Getty Bradley Beal #3 of the Washington Wizards celebrates against the New York Knicks.
Sunday’s Bradley Beal blockbuster trade was a double whammy for the New York Knicks.
Not only did they miss out on acquiring a star, but it also lessened the chance of the Washington Wizards‘ protected first-round pick they possessed from parlaying in the next three NBA Drafts. Hence, diminishing the value of that pick further, denting the Knicks’ ability to use that as a trade chip.
The Beal trade signaled a reset button for the Wizards, making them a prime candidate to become a high-lottery team in the immediate future.
The Wizards’ pick, which the Knicks received from a multi-protected-first-round pick package from the Oklahoma City Thunder — via the Ousmane Dieng Draft Night trade as part of the salary cap-clearing series of deals that landed them Jalen Brunson — is top-12 protected next year and top-10 protected in 2025. It will be a top-8 protected in 2026, and if the Wizards retain that pick, it will turn into a pair of second-round picks (2026 and 2027).
Rebuilding takes years.
Just look at Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets, who have become a constant in the top five of the lottery over the last few years.
The Wizards are about to go through that rabbit hole.
And the Knicks’ draft capital is about to get a hit.
Minus the Wizards pick, the Knicks still have six tradable unprotected first-round picks (2024 to 2029) and three protected first-round picks (2024 top-14 protected via Denver, 2024 top-18 protected via Detroit and 2025 top-4 protected pick via Milwaukee).
Bradley Beal’s Underwhelming Package Stuns Josh Hart
Josh Hart voiced what everyone thought about the underwhelming package the Wizards received in exchange for their franchise star.
“They didn’t get a single 1st [round pick??,” Josh Hart tweeted.
According to The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the Wizards would receive a package of Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, a handful of second-round picks, and multiple pick swaps.
The Knicks could have easily topped the Suns or even Heat’s offer, but they were never given a chance due to Beal’s no-trade clause.
Despite the Knicks’ interest, as The Athletic’s Fred Katz reported, they were never in the mix of Beal’s preferred destination.
Beal’s no-trade clause dramatically clipped the draft asset-rich Knicks’ advantage over the field as the three-time All-Star chose to team up with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker to contend in the West.
What’s Next for the Knicks?
The Knicks can always run it back, betting on the internal growth of their current team, which came two wins away from punching a ticket to the Eastern Conference Finals.
But if a star becomes available, the Knicks are widely expected to be one of the frontrunners now that Beal, who has the only no-trade clause among all active NBA players, is already off the board.
The Knicks can wield their advantage — the combination of multiple first-round picks, expiring contracts and young players on the rise.
There are still a handful of stars who could hit the trade market, such as Zach LaVine, who the Chicago Bulls are quietly gauging his trade market, according to Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer, Zion Williamson, who is being considered as trade bait for the New Orleans Pelicans to move up in the draft, according to Marc Stein, and Karl-Anthony Towns, who could become the casualty of the new punitive CBA for top-spending teams like Minnesota, according to Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus.
