Getty
SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS - JUNE 03: Jalen Brunson #11 of the New York Knicks looks on prior to a game against the San Antonio Spurs in Game One of the 2026 NBA Finals at Frost Bank Center on June 03, 2026 in San Antonio, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)
The New York Knicks became NBA champions for the first time in 53 years. Less than two weeks later, the front office was back at the table on draft night at Barclays Center. Leon Rose did not come to sit still.
New York entered the night holding the No. 24 pick. By the time the dust settled, they had made three separate deals and walked away without a single first-round selection on the roster.
Getty New York Knicks
It started small. The Knicks sent pick No. 24 to the Los Angeles Lakers for No. 25 and cash, then used that slot to select Spanish guard Sergio De Larrea out of Valencia. De Larrea is a 20-year-old floor general who shot over 40 percent from three this past season in Spain’s top league and won ACB Young Player of the Year award.
But New York was not holding on to him. Almost immediately, the Knicks packaged De Larrea’s rights and sent them to the Dallas Mavericks for pick No. 30, Arizona forward Koa Peat, and two second-round picks.
Per Shams Charania, the Knicks then turned around and flipped Peat to the Phoenix Suns for three more second-round picks and cash considerations.
Sources: New York traded No. 25 pick Sergio De Larrea to the Dallas Mavericks for No. 30 Koa Peat and two second-round picks. And then the Knicks traded Peat to the Phoenix Suns for three-rounders and cash. So Knicks move out of the first round — pick up 5 seconds and cash.
Three trades. One night. Five second-round picks and cash collected. Dallas ends up with a polished young guard to develop. Phoenix gets the physical, athletic forward they were reportedly targeting before the draft even started. Peat averaged 14.1 points and 5.6 rebounds as a freshman at Arizona, helping lead the Wildcats to the Final Four.
This was not a panic move. It was a money move. Owner James Dolan drew a hard line before the draft, going on WFAN radio and saying flat out: “There’s certain things in the NBA that you’d have to be suicidal to do. One of them is the second apron. Cannot go into the second apron.”
The second apron is a salary threshold in the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement. Teams that cross it lose the ability to send cash in trades, use the mid-level exception, or aggregate salaries to make bigger moves. For a team already sitting close to that line, every dollar on the books counts.
The Knicks are projected to be roughly $13 million below the second apron heading into free agency. Key rotation players like Mitchell Robinson and Landry Shamet both need new contracts this summer. Even a rookie on a first-round deal carries around $3 to $4 million in guaranteed money.
By moving out of picks entirely, New York shed that cost, collected cash in multiple deals, and stacked future second-round assets for later flexibility. The starting five of Jalen Brunson, Mikal Bridges, OG Anunoby, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Josh Hart remains untouched. That core is the priority, and the front office made sure nothing on draft night got in the way of keeping it together.
Jayesh Pagar Jayesh Pagar is a writer at Heavy Sports, covering the New York Knicks and other NBA teams. He brings four years of experience across digital sports media, including NBA, WNBA, college basketball, and college football. He covered as the Knicks beat writer for ONSI and has written for Sporting News, and ClutchPoints. More about Jayesh Pagar
此内容由惯性聚合(RSS阅读器)自动聚合整理，仅供阅读参考。 原文来自 — 版权归原作者所有。
