New York’s collective state of mind is that of euphoria this week as the Knicks are headed back to the NBA Finals for the first time since 1999. The Knicks will get over a week of rest before Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals, which will start on Wednesday, June 3. They await the winner of the Spurs vs. Thunder series, which will resume tonight in Oklahoma City.
Fanatics Sportsbook currently has the Knicks with +220 odds to win the title. The Thunder, who are tied 2-2 in the Western Conference Finals with the Spurs, remain the favorite at +100. San Antonio is +270 to win it all.
Mike Brown’s squad began the season with high expectations as the Knicks entered the 2025-26 campaign with +900 odds to win it all. Only the Thunder (+240), Cavaliers (+750), and Nuggets (+550) appeared higher than New York on the odds board in early October of last year.
The Knicks were not viewed as favorably at the start of the 2026 NBA postseason, as the 3 seed entered with +2000 odds to win it all. The Thunder, Spurs, Celtics, Nuggets, and Cavs all had lower prices. The Pistons had the same price as New York at the time.
NBA Finals MVP odds
The NBA Finals MVP odds board also looks drastically different these days. On April 24, with 16 teams still alive, Jalen Brunson was +4000 at Fanatics to win NBA Finals MVP.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (-120), Victor Wembanyama (+600), Jaylen Brown (+1100), Jayson Tatum (+1100), Donovan Mitchell (+1600), Nikola Jokic (+1800), and Cade Cunningham (+2200) all appeared before Brunson on the board.
Today, Brunson is the second-most likely player to win the coveted Bill Russell Trophy. The Knicks point guard is +280 to bring it home, while SGA (+105) remains the favorite.
Here is a look at the full NBA Finals MVP odds board at the moment:
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (+105)
- Jalen Brunson (+280)
- Victor Wembanyama (+280)
- Karl-Anthony Towns (+3000)
- OG Anunoby (+5000)
- Jalen Williams (+7500)
- Chet Holmgren (+8000)
- Stephon Castle (+8000)
- Alex Caruso (+10000)
- De’Aaron Fox (+10000)
- Mikal Bridges (+12000)
- Josh Hart (+25000)
- Dylan Harper (+30000)
- Ajay Mitchell (+40000)
- Devin Vassell (+40000)
- Landry Shamet (+50000)
- Miles McBride (+50000)
- Mitchel Robinson (+50000)
Brunson won the Eastern Conference Finals MVP Trophy Monday night. He averaged 25.5 points and 7.8 assists per game against the Cavs while shooting 48.7% in the series.
Most NBA Finals MVP winners are considered the best or second-best players on their respective teams. For instance, here are the past 10 Finals MVP winners:
- 2025: SGA
- 2024: Jaylen Brown
- 2023: Nikola Jokic
- 2022: Stephen Curry
- 2021: Giannis Antetokounmpo
- 2020: LeBron James
- 2019: Kawhi Leonard
- 2018: Kevin Durant
- 2017: Kevin Durant
- 2016: LeBron James
Andre Iguodala was a somewhat recent outlier as he won the award in 2015 while a member of the Steph Curry and Klay Thompson Warriors.
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