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.
How Every Knicks Trade Went Down at the 2026 NBA Draft
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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.
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.
Why the Knicks Chose to Move Out of the First Round
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.
Knicks Make Surprising Trades Moves at 2026 NBA Draft to Protect Title Core