The New York Knicks haven’t made and kept a first-round draft selection since the 2020 NBA Draft, when they took Obi Toppin with the eighth overall pick.
They may be extending that streak this year.
The Knicks own the 24th and 25th picks in the 2024 NBA Draft. But according to a new mock draft from ESPN’s Jonathan Givony and Jeremy Woo, the Knicks have been exploring “trade scenarios” with those picks.
“The Knicks are understandably looking into trade scenarios involving their two picks in the 20s as they work to prolong their current competitive window,” Woo wrote.
In the mock draft, however, Woo has the Knicks taking Purdue center Yves Missi and Marquette guard Tyler Kolek.
It’s hardly surprising that the Knicks would be looking into potential trades — virtually every team does.
With the Knicks, however, it does offer some intrigue.
The Knicks are known to be looking to trade for another superstar — they have a surplus of draft assets and trade-able contracts. And they have been active in drafts past, moving up and down the draft to acquire extra picks and/or open up cap space.
Of course, the Knicks could also use young players on rookie contracts to fill out their depth and potentially develop into rotation players. The best teams nail at least few late picks to help sustain the “competitive window” that Woo referenced.
Are the Knicks looking to trade up in the draft and get a higher pick and better prospect? Are they trying to trade those picks for a win-now veteran? Are they trying to trade those picks to get more future picks to use in a superstar trade?
It’s all unknown right now, but with the draft less than a month away, expect to hear more murmurs about the Knicks’ activity.
