs. Now they know exactly who is coming for them.
On Monday, the league released the group-stage draw for the 2026 NBA Cup, and whoever scheduled this thing has a sense of humor. The defending champion Knicks landed in East Group B alongside the Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, and Philadelphia 76ers. That is basically a playoff bracket dropped into a November tournament.
Philadelphia and Cleveland in particular have reasons to circle these dates. The Knicks swept both teams in this year’s playoffs — the 76ers in the second round, the Cavaliers in the conference finals. You don’t forget that. Jalen Brunson and company put each of those franchises away with a cold efficiency that still stings months later.
The Knicks are trying to become the first team to win back-to-back NBA Cup titles since the tournament started in 2023. The Los Angeles Lakers won the first one. Milwaukee took it in 2024. New York grabbed it last season after beating the San Antonio Spurs 124-113 in the final. OG Anunoby put up 28 points and nine rebounds in that game. Brunson added 25 points and eight assists. They erased a fourth-quarter deficit by outscoring San Antonio 35-19 in the final period.
That game turned out to be a preview of the NBA Finals, where the Knicks beat the Spurs again, this time 4-1, to end a 53-year championship drought. Each player on the Cup-winning roster took home more than $530,000 in prize money. Not bad for a Tuesday night in December.
The group stage schedule has not been released yet, but the matchups already feel personal. The Heat and Pacers are no pushovers either, but the real emotional weight sits with Cleveland and Philadelphia. Both teams made roster moves this offseason designed to close the gap. Neither wants to be the team that lets New York run through them again.
The league has not had a back-to-back NBA champion since the Warriors in 2017-18. The Cup has never had a repeat winner. The Knicks have a chance to change both of those facts starting with these group games. And the opponents already know what’s coming.
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