ATLANTA — Delon Wright knows what’s coming.
The Knicks are getting healthy, and his extended run as the starting point guard is about to end. Jalen Brunson is expected to return Sunday against the Phoenix Suns. Cameron Payne rejoined the rotation Saturday after missing four games with a sprained ankle. Miles McBride is nearing a return from a groin strain. The logjam at the position is returning — and Wright, ever the professional, is preparing for a change in role.
If he even has one.
“I won’t get my hopes up too much,” Wright told The Daily News after scoring 10 points on 4-of-7 shooting in the Knicks’ 121-105 win over the Hawks. “I know it’s a different role with Jalen coming back. The team’s gonna look different, and I’ll have to reinvent a certain role for myself.
“It’s cool to play extended minutes, but I’m excited to see what we look like healthy. Jalen back, Deuce, Cam — we’ll see.”
Wright called it “surreal” to start for the Knicks, especially after spending his first month in New York parked at the end of the bench.
“I really didn’t think I would ever get this chance — especially with not playing the first 15 games I was here,” he said. “But injuries happen. And I got a chance to play. It was cool.”
Cool, and quietly vital.
The trade that brought Wright to New York — a deadline deal that sent Jericho Sims to Milwaukee — initially puzzled fans. The Knicks were thin up front with Mitchell Robinson still rehabbing his ankle. Another center seemed like the obvious need.
Instead, they doubled down on the backcourt.
And it paid off.
Wright stepped in when the Knicks lost Brunson, McBride, and Payne in quick succession. In his last five starts, he averaged 9.6 points, 3.6 assists, and shot 38.9% from three. The numbers don’t jump off the page, but the impact has been clear — particularly on defense, where Wright has helped anchor the point of attack.
“I sacrifice myself on the offensive end so I can play on the defensive end to a high level,” he said. “Sometimes I do wanna score more, but I’ve gotta put my energy on the defensive end until I get into better shape. But yeah, that’s what I want to bring: defense to this team. Other guys’ roles are to score.”
Karl-Anthony Towns has been one of Wright’s biggest supporters.
“He’s been fantastic, and we expect nothing less from him,” Towns said after Saturday’s win. “He’s been doing that his whole career. He’s built for these moments, and he puts the work in. It’s a testament to his professionalism and who he is as a player.”
Wright knows what’s next. When Brunson returns, the show belongs to the Knicks’ All-Star. Minutes will shrink, maybe disappear. Roles will change.
But Wright also knows what he’s proven: that he can still contribute, still compete, and still help a contender win.
“You never know,” he told The News. “I always thought I could step up and do what I’m doing, but you never know. Like my shot — I could lose confidence in my shot. It could go in different ways. So it was good to remind myself I could still compete and contribute to winning basketball.”
