Movin' Out
The Knicks come out of night one of the draft without a player but with a lot of assets (and a clear intention for this offseason)
Good morning! Well that was quite a night. Let’s discuss…
Knicks ‘26 Draft: Round One Review
Before we get to the “why,” let’s start with the “what”:
While on the clock for the 24th pick, the Knicks traded down one spot to the Lakers, picking up the 25th pick and cash. The thinking at the time was that they would save a few dollars on the rookie scale contract for their selection. Little did we know, however, that….
With the 25th pick, the Knicks selected Spanish combo guard Sergio de Larrea. This was followed immediately by reports that the Knicks would stash de Larrea overseas next season to avoid having to pay him next season, thus giving them even more financial wiggle room in the process. Turns out, de Larrea was only a Knick for about a half an hour, because…
The Knicks traded his rights to the Dallas Mavericks for the 30th pick, Koa Peat, and two second rounders. Peat didn’t even get to put on a Knicks hat though, as moments later…
New York shipped him off to Phoenix for three second rounders, one of which is the 47th pick in today’s second round. And finally…
Per Shams, the Knicks “have already received offers of future draft assets for No. 31 and intend to move the pick prior to the start of night two of the Draft.”
In summation, what started as the 24th pick in the draft has now turned into five second round picks, the quality of which were not yet known at the time I hit send on this here newsletter. If they indeed flip 31 before tonight’s continuation of the draft, they’ll add even more future assets to that stockpile.
From this series of moves, we can make a couple of statements:
Brock Gonna Brock
No one is better at getting maximum value out of an unwanted asset than the Knicks front office. This is what New York has always done, and this is what they will continue to do, especially now with financial constraints hanging over their heads.
To their credit, this strategy has served them well. They’ve utilized second rounders in countless deals over the years and want to keep those coffers stocked. Last night’s series of deals accomplishes that.
It also deprives them of an opportunity to get a potentially solid rookie in the door, but this is where we need to trust their evaluation. Does it always work out in their favor? Absolutely not (see: Ajay Mitchell), but as defending NBA champs, they deserve the benefit of the doubt. My guess: the fact that they punted on 24 was an indication that they didn’t view anyone available at that spot as good enough to justify their contract, especially since they already have several young players on the team who have shown enough promise to warrant time next season.
With the position the Knicks are in, it’s hard to justify paying someone more than the minimum not to play, which brings us to statement No. 2…
