For years, the Knicks have become notoriously known parting too easily with valuable draft picks. Former President of Basketball Operations Isiah Thomas sent four NBA Draft picks (a 2006 first-round pick & the right to swap 2007 first-round picks, along second-round choices in 2007 and 2009) to the Chicago Bulls in a trade that brought Eddy Curry and Antonio Davis to New York. Glen Grunwald gave up a future first round pick in his deal for Andrea Bargnani.
With the Knicks in a rebuilding stage, there’s no doubt draft picks will be valuable. In the annual ESPN RPM prediction, the Knicks are projected to finish with 32 wins and the sixth worst record. Still, the longterm future could be bright.
Phil Jackson made many disastrous moves during his tenure with the Knicks. That’s no secret at this point. Despite the on-the-court struggles, however, Jackson made sure to keep his picks. New York currently still owns all of their first-round picks from 2018 to 2024.
With that in mind, here’s a breakdown of the rest of their draft assets moving forward:
The Philadelphia 76ers have the right to swap second-round picks in the 2018 NBA Draft. In addition, the 76ers own the Knicks’ 2019 second-round pick. In 2014, New York sent Travis Outlaw to Philadelphia in exchange for Arnett Moultrie and the two second-round picks (option to swap in 2018).
The Knicks own the Houston Rockets’ 2019 second-round pick from the Pablo Prigioni-Alexey Shved swap. In that trade, the Knicks acquired two second-round picks (2017 and 2019).
In a three-team trade with the Cleveland Cavaliers and Oklahoma City Thunder in 2015, the Knicks sent JR Smith and Iman Shumpert to Cleveland. The Knicks received Lance Thomas from Oklahoma City and Lou Amundson and Alex Kirk from Cleveland, along with a 2019 second-round pick from the Cavaliers.
In 2017, New York sent a second-round pick, along with cash considerations, in order to sign Scott Perry and make him the team’s new General Manager.
When New York completed a sign-and-trade with the Magic involving Kyle O’Quinn, Orlando received the right to swap a 2019 second-round pick, along with cash considerations. The Knicks will receive the lowest second-round pick from the Cleveland Cavaliers, Houston Rockets, and Orlando Magic, while the Sacramento Kings will receive the second lowest second-round pick.
During the 2015 NBA Draft, New York traded their 2020 and 2021 second-round picks to the 76ers, while the Knicks received the draft rights to Willy Hernangomez.
From 2022 to 2024, the Knicks currently own their second round selections.
If the team’s win total is around the ESPN RPM prediction, New York could add another young talented player to their roster. Adding another young talented player in a strong 2018 draft class could help build a strong team for the years to come.
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