Knicks’ Inactive Draft Nights the New Norm

Tonight is the first night of the 2025 NBA Draft, where 30 teams will make first-round selections in hopes of changing the direction of their franchise. Unfortunately, the New York Knicks will likely be absent from the festivities, as they traded away their first-round pick to the Brooklyn Nets in the Mikal Bridges deal. That pick has become the 26th overall selection for Brooklyn, which has five choices in the opening round tonight.

Although it seems like a negative that NY is sending it’s first-rounder to Brooklyn, the pick being very late in the round represents how far New York has come in a few short years. After years of drafting in the lottery due to brutal win-loss records, it’s nice to send away draft picks for win-now players and have the fifth-best record in basketball for it.

The Knicks also hold the 50th pick in the draft, acquired from Memphis. Their own second-round pick, the 55th selection, was rescinded by the NBA for violating the league’s free agency rules when they signed Jalen Brunson in 2022. So, all told, NY has just one selection in the 2025 NBA Draft.

Knicks’ Inactive Draft Nights the New Norm

These quiet draft nights for the Knicks, once an unknown quantity for the beleaguered franchise, is now the new norm. With their newfound success in the last five years, New York has drifted away from draft night excitement to building full rosters of capable, winning NBA players with proven track records. The last lottery pick to play extended minutes for the Knicks was their 2020 8th overall selection, Obi Toppin. Toppin played just three years in the orange and blue before being traded to the Pacers.

Quentin Grimes was taken with the 25th pick in 2021, Immanuel Quickley with the 25th pick in 2020. Both players were developed in NYC before being dealt in 2024 for established pros. Of the current young players on the roster, none were taken with lottery picks. Pacome Dadiet (25th), Tyler Kolek (34th), and Ariel Hukporti (58th) are all diamonds in the rough for New York to develop.

Knicks fans should get used to inactive draft days for the rest of the decade, as they’ve sent their 2025, 2027, 2028, 2029, and 2031 selections away in the Bridges trade. Although they do own their 2026 pick, it’ll likely be a very late first-rounder once again, as NY projects to be an elite team once again. They might also use their remaining draft capital to make another trade of some form.

New York Could Be Active in the Trade Market 

However, the NBA Draft isn’t just about choosing players. It also often features player trades involving draft assets. The Knicks could be a team involved in a trade, so their fans have that to watch for. Leon Rose has been known to make moves on the margins to create cap space for eventual trades. He might do the same thing tonight, as New York is strapped for cash heading into this all-important off-season. Whether NY adds depth through player development or clever deals, they need an eighth and ninth man. Tonight could be the night those tasks are set in motion.