For New York Knicks fans in attendance for the Second Round of the NBA Draft on Wednesday night, the opportunity to cheer may have passed them by when the 58th pick was announced by NBA Deputy Commissioner Mark Tatum.
The reason they could have cheered was that pick was instrumental in building their championship roster. One of the most-traded picks in recent league history, the pick was a part of both the Mikal Bridges and Jose Alvarado trades.
That pick followed a circuitous route
To tell the story, we go all the way back to the late draft in November of 2020, delayed due to the COVID pandemic. Originally owned by the Detroit Pistons, the pick was sent to the LA Clippers in a three-team deal that included future Knicks hero Landry Shamet.
From Los Angeles to Orlando, then back across the country to the Phoenix Suns. The Suns used it in 2024 to add Royce O'Neale, with the pick going to the Brooklyn Nets. Following so far?
The Nets held the pick in July of 2024 when they were negotiating to extract every draft pick possible out of the Knicks before trading them Mikal Bridges (Knicks fans know what to do with those picks). Leon Rose negotiated that in addition to Bridges, a single second-round pick would be coming back to Manhattan.
Fast forward 20 months, and the Knicks were canvassing the league for backcourt help as they geared up for a playoff run. In February of this year, they used that second-round pick and a 2027 pick to trade for New Orleans Pelicans backup point guard Jose Alvarado.
Jose Alvarado was vital
Grand Theft Alvarado was an instant hit with his hometown Knicks, and he famously stepped up in a major way during the playoffs, including in the NBA Finals. The Knicks obviously don't win the championship without both Bridges and Alvarado.
The pick was not a particularly valuable one, not after the Detroit Pistons turned into a regular-season juggernaut. It fell to No. 58 in the draft, where picks go to die. The Pelicans used the pick on SMU guard Jaron Pierre Jr., a 6'5" Louisiana native.
Perhaps fans of the Knicks in the crowd at the draft cheered when the pick was announced. Perhaps all Knicks fans can cheer if Pierre makes it into an NBA game. That draft pick may have been small, but it was a small part of something very big for the Knicks.
Mikal Bridges, in his way, brought Josa Alvarado to the Knicks. And together with Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, Josh Hart, Mitchell Robinson, Landry Shamet, Jordan Clarkson, Ariel Hukporti, Mike Brown, Leon Rose and the Knicks faithful who turned every road game into a home game, the Knicks won their first championship in 53 years.
Each piece played a part. Including the No. 58 pick Wednesday night. Well done, little guy. Well done.
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