New York Knicks

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The Knicks need a point guard desperately, and his breakout with Dallas proved he could be a starter. It’s a frustrating way to approach team building because there’s no longer that draw of “play in New York, win a title and you’ll be king of the world” anymore. A LOT happened, and it was confusing for a while. Then they sign some second- and third-tier free agents and it’s second verse, same as the first. In recent years, the Knicks have maneuvered to make room for a big-name free agent or two. And then?

As much as any NBA franchise, New York entered the draft in dire need of some buzz. Instead, all it got was some future protected picks and enough cap room ...

If not—if the Mavs decide to pony up a no-hometown-discount deal of somewhere north of $80 million, and Brunson decides that he’d rather stay with the franchise that drafted him—then New York might not wind up with a whole hell of a lot to show for all of Rose’s draft-night wheeling and dealing. It feels that way, but by sticking with this strategy rather than leaning into a draft-and-develop ethos, that seems to be where the Knicks are headed—and that’s if they get their guy. Besides: Would a higher-usage role be enough to overcome Dallas’s significantly higher chances of contention and the fact that it can pay Brunson more money for more years? Conversely, if the Knicks blow Dallas out of the water with a deal closer to (or even topping) $100 million, can Brunson live up to it? He’s a low-turnover facilitator adept at scoring at all levels of the defense—he shot 68 percent at the rim, 50 percent from midrange, 37 percent from 3-point land, and 84 percent at the foul line last season—who’s awfully good at operating in the two-man game. That included a pair of massive performances to keep Dallas afloat in Round 1 against Utah, while Mavs superstar Luka Doncic was sidelined by a calf strain and coach Jason Kidd needed somebody else to shoulder the primary offensive burden: In 2018, it was Kevin Knox, two spots ahead of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. In 2019, after finishing with the league’s worst record, they fell to third in a draft in which Zion Williamson and Ja Morant went first and second. The sunniest outcome from all this maneuvering, then, is that New York can chop another one of its “whoops!” summer-of-2021 salaries off the books—likely Fournier, Noel, or perhaps Alec Burks, though he’s rehabbing from foot surgery—to get up over $25 million in cap space. By sloughing off the obligation to pay a guaranteed rookie-scale salary for a first-round pick and shedding the $9.2 million owed to Walker next season, New York opened the door to creating about $18 million in cap space ahead of the start of free agency next week. Zoom out and you can understand the logic, even if the powers that be at Madison Square Garden don’t seem all that eager to walk you through it; the famously cloistered Rose didn’t hold a press conference after the draft. This time around, though, the Knicks don’t have a reservoir of goodwill built up over the course of a surprisingly fun run to the playoffs. Through deals with the Thunder, Pistons, and Hornets, New York’s front office turned that one choice into three protected future first-rounders: the Pistons’ and Wizards’ choices in 2023, and the Bucks’ pick in 2025.

The Grizzlies first sent the 22nd and 29th overall picks to the Minnesota Timberwolves for the 19th pick, which Memphis used on Wake Forest forward Jake LaRavia ...

The 2022 NBA Draft is over and it is safe to say that this draft had some great players who have the potential to do well in the league one day.

Speaking of which, NBA analyst Stephen A. Smith and longtime fan of the Knicks, Spike Lee, were present at the 2022 NBA Draft. Since they saw this disastrous draft night take place live, they couldn't believe what had just happened. They did have a lottery pick and used it to draft Ousmane Dieng. But right after drafting him, the franchise traded him to the Oklahoma City Thunder for three 2023 first-round picks. Despite that, it is truly surprising that the New York Knicks didn't get even a single player in the first round of the draft.

Two top-13 picks were swapped after their selections in the NBA Draft on Thursday night. French forward Ousmane Dieng, selected by the New York Knicks with ...

Danny Green, a 35-year-old forward, reportedly will move to the Grizzlies. Green averaged 5.9 points per game last season, his lowest figure since 2010-11. Memphis center Jalen Duren, chosen 13th overall by the Charlotte Hornets, reportedly wound up with the Detroit Pistons as part of a three-team deal. Vezenkov was the 57th overall pick in 2017 and was an all-Euro League forward and hasn’t played in the NBA. He was initially acquired by Cleveland from the Brooklyn Nets in a deal announced during the 2017 draft. –The Timberwolves sent the No. 40 pick, Nebraska guard Bryce McGowens, to the Hornets in exchange for the No. 45 selection, Memphis forward Josh Minott, and the New York Knicks’ 2023 second-round pick. –The San Antonio Spurs traded guard Kennedy Chandler, the 38th pick, to Memphis for a future second-round pick and financial considerations. –The 30th and final pick of the first round, UCLA forward Peyton Watson, was chosen by the Thunder and dealt to the Denver Nuggets. Oklahoma City received JaMychal Green and a future protected first-round pick, while Denver also got two future second-round selections.

New York Knicks forward Obi Toppin (1) looks out at the crowd after an NBA basketball game against the Toronto Raptors, Sunday, April 10, 2022 in New York.

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No team was more active during the 2022 NBA Draft, than the New York Knicks. While they got worse in the short-term, their long-term prognosis got a bit ...

In the short-term, no, I do not believe the Knicks got better. New York then traded Duren and aging guard Kemba Walker to the Pistons for a 2025 conditional Milwaukee Bucks first-round pick. They knocked a good chunk of money off of their payroll last night, and in the process, acquired the kind of draft capital that can help land you a star. This night unfolded in multiple acts, with the first being the selection of Dieng at No. 11. There are still other shoes left to drop, but in my mind, an important step was taken. ESPN broke down the moves they made in this article, and we'll take a moment to recap them here.

The New York Knicks had a bizarre night during the 2022 NBA Draft. Here's what longtime Knicks fan Stephen A. Smith had to say about it.

“The New York Knicks are a disaster; I’m not happy at all,” Smith said on the June 24 episode of First Take. “… I’m not going to the Garden next year. However, the team then sent Duren and Kemba Walker to the Detroit Pistons for a 2025 first-round selection. Perhaps Madison Square Garden will be Stephen A. Smith-less for years to come. First, New York selected Ousmane Dieng with the 11th overall pick but quickly sent him to the Oklahoma City Thunder for three 2023 first-round picks. It was hard to follow all the Knicks’ moves on draft night. And longtime Knicks fan Stephen A. Smith seemed pretty discouraged when talking about his squad on ESPN the next day.