Draft

Previewing the Knicks Future: A Breakdown of the 2024 Draft Picks

We are in one of the most active trade periods for the New York Knicks in recent memory. The Knicks have been involved in countless rumors, involving players around the league. Not to mention trade rumors involving the Knicks draft picks.

The Knicks have one of the biggest hauls of picks in the NBA and seem ready to use them to make a game changing move. These two things together has presented them as an option in almost every trade rumor in the NBA this offseason. With so much talk, we thought a summary of the Knicks draft picks was necessary.

How many draft picks do the Knicks have in 2024?

As of July 4th 2023, the Knicks have 11 first round draft picks from 2024 to 2030, including 7 of their own picks from 2024 to 2030. Of these picks, they have 8 picks available for trade. This is due to several nuances when trading draft picks, such as the league restriction that prohibits trading picks two years in a row.

Leon Rose and the Knicks front office have done a good job of avoiding their mistakes of the past and trading their own picks.

The New York haul of draft picks are extremely valuable to rest of the league, with 7 of their own picks being unprotected. First round picks without protections have a higher upside, therefore a higher value to the rest of the league. Hence the frequent trade rumors surrounding the Knicks organization.

We wrote another post to help people better understand how protected and unprotected picks work. You can take a read about that here.

A list of all Knicks Draft Picks until 2030

The Knicks hold their own picks from 2024 through to 2030. These picks are all untainted and carry no protections.

Here is the list of Knicks draft picks until 2030:

2023 (Last Season)
- Own Top-14 protected (Traded to Portland in deal for Josh Hart)
- DET Top-18 protected (via HOU to OKC) – Pick was deferred to 2024
- WAS Top-14 protected (via HOU to OKC) – Pick was deferred to 2024
2024
- Own
- DAL Top-10 protected
- DET Top-18 protected (if pick is not already settled from prev year) (via HOU to OKC)
- WAS Top-12 protected (if pick is not already settled from prev year) (via HOU to OKC)

2025
- Own
- DAL Top-10 protected (if pick is not already settled from prev year)
- DET Top-13 protected (if pick is not already settled from prev year) (via HOU to OKC)
- WAS Top-10 protected (if pick is not already settled from prev year) (via HOU to OKC)
- MIL 5-30 Top-4 protected (via NOP to POR to DET)

2026
- Own
- DET Top-11 protected (if pick is not already settled from prev year) (via HOU to OKC)
- WAS Top-8 protected (if pick is not already settled from prev year) (via HOU to OKC)
2027
- Own
- DET Top-9 protected (if pick is not already settled from prev year) (via HOU to OKC)
2028 – Own
2029 – Own

2030 – Own

Source Real GM – updated July 4th, 2023.

Why are unprotected draft picks more valuable?

Of the Knicks draft picks, 7 are their own and can be traded unprotected, but not in consecutive years.

Unprotected picks are picks without restrictions to the team that trades for them. On the other hand, protected picks are forfeited if the pick lands within a certain range. A range agreed upon at the time of a trade.

For example, in 2024, the Knicks hold the Washington Wizards first round pick, top 12 protected. This means that in the 2024 NBA draft, if the Wizards pick is higher than 12, say pick 9, the Knicks do not receive that pick. They will need to wait for the following season.

This is important to understand. A team with 12 first rounds picks but all top-20 protected, are less valuable than a team with 5 first round unprotected picks.

What is a top-3 protected pick?

A common question relates to the concept of specific protections. In simple terms, a top 3 protected pick means that if the pick ends up in the top 3 of the draft lottery, the team that originally traded the pick retains it.

What is next for the Knicks draft picks?

The New York Knicks have done a tremendous job gathering picks over the past several years. A move that has given them incredible flexibility. The Knicks can package them in a trade for a star player, like we witnessed with Donovan Mitchell, or keep them and continue ride the draft lottery in hopes of landing the next superstar prospect. In addition to this, they can also be used as a mechanism to move unwanted salaries from the books to clear cap space for free agency.

Both strategies have proven effective over the years. There are examples of both, and it’s arguable as to which is the best approach. Regardless of the team building approach, teams need picks in hand to be in a position to make franchise altering moves.

It looks as though the Knicks will pursue a trade in the future. Rumors have circulated about stars coming to New York, but we must wait for the next disgruntled star to emerge.

While no blockbuster trades, the trade for Josh Hart sent the Knicks 2023 pick to Portland. With this trade, the Knicks failed to receive a pick in the 2023 draft and will now need to wait for 2024. If you’re an opposing team, any trade you consider will include a combination of Knicks unprotected picks in 2024, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29 or 30, as these Knicks draft picks have the best opportunity of returning a top 5 pick.