NBA Draft 2026
The first-round of the NBA Draft was held last night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, yet I woke up today without agita or palpitations. This is a new phenomenon I like to call — “We Have Nothing Left to Complain About Syndrome”.
Four years ago, the New York Knicks held the 11th pick, and speculation centered around their potential efforts to move up for a point guard like Jaden Ivey, or sit tight and see if someone like Jalen Duren or AJ Griffin fell to them.
Instead, Knicks President Leon Rose elected to bounce completely out of the first round. He made a couple of trades — dumping Kemba Walker and clearing cap space to pave the way for signing free agent guard Jalen Brunson. You know, the guy who most of us thought wasn’t “that 1A dude”.
Needless to say, I was livid.
Now, I wanted Brunson, because I thought he was a solid, middle-of-the-pack, starting point guard. But why sign him as a free agent if you had to offload Alec Burks, Nerlens Noel, Walker, and your lottery pick to get him?
In Leon We Trust
Back in 2022 BC (before championship), ripping Knicks executives for careless blunders was more exciting than the actual basketball season. Watching the games rarely gave you joy, so the one thing we could count on was shared aggravation.
That’s why last night’s draft felt so anticlimactic. Rose ended up making three deals, dropping from #24 to #25 to #30 to #47. He picked up four additional second round picks and a French-born “stash” forward along the way.
My reaction? Sure, sounds good.
If Rose thinks the best way to defend the team’s first NBA Title since 1973 is to rid themselves of costly draft picks, who am I to argue? My blood pressure remained low because the memories of the MSG Miracle, Brunson dropping 45, and the biggest ticker-tape parade in NYC history are still fresh in my mind.
On Opening Night at Madison Square Garden this October, the Knicks will be raising an NBA Championship banner, and handing out rings to players, coaches, executives, and famous Brooklyn-born film directors.
Rose is responsible for that. He had the foresight to change the team’s culture with Tom Thibodeau. He had the audacity to look at Brunson and say, “He’s our dude”. He traded popular players for OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns, and traded bushels of draft picks for Mikal Bridges.
And last summer, he made the polarizing decision to replace Thibs with Mike Brown.
Stress Free Summer
Now, that doesn’t earn Rose a lifetime pass, just ask folks like Brian Cashman, Tom Coughlin, or Neil Smith. But it does earn him our eternal gratitude — and for the time being — the benefit of the doubt.
In tonight’s second round (8p ET, ESPN), the Knicks have the first pick of the night, #31 overall. They might take the best player available like Duke’s Isaiah Evans or North Carolina’s Henri Veesaar. That would be cool.
Though there’s a good chance they might trade the pick to ensure they stay under the second apron.
Guess what? I’m fine with that too.
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