Knicks: How many teams don’t have 2023 NBA Draft pick?
June is an exciting month in the league for several reasons: the NBA Finals, the draft, and the unofficial start of free agency. Typically the New York Knicks are involved in the draft, but this year, the organization not only doesn’t have a first-round pick but doesn’t have a second-round pick either.
The Knicks sent a 2023 protected first-round pick to the Trail Blazers as part of the Josh Hart deal, so fans shouldn’t be complaining about that move. New York had a chance to get a lottery pick from the Kristaps Porzingis trade in 2019, but Dallas’ tanking efforts paid off as the Mavericks finished the regular season with the 10th-worst record in the league. At the draft lottery, Dallas stayed put at No. 10.
After a whirlwind 2022 draft that ended with the Knicks not adding a player to the roster with the No. 11 pick, New York’s lone chances of having a pick in 2023 will depend on whether or not the front office wants to trade into the draft, and there are various ways that could happen.
For now, the Knicks are without a pick for the 2023 NBA Draft but the team isn’t alone.
The Knicks are one of three teams that don’t have 2023 NBA Draft pick
The Sixers lost their 2023 second-round pick after they were disciplined for tampering last summer in free agency with the P.J. Tucker and Danuel House Jr. signings. Philadelphia’s moves in free agency were why James Harden took a pay cut. He did so to increase the Sixers’ chances of winning a title, but that has blown up in their face.
There’s also another Eastern Conference team that doesn’t have a draft pick this year — the Bulls. Similar to Philly, Chicago lost a second-round pick for tampering with the Lonzo Ball sign-and-trade back in 2021.
The Knicks might not have a 2023 pick, but the organization is still stocked with draft capital. The same can’t be said for Philadelphia or Chicago, two teams that don’t have much wiggle room to improve. It’ll be interesting to see if all three teams remain out of the draft or if they’ll make a push to trade for a pick.
