With the 2021 NBA Draft right around the corner, the NY Knicks find themselves in a very interesting situation: to trade, or not to trade.
The Knicks currently have draft picks #19, #21, #32, and #58.
However, rumors have spread that New York will try to package their two first-rounders, and possibly pick #32, to move up into the late lottery and target a higher-upside player.
That’s a lot of draft capital to give up just to move into the 8-10 range, at best. Additionally, trading three picks to put all your eggs in one basket, when that basket is one rookie, is not my favorite strategy.
After drafting Immanuel Quickley last year, our new front office regime showed they’re able to identify talent in the mid to late first round.
Now, we have two picks in that range in a draft that has been described as one of the deepest in recent memory.
It would not be wise if the NY Knicks traded up in the 2021 NBA Draft
The Knicks are still a young, growing team that, barring any blockbuster trades, is unlikely to take a huge step next year.
It makes more sense to keep those two or three picks than to trade them and move up when this team is more than one young player away from making it any further in the playoffs than we did last year.
On top of that, the level of talent that typically falls between picks 19 and 22 is surprisingly impressive. Over the last 5 drafts, at least one promising, high-upside player has been selected in that four-pick range.
Players that have not only contributed to up-and-coming teams but eventually played valuable minutes on playoff-ready rosters.
After settling at the bottom of the Eastern Conference for what seemed like an eternity, the Knicks are finally turning a corner. With a young, developing core, we’ve become a competitive, playoff squad that must continue building out a roster that can truly attract free agents in the coming years.
An interesting way to make the case for why we should keep our first-rounders and continue drafting young talent is to look at the level of player that has typically fallen in our draft range over the last 5 NBA Drafts.