The 2026 NFL free agency period officially began Wednesday, and while many deals have been struck, plenty of talented players are still looking for new teams. Who are the best free agents still available?

We’re ranking the top unsigned players, factoring in age, positional value, expected future production and scheme versatility. Most of the players below were taken from our top 100 list ahead of free agency, though we added a few more interesting options.

How do veteran quarterbacks Kyler Murray, Aaron Rodgers and Kirk Cousins stack up? What about wide receivers Stefon Diggs and Deebo Samuel? Let’s jump in, starting with an underrated offensive lineman.

2026 NFL free agency coverage:
Tracking moves | Grading signings
Winners, losers | Mini mock draft
Best, worst, surprising moves

2025 team: Green Bay Packers | Age entering 2026 season: 26

What he brings: Walker’s pass block win rate of 93.8% ranked 11th among 68 qualifying offensive tackles. His technique could still improve and he lacks a strong anchor, but he has the footwork and mobility to match the speed of edge rushers.

2025 team: Arizona Cardinals | Age entering 2026 season: 29

What he brings: Murray, who played in only five games last season due to a foot injury, was released by the Cardinals at the start of the league year. When healthy, Murray has the talent to produce in a system that maximizes his dual-threat ability, and he should draw strong interest as a free agent. In seven seasons with Arizona, he threw for 121 touchdowns and rushed for 3,193 yards.

2025 team: San Francisco 49ers | Age entering 2026 season: 29

What he brings: At 6-foot-3, 213 pounds, Jennings is a consistent route runner who plays through contact and makes himself available to the quarterback on in-breaking targets. He caught 55 passes last season for an injury-riddled 49ers unit, scoring nine touchdowns. Jennings was even better in 2024, when he ranked 12th in ESPN’s receiver scores and had 975 receiving yards.

2025 team: Detroit Lions | Age entering 2026 season: 32

What he brings: Decker asked for his release from the Lions after 10 seasons in Detroit. In 2025, Decker had a pass block win rate of 89.3%, the second lowest of his career. However, with the toughness and intangibles he brings, he will have a market at a premium position.

2025 team: New England Patriots | Age entering 2026 season: 32

What he brings: Diggs caught 85 passes for 1,013 yards and four touchdowns in his lone season with the Patriots. Reduced play speed keeps Diggs a little lower on our list, but he’s still a savvy route runner — with inside/outside alignment flex — who can create separation to the ball. Plus, he has the toughness to operate between the numbers on in-breaking concepts.

2025 team: Buffalo Bills | Age entering 2026 season: 31

What he brings: Bosa has played in at least 14 games over the past two seasons after injuries limited him to a total of 13 games from 2022 to 2023. Averaging 36.3 snaps per game for the Bills, he had 5 sacks, 5 forced fumbles and 42 pressures. Bosa should be viewed as a situational rusher who can still win with speed-to-power. His effort level also leads to production late in the play.

2025 team: Cleveland Browns | Age entering 2026 season: 34

What he brings: The 12-year pro has started 178 NFL games. He’s a savvy technician who had a 96.4% pass block win rate in 2025 (third best among 65 qualifying guards), while allowing only two sacks. If Bitonio opts to return for a 13th season, he would provide both consistent play and a veteran voice to any offensive line room.

2025 team: Chicago Bears | Age entering 2026 season: 27

What he brings: A downhill safety who creates disruption near the line of scrimmage, Brisker played in all 17 games last season after missing 12 in 2024 with a concussion. He’s an alley filler who can blitz, plus he can play over the top in the deep half. In four seasons with the Bears, Brisker has had four interceptions, seven sacks and 14 pass breakups.

2025 team: Pittsburgh Steelers | Age entering 2026 season: 42

What he brings: Rodgers displayed more mobility last season when working the edges of the pocket, while throwing for 24 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. He ranked 16th in completion percentage (65.7%) and 23rd in QBR (44.4). With his quick release and high-end coverage recognition, he can still be a capable starter in the NFL.

2025 team: Atlanta Falcons | Age entering 2026 season: 38

What he brings: Cousins played in 10 games last season — including eight starts — before being released at the start of the new league year. Cousins threw for 1,721 yards with 10 touchdowns and five interceptions; his QBR of 47.6 would have ranked 22nd if he qualified. With limited mobility, he grades out as a lower-tier starter in a play-action system that would cater to his field vision and timing.

