Championship parades usually buy teams a few months of peace. The New York Knicks did not even get a few days.

Fresh off ending a 53-year title drought, New York has already found itself at the center of the NBA’s next debate. Despite lifting the Larry O’Brien Trophy, the Knicks opened behind both the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder on several sportsbooks’ early championship boards.

That reality was enough for ESPN analyst Stephen A. Smith to make a prediction many Knicks fans may not want to hear. Speaking on First Take on Thursday, “We’re going to keep it a buck,” he said. “New York Knicks shouldn’t be the favorites for next season, even if they are the champions.”

The Knicks haven’t even had time to conclude their championship celebrations. The OKC were favored to win a consecutive championship after their 2025 win, and many would have expected the Knicks to be considered in the same conversation. New York (+650) is behind the Spurs (+250) and Thunder per the bookmakers.

Oddsmakers appear to be betting on potential as much as production. San Antonio’s rise is largely tied to Victor Wembanyama’s continued development after leading the Spurs to the Finals at age 22, while Oklahoma City is expected to enter next season healthy after injuries derailed its postseason run.

The Thunder were without two of their most important players due to injuries. Jalen Williams and Ajay Mitchell, who both suffered a hamstring and calf/soleus strain, respectively. And according to SAS, their absence was the reason the Knicks were able to win the 2026 title.

“When the brother (Jalen Williams) is healthy, you can’t key on Shai the way that they did, doubling and triple teaming them. … A.J. Mitchell, someone debating whether he was better than Jalen Williams or not. That’s how much of a stud both of them are, and they were both out. If they win, if they’re healthy, they beat the Spurs in the Conference Finals. Spurs ain’t in the Finals. They beat the Spurs, and they would have been favored over the New York Knicks. So I think because that’s the reality.”

Smith’s argument centers almost entirely on Williams’ absence. The Thunder forward missed multiple playoff games after suffering a Grade 1 hamstring strain and was ultimately ruled out for the decisive Game 7 against San Antonio. Following Oklahoma City’s elimination, head coach Mark Daigneault praised Williams for attempting to play through the injury, saying, “I can’t even talk about this without acknowledging the level of competitiveness and team orientation that it takes for a guy to be willing to do that.”

Mitchell’s absence was equally significant in Smith’s eyes. Before suffering a soleus strain during the Western Conference Finals, the rookie had emerged as one of Oklahoma City’s most important playoff contributors. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander went as far as calling him “our best player this series” during the Spurs matchup, adding, “Everything about Ajay, his mental, his skillset, his work ethic—it’s all coming together before the world’s eyes.”

The Thunder will also enter the offseason with the 12th and 17th picks in the upcoming NBA Draft, giving a 64-win roster additional opportunities to strengthen a team already viewed as a championship contender.

The counterargument is that New York’s championship run was hardly the product of good fortune. The Knicks swept both Philadelphia and Cleveland on their way to the Finals and overcame injuries of their own, including OG Anunoby missing time during the postseason and Mitchell Robinson playing through a hand injury in the Finals.

New York also returns virtually its entire championship core next season, with Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby and Josh Hart all under contract. That continuity is one reason many analysts still view the Knicks as legitimate repeat contenders despite the skepticism surrounding them.

Stephen A. Makes His Finals Prediction, and the Knicks Are in It

Smith’s skepticism only extends so far. While he refused to place New York atop the championship hierarchy, he was emphatic when discussing the Eastern Conference.

“The New York Knicks should be the favorite to represent the Eastern Conference in next year’s NBA Finals, not the Celtics,” Smith said.

That confidence is rooted in a roster that remains largely intact and a postseason run that saw Brunson deliver a 45-point performance in the title-clinching Game 5 against San Antonio.

Brunson appeared to embrace the skepticism during New York’s championship parade, saying, “There’s a lot of people that have a lot of negative stuff to say. There are a lot of people who have a lot of opinions. But when you prove them wrong, you don’t have to say s–t to them.”

Smith doubled down by predicting a Finals rematch that never happened this season.

“If you’re making a prediction, it should be that the New York Knicks and the Oklahoma City Thunder will meet one another in the NBA Finals,” he said.

The prediction also came with a dismissal of Boston’s chances. “Without question, the New York Knicks should be the favorite to represent the Eastern Conference in next year’s NBA Finals. Not the Celtics, the Knicks. Don’t give a damn if Jayson Tatum is healthy, okay?”

Whether that forecast survives free agency, the NBA Draft and a healthy Thunder roster remains to be seen. But less than a week after ending a 53-year championship drought, the Knicks are already being forced to defend something they waited more than half a century to earn: the right to be considered the team to beat.