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2020 NBA Draft: Grading the New York Knicks picks and trades

By Jeffrey Bellone

Dec 30, 2019; Dayton, Ohio, USA; Dayton Flyers forward Obi Toppin (1) dunks the ball against the North Florida Ospreys in the second half at University of Dayton Arena. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 30, 2019; Dayton, Ohio, USA; Dayton Flyers forward Obi Toppin (1) dunks the ball against the North Florida Ospreys in the second half at University of Dayton Arena. Mandatory Credit: Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports /
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NEW YORK, NEW YORK – JUNE 20: NBA Commissioner Adam Silver speaks during the 2019 NBA Draft at the Barclays Center on June 20, 2019 in the Brooklyn borough of New York City. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images) /

Grading New York Knicks picks in the 2020 NBA Draft: Trading the second round pick

The Knicks made a series of trades on Wednesday that left fans both in a state of amazement and curiosity within a short period of time.

First, they made a trade with Walt Perrin’s former team in Utah by sending the 27th and 38th picks out West in exchange for the 23rd pick. They later used the 23rd pick to secure the 25th and 33rd picks from Minnesota. In doing so, they somehow turned their original 27th and 38th picks into two better picks (25 and 33).

If the night ended there, and we were simply grading the team’s trade maneuvers, they would have received an A+!

I mean, how do you argue against that math?

But then the Knicks made another move that quickly wiped away that excitement by trading the 33rd pick to the Clippers for the 2023 second round pick that is owed to Los Angeles from Detroit.

At first blush, this trade seemed odd. Why trade a high second round pick for a future pick three years down the road that could end up anywhere between 31-60?

But thinking it through, this trade makes more sense. The Knicks probably entered the night expecting to only draft two players. With Reggie Bullock’s contract guaranteed (as expected on Thursday), they will have 10 guaranteed contracts on the books, including Toppin and Quickley. The team still has close to $40 million to spend in free agency. Trades could be made, but they need some roster space to add veteran players.

The move also puts the Knicks in the second round of a draft when high school players are expected to be included. This should make for a deeper draft class. Of course, it also kicks the asset down the road as a future trade piece.

It was a wild ride to get to the final outcome, but overall, I would say the trade was fine. A strong argument could be made that they could have found better value trading the 33rd pick in a separate deal, or selecting a player to develop and later trade (or keep if they turn into a good player!), but I can’t kill them for this decision.

Trade Grade: B-

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