NY Knicks: 3 reasons why Leon Rose deserves Executive of the Year award

Leon Rose turned Ed Davis into 3 2nd round picks for the NY Knicks

Coming into this season, it was widely believed that the Knicks would be somewhere near the bottom of the totem pole yet again, and would be making moves for the future as opposed to bolstering their roster for the present.

Boy, were we all wrong…

While a lot of the moves Leon Rose has made were all geared toward the future, no one anticipated everyone on the team stepping things up the way they have under Coach Thibodeau.

Regardless, on November 19th the Knicks traded for Ed Davis from the Jazz which looked like a bit of a salary dump at the time.

The Knicks also acquired not one, but TWO 2nd round picks in the highly-touted 2023 ‘double draft’.

In 2023, the league is switching up its requirements for players coming into the league and will start accepting players directly from high school instead of being at least one year removed.

This draft in particular will have an influx of college-level talents as well some very talented names coming straight into the league after their Senior proms.

Just that move on its own would have been impressive…but wait, there’s more!

Instead of just absorbing Davis’ salary and calling it a day after acquiring 2 nifty little draft picks, the Knicks went on to trade him just 3 days later over to the TImberwolves in exchange for Omari Spellman, Jacob Evans, and yet ANOTHER future 2nd rounder.

That pick ended up being a pick in the 2026 draft.

There’s only one true way to define both of those moves – savvy.