2025 team: Washington Commanders | Age entering 2026 season: 30

What he brings: Samuel caught 72 passes and scored five touchdowns in his one season with the Commanders, with 63.7% of his receiving totals coming after the catch. A power strider, he would benefit from a system that allows him to get loose on catch-and-run targets.

2025 team: Cleveland Browns | Age entering 2026 season: 30

What he brings: Robinson has all of the desired tools at his position. He’s 6-foot-6, 335 pounds, with the ability to engulf pass rushers and the foot speed to redirect during a play. Plus, his 92.1% pass block win rate in 2025 was a career best. However, technical lapses have prevented him from playing at a much more consistent rate.

2025 team: Washington Commanders | Age entering 2026 season: 27

What he brings: Paul has the strength and movement skills to fit in multiple run schemes, playing at left guard throughout his four-year career. In 2025, he allowed only two sacks and ranked eighth among 65 qualifying guards in pass block win rate (95.4%).

2025 team: Cleveland Browns | Age entering 2026 season: 30

What he brings: With his frame and physical tools, Njoku is a seam stretcher who can create isolation matchups in the low red zone. However, he missed 11 games in the past two seasons because of injuries. In 12 games this past season, he caught 33 passes for 293 yards and four touchdowns.

2025 team: Buffalo Bills | Age entering 2026 season: 27

What he brings: Epenesa is a long, powerful mover who can set the edge of the front with his 6-foot-6, 260-pound frame. He can also create disruptive plays, recording 24.5 sacks and four interceptions in six NFL seasons.

2025 team: Denver Broncos | Age entering 2026 season: 29

What he brings: Greenlaw has played in only 10 games over the past two seasons since tearing his Achilles in Super Bowl LVII with the 49ers, but the tape doesn’t show signs of a declining player. When available, he is an instinctive linebacker who has the pursuit range to play a productive role in multiple defensive systems.

2025 team: Cleveland Browns | Age entering 2026 season: 31

What he brings: A steady technician with the play demeanor necessary to win on the interior, Teller has started more than 100 games in the league. His career pass rush win rate sits at 92.6%.

2025 team: Los Angeles Rams | Age entering 2026 season: 28

What he brings: With his smaller frame (5-foot-11, 185 pounds), big wide receivers can create matchup advantages versus Durant on the perimeter. However, he can run and play inside. In 2025, Durant had three interceptions, returning one for a touchdown.

2025 team: Atlanta Falcons | Age entering 2026 season: 27

What he brings: A linear pass rusher with a long frame, Ebiketie had 16.5 sacks and 89 pressures over four seasons with the Falcons. The former second-round pick fits as a 3-4 outside linebacker who can also be a part of sub-package rotation on the edges.

2025 team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Age entering 2026 season: 27

What he brings: With his dual-threat ability, White can produce as a receiver while being featured in the running game. Last season in Tampa, White had 40 receptions and 790 total yards. He would fit in a split-backfield approach, adding value on passing downs.

2025 team: Minnesota Vikings | Age entering 2026 season: 31

What he brings: Allen played in all 17 games for the Vikings in 2025, finishing with 3.5 sacks and 68 total tackles. His pass rush numbers are on the decline, but he has the alignment flex and strength at the point of attack to help multiple teams up front.

2025 team: Tennessee Titans | Age entering 2026 season: 36

What he brings: The veteran has a physical inside presence, using his power to displace defensive tackles and movement ability to pull on gap schemes. Zeitler uses his strong base in protection, but his pass block win rate dropped to 92.4% this past season in Tennessee (lowest since 2020).

2025 team: New Orleans Saints | Age entering 2026 season: 37

What he brings: Jordan, who will be a free agent before his 16th pro season, had 10.5 sacks in 2025 (his most since 2021). With the physical profile (6-foot-4, 287 pounds) to play as a 4-3 edge, and the movement ability he showed on the tape this past season, Jordan can be helpful even if it’s in a rotational role.

2025 team: Kansas City Chiefs | Age entering 2026 season: 29

What he brings: In 16 games this past season, Brown caught 49 passes for 587 yards and five touchdowns. He still has the third-level speed to attack split-field safeties, plus he can separate from coverage on crossers and unders. Brown missed the majority of the 2024 season because of a sternoclavicular injury.

2025 team: Detroit Lions | Age entering 2026 season: 31

What he brings: Muhammad had 11 sacks and 41 pressures last season. He could fit as a designated pass rusher for teams looking to boost their sub packages.

