A Knicks fan attempts to justify what the Knicks did at the draft and why it’s risky as heck

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[Deep breath]

OK. As some readers may know, I’m a die-hard New York Knicks fan who has spent some time on For The Win writing about the franchise and the roller coaster life of rooting for this franchise.

So of course I came into the 2022 NBA Draft feeling hopeful that they could find a hidden gem with the No. 11 pick, maybe a future key rotation piece at the very least.

And then? A LOT happened, and it was confusing for a while. Did they trade FOR Memphis big man Jalen Duren, a player they didn’t necessarily need? And then they dealt him away to the Pistons with Kemba Walker and his large salary? It was all sorts of weird and our trade grades reflect that.

New York ended up with some future protected first-rounders and selected one player in the second round (Duke’s Trevor Keels) and — here’s the fun part — cap room.

And we’ve done this dance before. In recent years, the Knicks have maneuvered to make room for a big-name free agent or two. What happens then? Guys like Kevin Durant say no thanks. Then they sign some second- and third-tier free agents and it’s second verse, same as the first. It’s a frustrating way to approach team building because there’s no longer that draw of “play in New York, win a title and you’ll be king of the world” anymore.

Here’s the big caveat: That cap room is presumably to throw a lot of money at Dallas Mavericks guard Jalen Brunson, which isn’t a terrible move at all! The Knicks need a point guard desperately, and his breakout with Dallas proved he could be a starter.

So maybe: IF he signs and IF he continues to be what he was with the Mavericks, this all would be worth it.

But there are a lot more what-ifs about this situation that could mean another few years of struggles. Picking a young player to add to a core with RJ Barrett and Obi Toppin would have been nice. And heck — if Brunson doesn’t want to sign, what then? Are they going to throw a bunch of money at a disgruntled Kyrie Irving?

WELP. We are all Stephen A. Smith reacting like he did today.