New York Knicks: Outlook for every player in Kristaps Porzingis trade
2021 and 2023 first-round picks
Draft picks are hypothetical players, but intriguing assets since teams can choose whoever they want, based on who’s available, when it reaches their turn in the draft. The New York Knicks acquired two of them.
The 2021 first-round pick is unprotected. However, since teams can’t move consecutive first-rounders, if the selection Dallas moved to the Atlanta Hawks for Doncic doesn’t convey in 2019 (protected for picks one-to-five), it moves to 2022.
Whether or not it conveys, it’s still the unique extra first-round pick for the Knicks to use via trade. They can sweeten a package for a superstar down the line or keep it for themselves, adding to a young core in two years.
With Doncic, Porzingis and whoever Dallas has to surround them, this pick should belong to the Knicks in two years. In a crowded Western Conference, maybe it lands at the back of the lottery or between picks 15-to-20.
The 2023 pick is too far in the distance to decipher but also represents an asset for trade. It’s anyone’s guess where it falls in the first round.
As MSG’s Rebecca Haarlow noted, the Knicks now have seven first-round picks in the next five years. It’s unlike the days of working without draft selections, and provides unique positioning for improving the team.
Another thing to keep in mind: the Knicks now have SEVEN first round picks in the next five years. That’s insane leverage, be it with the draft or to package and trade. What Perry/Mills/Fiz now have is a lot of power and more importantly, options.
— Rebecca Haarlow (@RebeccaHaarlow) February 1, 2019
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The Knicks may have lost their star, but the focus shifts towards what’s in place and the future, post-trade. These pieces have time to prove their standing, whether in New York or Dallas, before it’s time to revisit this deal in six-to-12 months.