New York Knicks Looking To Trade Their 2024 First-Round Picks

The New York Knicks had arguably their best season since 2000 when they lost in the Eastern Conference Finals to the Indiana Pacers. Ironically, their campaign came to an end in a Game 7 defeat to those same Pacers, but it was a successful year nonetheless.

New York won 50 games, secured the East’s second seed, and made it to within one win of the NBA’s final four despite the worst injury luck in the league. Only when their rotation lost four of its top eight players, including their second and third-best guys, did the Knicks finally crumble at the hands of Indiana.

Jalen Brunson and company proved they could hang with the league’s very best teams, but have a ton of assets for Leon Rose and the front office to use to upgrade the roster one final time. After remaining patient with their draft picks and young players, it appears that they are ready to pull the trigger on a bigger trade.

New York Owns 3 2024 Picks, Including 2 First-Rounders

They could package these selections as part of a star trade

Owning all of your own future draft picks is a huge luxury in today’s NBA with all the trades flying around, and New York is one of the few teams that does. Furthermore, they also possess several teams’ first-round picks as well, including the 2024 Dallas Mavericks‘ 24th selection, which conveyed from last year’s Mavs tank job which protected the 2023 pick.

Although this draft is supposed to be one of the weakest in years, top-25 spots will always have value to other teams, and the Knicks have the 24th and 25th selections in 2024. Leon Rose could use these two picks and a young rotation player or two such as Deuce McBride to fetch a medium-tier star like Mikal Bridges.

However, it is more likely that New York goes big-fish hunting this off-season to acquire the one last superstar piece to complete one of the best rosters in the NBA and boost them to elite contender status. The Knicks need a bigger wing or center that can stretch the floor but also create additional offense to help Brunson after he carried an absurdly heavy burden throughout the entire playoff run.

Although having Julius Randle and OG Anunoby would’ve helped Brunson immensely, and these guys are likely still on the roster, the Knicks may want to further upgrade that secondary spot. Doing this may or may not require New York to trade Randle.

Players who could be available and fit the Knicks’ needs are Devin Booker, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Jimmy Butler, Paul George, and Brandon Ingram. Each of these guys would relieve stress off of Brunson while also playing off-ball and improving the two-way profile of an already excellent Knicks squad.

This off-season could be one of the biggest in New York Knicks history.

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