Ranking the New York Knicks’ top 11 trade assets
By Tyler Watts
8. Pistons’ 2024 protected first-round pick
The Pistons are loaded with young talent, and they will add another top-five pick in the 2023 NBA Draft. Cade Cunningham and Jaden Ivey are a dynamic backcourt with limitless potential.
Detroit will be looking to make the leap into contention next season with a healthy Cunningham and another game-changing prospect. It is why they traded their 2024 first-round pick to the Knicks on draft night last year for Jalen Duren. Their selection is top-18 protected meaning Detroit will likely keep their first-rounder in 2024.
Those protections get smaller every year. It is top-13 protected in 2025, top-11 protected in 2026, and top-nine protected in 2027. If it has not been conveyed by 2027, the Pistons owe their 2027 second-rounder to New York.
Detroit is building something, so this pick should eventually be a first-rounder. The Knicks may have to wait a few years, but the Pistons’ talented young roster adds some value here. This could be a selection just outside the lottery in 2025 or 2026, which should have plenty of value around the league.