Knicks Win NBA Cup Championship, Brunson Earns MVP & Expansion Talks Heat Up

Knicks Capture NBA Cup Championship With 124–113 Win Over Spurs

The New York Knicks are your 2025 NBA Cup champions.

In front of a buzzing Las Vegas crowd, the Knicks closed out the NBA’s midseason tournament with a 124–113 victory over the San Antonio Spurs, putting an exclamation point on a strong Cup run and taking home the Emirates NBA Cup trophy. New York set the tone early, playing with physicality on both ends.

Jalen Brunson continued his top level play to earn NBA Cup MVP, slicing through the Spurs’ defense with confidence and delivering clutch buckets whenever momentum started to swing. The Knicks’ depth also showed up in a big way, with timely scoring off the bench and strong defensive rotations that limited San Antonio’s late game runs.

The Spurs didn’t go quietly. Victor Wembanyama had flashes of dominance and kept San Antonio with a fighting chance even in his limited minutes, but New York’s composure, ball movement, and late game execution proved to be the difference. When the final buzzer sounded, the Knicks had secured not just hardware, but a statement win that could carry weight heading toward the All Star break.

For New York, this wasn’t just a midseason trophy, it was proof that this group can win on a big stage.

Adam Silver Confirms NBA Expansion Decision Coming in 2026

While the NBA Cup wrapped up on the court, major off court news surfaced as well.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver confirmed that the league is targeting 2026 as the year it will officially decide on expansion. Silver acknowledged that the league has continued internal discussions, market evaluations, and ownership interest reviews as part of the process.

Las Vegas and Seattle remain the most commonly mentioned expansion candidates but are not the only markets the league is looking into, with Vegas already proving itself as a capable host for marquee NBA events like the NBA Cup Final Four and summer league. Silver emphasized that expansion isn’t guaranteed, but if it happens, it will come after the league fully evaluates competitive balance concerns.

For fans, that timeline means expansion talk isn’t just speculation anymore, it’s officially on the clock. The next couple of seasons could shape the future footprint of the NBA in a big way.

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