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Was there a scenario more apropos for the New York Knicks than what went down during the NBA Draft? They were the busiest team on draft night and yet somehow ended up with zero picks from the first-round of the draft.
Normally, letting go of your first-round pick is a move that franchises pull off when they feel they're a move or two away from being a serious threat. But the Knicks were six games out of the Play-In Tournament in a suddenly-loaded Eastern Conference. They're not exactly in a position to contend anytime soon. And yet here they are fumbling the bag in the exact venue from which they're supposed to be finding pieces to build a winner around.
Here are three (3) reasons why the 2022 NBA draft was peak Knicks:
3 reasons why 2022 NBA draft was Peak Knicks
#1 – Failed bid at a stud
Knicks fans are notorious for coveting superstars and young studs that they have no business dreaming of. From LeBron James to Kevin Durant, and more recently Zion Williamson, photoshopped images of these stars in Knicks jerseys have littered NBA Twitter for ages.
That's why it's just so on the nose that the Knicks were the team with the most blatant lust for the man they wanted in the draft in Purdue's Jaden Ivey, only for them to fall flat on their face to acquire him. The closest the Knicks got was Spike Lee being able to get a final word in with him before the director had to face the music like the rest of the fanbase.
Spike Lee had to give Jaden Ivey his Knicks pitch one last time 😂
(via @TSN_Sports)pic.twitter.com/gCDdX40QHk
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 24, 2022
The top three in the draft was completely shaken up with the Orlando Magic choosing Paolo Banchero. The Sacramento Kings' plan for their fourth pick, Ivey's projected landing spot, remained a mystery. And yet it was the Knicks armed with the 11th pick that had their intentions on blast throughout the draft process.
The failed Ivey-to-New York rumors is just part of the deal for Knicks fans. They could have just quietly went about their business. Instead, the had to spark hope for the fan base before making them watch it all go up in flames as another team gets their guy. Go figure.
#2 – Squandering draft capital in spectacular fashion
The Knicks didn't nab Jaden Ivey. But they weren't sitting there like a normal franchise going with who's left on their draft board. Of course not. They instead made a flurry of moves that served as the primary excitement of the evening which was otherwise devoid of big-time transactions.
Perhaps with other, more high-profile moves on the evening their trades could have been buried in a see on transactions about star X changing teams. But alas, the lack of headline-grabbing deals left the spotlight on New York for NBA Twitter and Knicks fans alike to collectively go, “huh?”
The Knicks gave up their first-round pick, the 11th overall selection, to punt for future picks from the Oklahoma City Thunder. It seemed like an attempt to gather strength in order to make a play at Ivey, who landed with the Pistons. They did make a deal involved Detroit, but it was simply to shed salary in the form of Kemba Walker's expiring $9 million deal – a contract they signed in the first place – via spending their new powder on the Hornets' own 13th pick that went to Motown.
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They got the Bucks conditional first round pick in 2025. Thought Knicks gave up too much just to get rid of an expiring $9 million.
— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) June 24, 2022
The Knicks could've just made a bad selection, get scrutinized for the move and be done with it. Instead, they chose to make noise for an end goal that arguably isn't worth it.
#1 – Desperation moves for an unsure quantity
It's come to light that all of New York's maneuvering was to clear up cap space for Dallas Mavericks free agent Jalen Brunson. They've inched ever so close to having $20 million in space to get their man outright, who likely wants a deal with an annual salary north of that mark.
Knicks now projected to generate $18M in cap space after getting off Kemba Walker and the 11th overall pick. $16M is more realistic when keeping Mitchell Robinson's cap hold in mind so they can re-sign him after.
They're much closer to having enough cap space for Jalen Brunson. https://t.co/reLZGU28NM
— Yossi Gozlan (@YossiGozlan) June 24, 2022
If the Knicks were doing all this, getting rid of arguably the most valuable asset that teams own in cost-controlled rookie deals, it would make sense if they were going after a bona fide star. At the very least, it would be justifiable of a pursuit even if it ends in heartbreak.
No disrespect to Jalen Brunson, but he's no franchise-altering talent that can completely turn the fortunes of the Knicks franchise around. Yes, the 11th pick likely wouldn't have been that either. But at least the contract doled out to such a pick would be less than $20 million over four years. The Knicks would be paying Jalen Brunson more than that in annual salary.
Most franchises use their lottery picks to find and develop players to become impact stars like Jalen Brunson, who himself was a second-round pick. Does New York not have faith that they could identify a similar talent with a much higher pick who would be on a rookie-scale contract for four years?
Jalen Brunson was terrific last season for the Dallas Mavericks and had some big-time performances alongside Luka Doncic. But one season doesn't define a career, nor does it indicate exactly how the next ones would go unless there's been precedent for future success and not just a flash-in-the-pan contract year. It's like the Knicks didn't learn from seeing the stark contract with Julius Randle, who had one All-Star season and looked abysmal the following year after he got the bag.
The Knicks couldn't just have a terrible NBA draft night. They had to do it in the most emphatic was possible.
