The New York Knicks are inevitably going to make a trade. And following the Washington Wizards’ acquisition of Trae Young, they should be trying to pursue a deal sooner rather than later—all in the name of capitalizing on the Wizards pick they currently own.
In the aftermath of Washington adding a four-time All-Star, many are wondering whether they’ll end up being so good that their first-rounder this year conveys to New York. Remember, the Knicks will receive the pick if it lands outside the top eight. Otherwise, it turns into the Wizards’ 2026 and 2027 second-rounders.
Viewed through this lens, it could make sense for New York to hold onto the selection, and then have two first-round picks at its disposal over the summer. But this presumes the Wizards will actually improve enough for their top-eight-protection to backfire.
If we’re being brutally honest, this is the least likely of all scenarios. And that means the Knicks are better off pouncing on the perceived value of this draft obligation before Washington has a chance to reverse it.
The Knicks may not benefit from Trae Young playing in Washington
Any path to New York scooping up an extra first-rounder begins with Young actually playing for the Wizards. There is no guarantee that happens this season.
Washington understands what it has at stake: another top-tier bite at the draft-lottery apple. It isn’t about to risk losing this year’s pick.
In fact, as The Athletic’s David Aldridge writes, it would not be surprising if the Wizards give Trae the “Brandon Ingram treatment.” This is to say, they might put him in bubble wrap for the rest of this year under the guise of recovering from a quad injury.
Traveling down this path would just about guarantee Washington finishes with a bottom-five record, and leave the Knicks with a zero percent chance of getting their first-round pick.
New York should try to ride the post-trade wave
The value of Washington’s pick on the trade market plummets for New York if Trae gets shut down. And even if he plays, there’s a real possibility its value nosedives anyway. The Wizards could remain bad enough to retain their pick, while improving their outlook for 2027 by so much they destroy the mystique of the second-round pick they’ll send to the Big Apple that June.
All of this is purely theoretical—for now. The Knicks should try using that to their advantage.
Other front offices aren’t ignorant to the Wizards’ situation, but until Trae gets shut down or the team shows it’s incapable of climbing up the standings, the possibility of adding what could be a back-of-the-lottery pick will pique curiosity for plenty of squads. Selling that outcome, however unlikely, is an asset unto itself—one New York didn’t realistically have at its disposal a few weeks ago.
To be sure, acting quickly on the trade market won’t be the catalyst for landing a household name. The Knicks are asset-starved relative to many other prospective buyers. And that’s the entire point.
New York can’t afford to squander any opportunity, no matter how faint, to increase the ceiling on its trade deadline activity. Pitching the “What if the Wizards convey this pick?!” dream could meaningfully help them in their pursuit of another wing, big, ball-handler, additional draft equity, whatever. The longer they wait, though, the more likely it is that this option fades.
Which is why they shouldn’t bother waiting at all.