2025 team: Pittsburgh Steelers | Age entering 2026 season: 31

What he brings: A motion/movement tight end, Smith was released by the Steelers. He can impact the pass game in a system that caters to his alignment versatility and ability to run after the catch. Smith had 38 receptions in Pittsburgh last season, and 68.4% of his career receiving totals have come after the catch.

2025 team: San Francisco 49ers | Age entering 2026 season: 26

What he brings: At 6-foot-4, 300 pounds, Burford’s length and physical tools create upside for him in this guard market. Plus, he has shown that he can play at either guard spot. Burford registered a pass block win rate of 92.8% in nine starts last season.

2025 team: Baltimore Ravens | Age entering 2026 season: 26

What he brings: With his massive frame (6-foot-8, 370 pounds) and power at the point of attack, Faalele would fit best in a gap run scheme. He’s a durable lineman who recorded a 93% pass block win rate as a starter over his past two seasons.

2025 team: New York Jets | Age entering 2026 season: 26

What he brings: A pectoral tear limited Cisco to eight games this past season. He has range and ball skills that should draw some interest, with eight interceptions and 15 pass breakups over five pro seasons.

2025 team: Washington Commanders | Age entering 2026 season: 36

What he brings: Wagner’s 9.5 tackles per game ranked sixth overall in 2025, showing he can still key quickly and rack up run stops. He does have limitations in coverage at this stage of his career, but he would add a veteran voice and early-down production to any NFL defense.

2025 team: Los Angeles Chargers | Age entering 2026 season: 27

What he brings: The Chargers released Becton after just one season in L.A. He played subpar football in 2025, but the former first-rounder has the size and physical tools to overwhelm defenders in the right system.

2025 team: Green Bay Packers | Age entering 2026 season: 27

What he brings: Diggs has played in just 22 games over the past three seasons, and he was released by the Cowboys and Packers this past season. However, teams could see Diggs as reclamation project with his playmaking eyes in the secondary. He has had 20 career interceptions, including a league high of 11 in 2021.

2025 team: Dallas Cowboys | Age entering 2026 season: 33

What he brings: The 12th year pro had 8.5 sacks and 32 pressures last season in 13 games, winning late in the down to get to the quarterback. We expect Clowney to sign a short-term deal as a rotational pass rusher.

2025 team: Jacksonville Jaguars | Age entering 2026 season: 26

What he brings: Brown has the speed to threaten cornerbacks by either pressing deep or creating separation when cutting back to the ball. Still in his prime years, he can add another element to a team’s wide receiver room. He caught 20 passes for one touchdown in 2025.

2025 team: Arizona Cardinals | Age entering 2026 season: 28

What he brings: Williams has played in just 15 games over the past two seasons, and his limited lower-body flexibility shows on the tape. With a career pass block win rate of 87.9%, he can be targeted as a default starter or provide competition at the right tackle spot for a team.

2025 team: Tampa Bay Buccaneers | Age entering 2026 season: 31

What he brings: Reddick had 2.5 sacks and 23 pressures for the Bucs last season. With 61.5 career sacks, he could draw interest from teams that like to scheme their pass rushers out of loaded fronts.

2025 team: Cincinnati Bengals | Age entering 2026 season: 27

What he brings: Stone started every game for the Bengals over the past two seasons, and he can make plays on the ball. He has 14 career interceptions, including seven with the Ravens in 2023. Stone is an interchangeable safety who can rotate well in two-deep coverage.

2025 team: Detroit Lions | Age entering 2026 season: 32

What he brings: At 6-foot-3, 330 pounds, Reader can eat up blockers as a 1-technique. He would fit with any teams looking for an interior presence in base fronts.

2025 team: Los Angeles Rams | Age entering 2026 season: 26

What he brings: The Rams traded for McCreary midseason, but he played only 37 snaps in Los Angeles. McCreary has limited career ball production (three interceptions over four seasons), but he has the traits to play in the slot.

2025 team: Houston Texans | Age entering 2026 season: 29

What he brings: Injuries have forced Kirk to miss 18 games over the past three seasons. But when on the field, he can be a three-level target who produces numbers after the catch. Kirk had 28 receptions and one touchdown catch last season, lining up on the perimeter or in the slot.

2025 team: Cincinnati Bengals | Age entering 2026 season: 41

What he brings: In 12 starts between the Browns and Bengals this past season, Flacco threw for 2,451 yards with 15 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He is still a solid No. 2 who has an aggressive mentality in the pass game.

