Why the Knicks must use their picks in the 2024 NBA Draft

The Knicks are in the best position they’ve been as a franchise in this century, flirting with a top-four seed behind a roster entering its prime with room to improve. They’ve gotten here thanks to multiple factors, from Tom Thibodeau’s coaching, Julius Randle’s emergence and the signing of Jalen Brunson.

One strength over these past few seasons that might get overlooked as a major contribution to this turnaround is their drafting. 

In the Leon Rose era, New York has made the most out of asset management and spot-on talent evaluation, assembling a young core that’s paid major dividends thus far.

RJ Barrett was drafted just before Rose took over, but New York then added Obi Toppin, Immanuel Quickley, Quentin Grimes, Rokas Jokubaitis, Miles McBride and Jericho Sims, using only one top-10 pick and three first-round picks. The Knicks also took Trevor Keels late in the 2022 draft, but he quickly fell out of the league.

The others, though? Quickley emerged as a bright young guard, ultimately swapped along with Barrett for the All-Star caliber OG Anunoby.

Toppin was arguably a miss, eventually being dealt for two bad second-rounders and moving back to a bench role in Indiana. Grimes was a key starter until he and the Knicks outgrew each other, with them swapping him while bringing in Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks from Detroit.

McBride and Sims are solid contributors, and Jokubaitis looks like a strong overseas prospect who can one day make an NBA impact. On top of simply drafting and developing guys, the Knicks have been smart to move down and out of drafts for future picks -- ones that have turned into Josh Hart, were used to move off salaries to sign Brunson, or can be used to net a star down the line.

New York is sure to continue cleverly dealing its picks until the big trade arrives, but they also need to start drafting players again.

They had no picks in 2023 and settled for Keels in 2022 despite owning the 11th overall pick, which could have been Jalen Williams, Jalen Duren, AJ Griffin or Tari Eason.

They obviously favored future draft capital and didn’t see real paths for a rookie to earn rotation minutes on a competitive, Thibodeau-led roster, but they can’t use those reasons forever. Future picks have a diminishing return, and teams want long-dated unprotected firsts, not 2025 lottery-protected Detroit picks.

With the current injury outlook, Thibodeau surely could have used an extra body out there, one with talent and upside who can contribute more in the future. For a team going star-hunting, not taking shots at the draft that can result in a surprise All-Star -- unlikely but plausible given New York’s scouting -- is a major opportunity cost.

At this point, there are major financial implications, too. The Knicks are bordering on the luxury tax with Anunoby owed an extension and their two stars getting closer to theirs, while supposedly shopping for a megastar to join the cap sheet.

Part of the reason why the Knicks were ready to let go of their young crop in exchange for veteran help was because they were all coming off their rookie deals and due for massive pay increases, taking them from invaluable to market value. 

As a contending team facing tightening finances, New York will need a fresh group of productive players on team-friendly deals, hence why they inked McBride to a long-term, low-cost contract prior to his breakout.

This Knicks team feels like a major departure from the one that kicked this era off -- the heartwarming 2021 run that brought winning back to MSG, but didn’t have the good to sustain it. As New York evolves into the next stage of its rebuild, it shouldn’t leave the things that got them here behind.

With fewer options to improve, fewer viable trade targets remaining and fewer excuses not to, it’s time for these Knicks to start drafting again in 2024. 

When drafted and developed correctly, fresh young talent will bolster the roster, secure the future and help maintain financial flexibility -- all of which will be crucial for the Knicks going forward.