Being inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame is an unparalleled honor for NBA superstars.
Former New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony was recently given the honor as part of the 2025 Basketball Hall of Fame class.
Melo enjoys 19 years of stint in the NBA and makes sense for him to receive this honor as one of the most prolific scorers of all time.
Speaking of the Knicks, are there any members of the current roster who will receive this honor in the future?
Currently, the former No. 1 overall pick at Karl-Anthony Towns, the 2015 NBA draft, is undoubtedly the most skilled star on the Knicks roster.
The 29-year-old town is five times the NBA All-Star, 3x All-NBA, and 2015-16 NBA Rookie of the Year. But is this resume enough to allow the Knicks Center to be inducted into the Hall of Fame?
“He’s a seven-footer with a 40% career 3-point stroke, and he’s one of the only 22 players in league history, with a career average of over 20 points and over 10 rebounds per game,” writes ESPN’s Zach Kram.
Kram noted that 21 players, who averaged at least 20 points and 10 rebounds per game, are already inducted into the Hall of Fame or are currently active in the NBA. That’s a huge achievement, but there are still many different holes in Kat’s resume.
“On the downside, Towns hardware, consisting of the Rookie of the Year trophy, five All-Star selections and three third-team All-NBA nods, is still not a Hall of Fame standard and his playoff records are missing.
“Together, the town appears to need some more strong seasons to reach Rock’s territory. It will certainly help boost the Knicks to the Finals,” Kram added.
With all in mind, the NBA Finals run is a much-needed achievement for the town to be considered a future Hall of Fame.
Jalen Branson is none other than the next notable superstar on the Knicks roster, who can be inducted into the Nysmith Hall of Fame.
Branson has risen to stardom since joining the Knicks in 2022. In fact, he has averaged 26.4 points, 3.4 rebounds and 6.7 assists per game since the move.
But Branson is already 29 years old, and his double NBA All-Star and All-NBA selection is not worth the Hall of Fame, according to KRAM.
“Branson is the group’s latest riser, a slow bluemer with an All-Star selection and a top-10 MVP finish over the past two seasons. The Knicks captain has come a long way,” continued Crum.
“He’s still shy about 10,000 career points, but he’s on the upside. Like town, he could make enormous progress this season if he could push the Knicks to the Finals through shallow Eastern Conference,” ESPN experts concluded.
Reaching the 2026 NBA Finals appears to be key to Kat and Brunson strengthening their HOF opportunities. But for that to happen, the town and Branson will have to improve their chemistry ahead of the 2025-26 NBA season.