2025 team: Dallas Cowboys | Age entering 2026 season: 31

What he brings: Wilson is a box/split-field safety who plays with a tone-setting mentality. He can also mix it up in the run front or match up with tight ends in coverage. Wilson had 71 tackles and two interceptions last season.

2025 team: Tennessee Titans | Age entering 2026 season: 31

What he brings: Joseph-Day had 41 tackles and two sacks in a rotational role for the Titans this past season. With alignment versatility on the interior, he can add veteran depth to the defensive line room.

2025 team: San Francisco 49ers | Age entering 2026 season: 27

What he brings: Robinson rushed for 400 yards and two touchdowns last season as the No. 2 running back behind Christian McCaffrey. A powerful, north-south runner, Robinson also showed off his pass-catching ability in 2023 with 36 receptions for the Commanders.

2025 team: New York Giants | Age entering 2026 season: 31

What he brings: Wilson started the season as the Giants’ No. 1, but he was replaced by rookie Jaxson Dart in Week 4. During his three starts, Wilson threw for 778 yards with three touchdowns and three interceptions. With declining mobility, he is a veteran No. 2 at this stage of his career.

Pakistan spinner Abrar signed by Indian-owned Sunrisers Leeds in Hundred auction

Leg-spinner Abrar Ahmed was bought by Sunrisers Leeds for £190,000 ($254,201) in the men’s auction for The Hundred on Thursday, despite media reports that Indian-owned teams might avoid signing cricketers from Pakistan.

In February, the BBC reported that Manchester Super Giants, MI London, Southern Brave and Sunrisers Leeds would not consider signing Pakistani players for the United Kingdom-based competition amid tensions between neighbours India and Pakistan.

Following the report, the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) and all eight franchises stressed that players must not be excluded from selection based on nationality.

Abrar has played 38 Twenty20s for Pakistan since making his debut in 2024, taking 52 wickets with an economy rate of 6.67.

Sunrisers opened the bidding for the 27-year-old at £130,000 before raising their bid to fend off interest from Trent Rockets.

Trent Rockets, who are not Indian-owned, also attempted to sign Abrar’s compatriot Usman Tariq, who ultimately joined Birmingham Phoenix for 140,000 pounds, while Pakistan’s Shadab Khan and Haris Rauf went unsold.

Pakistani players have been effectively barred from the Indian Premier League (IPL) since 2009.

James Coles, a 21-year-old all-rounder who plays for Sussex, fetched the highest price in the first half of the auction as he was bought by London Spirit for 390,000 pounds, while Welsh Fire picked up former England captain Joe Root and Jordan Cox.

The Hundred, the only cricket league in the world that uses a 100-ball format, will be held from July 21 to August 16.

It was opened to private investment last year, with four franchises acquired by IPL owners.

New York Knicks coach Mike Brown speaks of a standard, not unlike former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Mike Tomlin’s.

“The standard is the standard,” Tomlin would often say in his news conferences during his near two-decade run on the sideline. That standard was about Super Bowls. Tomlin took the Steelers to two of them, winning one. It’s a run of success that the Knicks, who haven’t reached the NBA Finals since 1999, can’t match.

That’s why the standard that Brown refers to is more micro. The coach, who led the Cleveland Cavaliers to the Finals in 2007 and was an assistant on three title-winning teams with the Golden State Warriors, was hired last July under the expectation that he would elevate the Knicks into playing until June. But that starts with establishing winning habits in the doldrums of the regular season.

“You want to embrace your standard,” Brown said Monday night in the bowels of the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California, before an eventual loss to the LA Clippers.

“I think our guys have embraced the standard of sacrifice, competitive spirit, connectivity and overall belief in each other’s process.”

For the past two months, Brown’s messaging seemed to be getting through to his team. After a 2-9 stretch from Dec. 31 through Jan. 19, the Knicks lost just four games the rest of January and all of February, buoyed by big wins over the Houston Rockets and San Antonio Spurs that seemed to reignite championship expectations.

Now, a rocky stretch of three losses in five games — including two in a row in Los Angeles against the Clippers and Lakers — have brought back the old feelings of uneven performances, giving ammo to critics who believe the Knicks won’t be able to make a deep playoff run in the wide-open East. That wouldn’t be acceptable to owner James Dolan, who told WFAN in January that the standard for the Knicks this season, at minimum, is a Finals appearance.

“We want to get to the Finals,” Dolan said. “And we should win the Finals. This is sports and anything can happen. But getting to the Finals, we absolutely got to do.”

