All eyes were on Mitchell Robinson when James Dolan stated that the New York Knicks wouldn't go into the second apron this summer. The Knicks were fresh off of winning their first championship in 53 years when Dolan proclaimed that New York would avoid potential apron penalties—and thus face an uphill battle to re-signing Robinson. Robinson inevitably signed elsewhere.
Though Knicks fans are well within their rights to lament losing Robinson, the decision to trade the draft pick that became Cameron Carr could haunt them in equal measure.
New York traded the No. 24 overall selection at the 2026 NBA Draft in order to move back into the second round and thus avoid the cost of a first-round pick's rookie-scale contract. They've instead draft-and-stashed Jack Kayil and haven't yet made it clear how they intend to proceed with Tyler Nickel.
Both players could ultimately provide meaningful minutes, but Carr has the potential to be an impact player in the NBA at a position of need.
One might not think that wing depth is an issue with OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart leading the charge in high-volume roles. The consistency beyond that trio is limited, however, with more hope than substance anchoring the Knicks to a false reality that suggests it's sufficient.
With the 2026-27 preseason just over a month away and the regular season soon to follow it, the Knicks will soon regret trading Carr—a player who would've been the perfect piece to complete their puzzle.
Cameron Carr would've been perfect for the Knicks
Carr, 21, checks every box the Knicks need checked—on paper, of course. He stands at 6'5" with a massive 7'0.75" wingspan. He's also one of the best athletes in his class, recording a 42.5" max vertical leap and ranking in the top five among wings in every agility drill at the 2026 NBA Draft Combine.
Carr puts his physical gifts to use by thriving as a help defender, blocking shots and creating havoc in the passing lanes. He's also displayed remarkable upside as an on-ball defender.
Beyond his physical tools, Carr looks the part of, at the very least, an athletic 3-and-D wing. He shot 37.4 percent from beyond the arc on 6.1 attempts per game in 2025-26, oftentimes shooting from well beyond the NBA three-point line.
Compounded by his aerial ability and the shot creation potential that he displayed, Carr could be an impact player from day one and a high-level starter over time.
For a Knicks side that needs size, length, and depth to back up Anunoby, Bridges, and Hart, that makes this quite a missed opportunity. To make matters worse, Hart will be eligible for free agency in 2027 and Anunoby will have the same opportunity in 2028. As such, investing in the future of the position may be more essential that one might think.
Unfortunately, Dolan's unwillingness to go into the second apron cost the Knicks their first-round pick. If he lives up to his potential, Carr will soon make them regret that decision.
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