New York Knicks 2022 Draft Recap, In Case You Missed the Frenzy

The New York Knicks shocked fans by trading out of the 2022 NBA Draft to accumulate more draft assets and cap space.

Last night, the New York Knicks looked to continue to build on their strong foundation of young players through the draft after acquiring Mitchell Robinson in 2018 (#36), RJ Barrett in 2019 (#3), Obi Toppin (#8), and Immanuel Quickley (#25) in 2020, and four more rookies in Quentin Grimes (#25), Rokas Jokubaitis (#34), Miles “Deuce” McBride (#36), and Jericho Sims (#58) last year.

Armed with a plethora of draft picks, veteran players, and young prospects, the Knicks were reportedly aggressive in their attempt to trade up for the fourth or fifth pick, which would’ve allowed them to select electric sophomore guard Jaden Ivey out of Purdue. If they stayed put at eleventh, they would’ve had the chance to pick up another solid young player to add to their crop. Leon Rose has also proved in his time with the Knicks that he’s not scared of trading back in the draft to acquire additional assets on top of a pick later in the draft.

But the Knicks did none of those things. No one could have predicted what they ended up doing in a million years.

After an uneventful start to the draft, the Knicks broke the ice by making the first trade of the night. With their eleventh pick, they selected forward Ousmane Dieng and traded him to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for three 2023 protected picks via Detroit, Washington, and Denver.

With the thirteenth pick, the Charlotte Hornets selected center Jalen Duren from Memphis. And then Woj and Shams set social media ablaze with conflicting news of another trade.

Knicks fans anxiously awaited clarification. Many speculated about a potential Ivey trade because the Pistons liked Duren as a prospect. So the thought was if the Knicks drafted Duren, there was probably a chance that Ivey was included in a trade to send him from Detroit to New York in return for Duren and whatever draft picks the Pistons wanted. But as more details of the deal arrived, those hopes faded away.

Here are the complete details of the trade via CBS Sports.

Knicks receive: 2025 first-round pick via Milwaukee (protected 1-4) 

Hornets receive: 2023 first-round pick via Denver (protected 1-14 until 2025), 2023 second-round pick via New York, 2023 second-round pick via Utah, 2023 second-round pick (most favorable pick between Dallas and Miami), 2024 second-round pick via New York

Pistons receive: No. 13 pick (Jalen Duren), Kemba Walker

In the end, the Knicks traded out of this year’s first-round entirely to get rid of Kemba Walker’s contract and stack up on picks for the 2023 draft, which experts say is loaded with talent. These deals also clear up some cap space for the Knicks, which they are reportedly using to target free agent point guard Jalen Brunson. 

Brunson and the Mavericks are reportedly close to an agreement, but that isn’t stopping the Knicks from making a final push for their free agent target. The Knicks are determined to finally solve the point guard problem this offseason, but it is at the expense of passing up on some talented players like Duren, AJ Griffin, and Jalen Williams. And even with Brunson’s connections to Leon Rose and new Knicks assistant coach Rick Brunson, landing Jalen is far from a guarantee.

The Knicks made their only selection in this year’s draft with the 42nd pick, where they took Trevor Keels, a freshman guard/wing from Duke University.

Keels averaged 11.5 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.7 assists in his one-and-done season. He provides some ball handling, strength, and defense. But questions about his limited offensive game and his position at the next level will limit his playing time, especially with players like Cam Reddish, Grimes, McBride, and Quickley already fighting for more minutes. So expect Keels to get some summer league run and spend most of his first year on the Westchester Knicks.

After the draft, the team signed the undrafted international guard Jean Montero out of Overtime Elite to an Exhibit 10 deal. At 18 years old, Montero has shown upside with his quickness and ball-handling ability but will need to continue to improve every aspect of his game to have a shot at making the roster. However, if he joins the summer league squad, he should get some opportunity to do that.

The world has been ragging on the Knicks for their questionable moves, but only time will tell how they did this year. The Knicks have cleared up cap space before for major free agents, only to see them choose elsewhere. Will that be the case again this year? And even if Brunson chooses the Knicks, how much of a needle mover will he be for his steep price tag?

Free agency begins June 30th, and Leon Rose is on the clock. So these next few weeks will either see Knick fans crowning him as King of New York or rioting outside his house calling for his head.

Stay tuned to KnicksFanTV.com for the latest Knicks news, rumors, and recaps throughout the 2021-22 NBA season. And in case you missed it, check out CP give his takes the next day after the 2022 NBA Draft!