With six weeks left in the regular season, Brown knows the Knicks need to raise their standard. They are 42-25 and in third in the East, 1.5 games above the Cavaliers. They were 43-24 at this time a year ago.

Here are five issues that the Knicks must solve before the real season begins on April 20:

By the numbers, Towns is having a good, not great, second season in New York. His minutes, production and efficiency are down across the board — his 20.0 points per game are his fewest since he averaged 18.3 as a rookie in 2015-16 — as he has struggled at times finding his way in Brown’s offense.

He has shown the ability to carry the Knicks for stretches, including on Monday night. Twenty-one of his game-high 35 points came in the first half, as New York’s bench didn’t muster a point and ended up with 14 for the game.

Relying on Towns to carry the team has not been a formula for success, however. The Knicks are 16-11 when he takes at least 15 shots and 24-12 when he shoots fewer than 15 times.

In February, before the Knicks’ comeback win over the Rockets, Brown made it clear that the offense should run through Brunson. When asked about Towns’ season and the feeling that Towns has been underwhelming, he raised his hand about six inches above his head to symbolize Brunson as the No. 1 option. Then he brought it down a few inches to show where Towns should be — as the No. 2.

“I look at KAT and he’s probably right where he should be,” Brown said. “Maybe he should be the leading scorer, I don’t know. He gets the second-most attempts, right behind Jalen.”

“It’s a work in progress, and you got to continue to feel and evolve as a group and hopefully do it around the guys you need to.”

Brown has said he has simplified the offense to fit his entire roster, not just Towns. As gifted as an offensive option as any big in the NBA, Towns has to assert himself while not forcing his own offense — which can look clunky when he does force it. But he also has to make sure he doesn’t allow himself to disappear, either.

“My career has been so crazy where I’ve had to learn how to go with the flow,” Towns told ESPN later that evening. “My usage is high, I’ve got to do something with that. [When] my usage is low, I’ve got to maximize my opportunities so everybody else could get going.”

When told of Brown’s comments, Towns said, “You’re used to touching the ball, having a rhythm of the game, flow of the game — also minutes being lower, you have more time to get into the game.

“It’s different, something different in my career. I haven’t dealt with something like that.”

Hunkering down on defense

The Knicks were a top-five team in the clutch last season, going 19-12 in games that were within five points in the last five minutes. Their clutch-time experience showed in the Eastern Conference semifinals against the then-champion Boston Celtics, when they had two comeback victories in the opening games on the road.

They were a team that couldn’t be counted out, even if the numbers said they were an average defensive team under former coach Tom Thibodeau.

They’re a better overall unit this season, ranking eighth in defensive efficiency. They have been the league’s best defensive team since Jan. 15. They have given up 106.1 points per 100 possessions over that stretch, a huge contrast from the two prior months, when they ranked 23rd at 117 points per 100 possessions.

Josh Hart seemed surprised when notified of the recent developments.

“If that’s what the numbers say, I don’t think the numbers are wrong,” Hart told ESPN on Sunday. “I think what we’re doing is a great attention to detail and a level of physicality. I think we can sustain that. We have good players, smart players. You see the formula that it takes for us to be successful. Now we just have to sharpen that.”

Brown said defensive coordinators Darren Erman and Brendan O’Connor showed the players film on some of the league’s best defensive teams — the Detroit Pistons, Oklahoma City Thunder and Phoenix Suns — to highlight what they get away with and examples of good physicality.

“When we’re watching our games against those guys, we can see the contrast and difference in those kind of things,” Hart said. “You can learn from other teams, see where you can be physical, how to use that physicality to your benefit, where the refs let you play.”

The Knicks fell back to earth against the Lakers and Clippers but have opportunities against lower-rated offensive teams coming up, including the possibility of going against a Stephen Curry-less Golden State Warriors team at Madison Square Garden on Sunday.

They’ll play four top-10 offenses the rest of the season, including an April 9 showdown against the Celtics, who are second in the East and just got back Jayson Tatum from the Achilles injury he suffered against the Knicks a year ago.

Getting Brunson on track

Brunson is the key to everything the Knicks do offensively. When Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby have tried to put the ball on the floor to make plays, it hasn’t always turned out well — all roads lead back to Brunson as the sole reliable shot creator from the perimeter.

Teams have gotten more aggressive with the Knicks, however. The usually sure-handed Brunson had seven of the team’s 19 turnovers against the Lakers, and the roster spread around the mishaps the next night (20 turnovers).

Anunoby’s assist-to-turnover ratio is about even and while Bridges has been put in position to facilitate more offense, Brown doesn’t have him making reads from the top of the floor.

