Karl-Anthony Towns is expected to play an integral role in New York Knicks starting lineup following his blockbuster trade from Minnesota Timberwolves. Together with OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, this trio makes up a solid defense/offense combination.
As they take on the reigning champion Boston Celtics in their season opener, they face an uphill challenge.
As of January 29, 2025, the New York Knicks’ starting lineup is as follows:
| Position | Player | Jersey Number |
|---|---|---|
| Point Guard | Jalen Brunson | #11 |
| Shooting Guard | Mikal Bridges | #25 |
| Small Forward | Josh Hart | #3 |
| Power Forward | OG Anunoby | #8 |
| Center | Karl-Anthony Towns | #32 |
This lineup reflects the Knicks’ recent acquisitions and strategic adjustments aimed at strengthening their roster for the current NBA season.
Karl-Anthony Towns
The Knicks’ revamped lineup has the potential to become one of the league’s elite. While they may need some depth reinforcements (particularly Mitchell Robinson until December or January) there should be no problem competing for one of four playoff spots in the Eastern Conference.
Towns’ addition will give the Knicks an offensively dominant center who scored 24.8 points and grabbed 13.9 rebounds last season, stretching the floor and helping defend three-pointers to create space for Brunson to drive to the basket. Towns is also an effective rebounder who blocks shots in his area.
After trading Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to Minnesota, the Knicks made another trade this summer that brought All-Star big man Karl-Anthony Towns – originally from St Joseph Metuchen and Edison. Towns will provide strength in interior defense as well as scoring inside where their previous roster had struggled.
As Towns enters the fold, OG Anunoby may opt to play power forward as opposed to small forward. It would suit them both perfectly as Anunoby is an elite defender while Towns is among the league’s premier scorers.
In their debut preseason game, the Knicks showed promise with their revamped lineup. Facing off against Philadelphia Sixers in a hard-fought contest that went to overtime, Towns left with hand injury after hitting his thumb against a backboard but later returned in high spirits; Jericho Sims earned most of the minutes at center during fourth quarter and overtime play, with rookie Ariel Hukporti also seeing action at center position.
Jalen Brunson
Brunson is an agile point guard who leads the Knicks in scoring, possessing an effective combination of size, speed, and skill that enables him to be effective at both ends. Additionally, he knows how to draw defenders away and create openings for teammates in shooting situations; leading fast-paced offense and playing either two or three point lines is all within his purview.
Even in his limited playing time this season, Villanova alumnus Michael Roll has proven productive for New York. His averages include 26 points, 7.3 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game – not to mention 23 double-digit scoring performances – including his career-high 53 against Orlando last week!
The New York Knicks have made strides toward building an elite team to compete with the best teams in the Eastern Conference, with Brunson’s addition helping them in this regard. However, much work remains before they reach that point.
Brunson has quickly become the heart of this team. As both a scorer and facilitator, his contributions will be pivotal to its success this season; perhaps one day he can even become the franchise’s star player!
Knicks fans have been eagerly anticipating his debut since training camp. A native of Edison and St. Joseph Metuchen graduate, Josh Hart and OG Anunoby completed second place in both player and fan voting behind Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball in player/fan votes respectively. Josh will fit seamlessly with Josh Hart, Josh Hart-OG Anunoby’s college group chemistry to provide much needed assistance on both ends of the court while contributing significantly to rebounding and defense of New York.
Quentin Grimes
Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson have been the cornerstone of the Knicks starting backcourt from day one of this season despite Quentin Grimes’ injury; nevertheless they’ve managed to post an 8-5 start thanks to Donte DiVincenzo stepping up with solid performances when it comes to ball distribution.
DiVincenzo’s recent move into Grimes’ starting spot has caused calls for the Knicks to make adjustments and start him, giving them additional offensive options. But given Josh Hart, Immanuel Quickley, and even Grimes himself may provide enough cover in their positions that it may be best for the Villanova product to come off the bench and allow his talents to be fully showcased without fearing they are left out in the cold.
Grimes has seen limited playing time this season after losing his starting job to DiVincenzo in December, yet still offers much. He can still hit from deep while improving his dribble-creation, so more time should be allotted for him to showcase these abilities while providing 3-and-D support.
Predicting an NBA starting lineup three years into the future can be difficult, but by considering factors like injury history, player development and off-season moves it’s possible to gain insight into how New York’s current group may shape up down the road. By doing this we can get a picture of how Knicks starting five might look down the road.
RJ Barrett
RJ Barrett is one of the NBA’s most exciting young players, and will bring speed and energy to New York’s lineup. Last season he excelled at Duke by averaging 24.0 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game while shooting 52 percent from both field goals and 48.3% three point range.
The Knicks selected Barrett with the third overall pick in this year’s draft and are banking on his ability to help turn around their fortunes. New players Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby were brought in during this offseason in an attempt to compete against Boston Celtics for playoff spot.
On Tuesday, the Knicks will face off against the Celtics for their inaugural game of the season and must get off to a fast start if they hope to avoid another year without making the playoffs. Their roster boasts plenty of talent but has some unanswered questions regarding its depth.
Given Mitchell Robinson’s absence and injuries to Jericho Sims and Precious Achiuwa, the Knicks will find their depth put under strain early. To meet this challenge, some non-guaranteed training camp players such as Marcus Morris or Landry Shamet could become key starters; it remains to be seen if either can develop into viable starting options in time.
Immanuel Quickley
The Knicks boast an imposing starting lineup but their depth remains uncertain. Without Isaiah Hartenstein in their ranks and Mitchell Robinson likely out until January and Precious Achiuwa suffering a left hamstring strain, New York will take some time assembling a deep rotation.
Immanuel Quickley, 25, was available and provided an impressive performance in Wednesday’s 130-113 win against the Brooklyn Nets, scoring 21 points (7-of-16 FGs, 4-of-4 FTs), four rebounds, 15 assists, three 3-pointers in 32 minutes; his averages of 4.3 PPG, 2.4 APG and 1.6 3-pointers per game provide ample optimism to fantasy managers who snagged him for their IL+ slot.
Quickley will likely start for the Knicks when they visit Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday night, according to our models. He should log 33.6 minutes, with Javon Freeman-Liberty taking up bench duties.
As it currently stands, Toronto will face Orlando Magic with only six starters in its starting backcourt due to injuries suffered by Jamal Shead and Bruce Brown; Shead has yet to progress with full contact drills while Brown continues recovering from offseason surgery.
Without Quickley on the court, Scottie Barnes, RJ Barrett and Ochai Agbaji will gain more playing time than usual. Jericho Sims and rookie Ariel Hukporti may provide backup minutes as needed, though it remains uncertain if they can keep pace with Quickley’s rapid pace.