Knicks enter NBA draft with no picks but plenty of opportunities – The Denver Post

It feels like piling on Phil Jackson at this point, but we must when it comes to the NBA draft.

The Zen Master had three first and second-round choices during his tenure, and he missed the following players — Nikola Jokic, Devin Booker, Donovan Mitchell, Bam Adebayo — by within nine picks.

Multiple GMs passed on those top talents, to be fair, but we bring these up to underscore a point ahead of Thursday’s NBA draft: contending teams are still built first with the draft, then with trades and free agency.

Look at the last three champions. The Nuggets drafted Jokic and Jamal Murray; the Warriors drafted Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green; the Bucks drafted Giannis Antetokounmpo.

None of those players were picked in the top-6. Three of them — Antetokounmpo, Jokic, Green — fell out of the lottery. So you have to be smart and lucky in the NBA. The best place for that combo is the draft.

The Knicks, unfortunately, don’t have a pick this year. At least not yet. But they own a boatload of picks in the future and a bevy of options Thursday.

We’ll lay it out below in a Knicks draft primer:

WHY DON’T THEY HAVE ANY PICKS?

The Knicks traded their own first-rounder to the Blazers for Josh Hart in February. It has thus far worked out for the Knicks, who rode Hart’s energy to their first playoff series victory in a decade. Their second-round pick was dealt to the Hornets last year as part of the Kemba Walker salary dump. You could also argue that was a positive for the Knicks since they used the cap space to sign Jalen Brunson.

The Knicks had a chance at getting Dallas’s first-round pick — the final payment of the Kristaps Porzingis trade of 2019 – but it was top-10 protected and the Mavericks retained it.

CAN THE KNICKS GET INTO THE DRAFT?

Sure.

Buying second-round picks isn’t as common anymore but the Knicks have plenty of trade pieces to find a way into a selection. The most obvious chip is Obi Toppin, who hasn’t cracked the rotation and becomes extension-eligible this offseason.

An NBA GM placed Toppin’s value at a late first-round pick — whether this year or in the future — and the Pacers, who own the 26th and 29th picks this year, make some sense as a partner. But barring an overhaul, Tom Thibodeau’s rotation doesn’t have an obvious spot for a late first-rounder.

Of course, the bigger question is whether the Knicks will get involved in a bigger deal for an established star. That market is heating up.

WHICH STARS?

Several are making the rumor rounds. Bradley Beal of the Wizards; Zach LaVine of the Bulls; Zion Williamson of the Pelicans; Karl-Anthony Towns of the Timberwolves; Dame Lillard of the Blazers.

They all present concerns and flaws, but each raises a team’s ceiling. The Knicks, who have stockpiled picks for a run at such a player, could also wait until a better fit presents itself. Team president Leon Rose has been patient during his tenure.

WHAT CAN THE KNICKS OFFER?

Other than Jalen Brunson — who is presumably off the table — the Knicks don’t have mouth-watering pieces on their roster. They have tradeable players, but none that will carry a deal for a star.

Their persuasion is in their future first-round picks. And here they are laid out for the next six years:

— 2024 own first-round pick

— Mavericks pick (top-10 protected in 2024 and 2025; if it doesn’t convey by 2025, it becomes a second-round pick).

— Pistons pick (top-18 protected in 2024; top-13 protected in 2025; top-11 protected in 2026; top-9 protected in 2027; if it’s not conveyed by 2027, it becomes a second-round pick).

— Wizards pick (top-12 protected in 2024; top-10 protected in 2025; top-8 protected in 2026; if it doesn’t convey by 2026, it becomes a second-round pick).

— 2025 own first-round pick

— Bucks pick (top-4 protected in 2025; if it’s not conveyed by 2025, Knicks don’t get a pick).

— 2026 own first-round pick

— 2027 own first-round pick

— 2028 own first-round pick

— 2029 own first-round pick

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