Brunson’s 30.3% usage rate ranks 13th in the league, right behind Cade Cunningham and Nikola Jokic, slightly higher than his rate last season (29.5%). He’s getting doubled more as teams try to force the ball out of his hands — he and Brown have found ways to get him free, but more sophisticated defenses will be more physical.

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Lakers pick up home win over the Knicks

Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves shine in LeBron’s absence to take down the Knicks at home.

Brunson has avoided serious injuries this season — he missed a month with an ankle sprain last season, which hampered him in the first round against Detroit. Keeping him healthy and fresh is a goal as the Knicks approach the homestretch.

Perhaps it was signs of fatigue or strategy when he had a rough three-game stretch recently, going 16-of-50 against the Lakers, Nuggets and Thunder.

“He’s human, and he’s going to have some nights like that,” Brown said Monday. “And his track record shows that he’ll go get it done.”

Brunson’s scoring has slumped since January, as he has averaged 23.1 points in his last 31 games. He was at 29.4 in the first 30. Is that because of Brunson’s increased effort on defense?

“It’s possible, but we’re not going to focus on that,” Brunson said. “We’re more focused on doing the little things. The offense will take care of itself.”

The plan for the oft-injured but critically effective backup center has worked as well as anyone could’ve anticipated. After playing just 48 games the past two seasons because of an assortment of injuries, Robinson has played 48 this season, with the team holding him out of back-to-back games and keeping his minutes at a manageable rate (19.2 per game) to ensure he will be ready for a heavier load come playoff time.

He averaged 17 minutes per game in November and 19.9 in December. In January, his heaviest month to date, he averaged nearly 22 minutes and crossed the 10-rebound-a-night threshold for the first month since November 2023.

Casey Smith, the Knicks’ highly regarded vice president of sports medicine, has spearheaded Robinson’s plan. Smith has been part of multiple runs with the U.S. men’s national team during the Olympics, as well as winning the 2024-25 NBA Athletic Training Staff of the Year award.

“The biggest thing is to get [Robinson] in games this year, to make sure that he stays healthy,” Brown said Monday.

Robinson’s presence gives the Knicks an advantage on the offensive glass, which Brown has said is part of their strategy to become a more potent 3-point shooting team. Many of their comebacks, such as Christmas Day against Cleveland or recently against the Rockets, were in large part because of Robinson’s offensive rebounding, which leads to a scrambled defense and open shooters.

Robinson’s free throw shooting woes have returned (39.5%) after he shot a career-high 68% last season, but his offensive rebounds per 36 minutes ranks No. 1 in the league (8.0). That’s a skill Brown plans to use in abundance over the next few months.

Holding everyone accountable — including Brown

Brown has had to learn a team that already knew itself before he arrived. The adjustment, especially in November when players, including Hart, grumbled about being benched in fourth quarters in consecutive games to Memphis and Orlando, hasn’t always been smooth.

But Brown has adjusted — and so have the players. The Knicks have turned into one of the league’s best 3-point shooting teams (sixth in makes, fourth in percentage), while going from a fifth-ranked offensive team to third this season. They were 14th in defense a year ago and are now eighth.

“Everybody’s a lot better with the accountability aspect of it too,” Brown said. “Not just making sure we’re holding each other accountable but being OK with being held accountable.”

Brown has talked about leaning on the assistants who were holdovers on Thibodeau’s staff for guidance on dealing with players. Being collaborative and amenable to suggestions made him an attractive hire following Thibodeau. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t show his teeth at times.

After Sunday’s loss to the LeBron James-less Lakers, he was as outwardly frustrated as he has been all season. That’s perhaps a callback to the standard he wants.

He routinely said of the Lakers, “This is not a knock at them …” and then referred to mishaps the Knicks made all afternoon: the turnovers, poor decisions and bad defense.

“Whether it’s this game or another game, I’m always direct,” Brown said of his message to his team. “There’s no sugarcoating.”

The Knicks are two games behind the Celtics for the 2-seed in the East, a potential rematch of last season’s shocking semifinals. They’re just ahead of the Cavaliers, who defeated the Knicks easily in their last meeting. If the Knicks slip to the 4-seed, it could put them in the crosshairs of the Pistons, who are likely headed toward the top spot. Detroit has beaten the Knicks in three meetings this season, all in decisive fashion.

That’s where Brown will be ultimately judged: his team’s performance in the playoffs — and the road to getting there these next few weeks is just as important.