The New York Knicks hold two first-round picks in the 2025 NBA Draft, but don’t get too excited. On paper, these seem like valuable assets in a draft class projected to be deep with talent. Both picks are from the Wizards and Pistons. However, they come with heavy protections, making it highly unlikely that New York will land any impact talent. A closer look at the protections on these picks paints a far less optimistic picture. With these teams stuck in long rebuilds, the Knicks may end up with nothing but second-round scraps both in the 2025 draft and beyond. Let’s break down why these picks, while first-round in theory, are essentially worthless as of now.
The Knicks’ Owed 2025 First-Round Picks Will Be ‘Worthless’
Washington Wizards Pick: Overly Protected and Unlikely to Convey
The Knicks are owed a first-round pick from the Washington Wizards in 2025, but it comes with heavy protections. The pick is protected for the top-10 in 2025, then top-eight in 2026, and eventually converts into second-round picks in 2027 and 2028 if not conveyed. Given the current state of the Wizards franchise, it’s hard to envision a scenario where this pick becomes anything more than a second-rounder.
The Wizards are actively rebuilding and have one of the worst rosters in the NBA. They won just 15 games last season, and their offseason moves suggest they are not interested in improving immediately. By all indications, the Wizards are intentionally trying to keep their pick out of New York’s hands by remaining among the league’s bottom feeders, where they are almost guaranteed to retain a top-10 pick in 2025.
In a CBS article by Sam Quinn, this pick was ranked 67th out of 68 possible draft picks in terms of value, highlighting just how unlikely it is to convey in a meaningful way. For the Knicks, holding onto a pick from a franchise that is committed to rebuilding means they are likely holding a lottery-protected time bomb that will eventually turn into two second-rounders, offering little value in the grand scheme of things.
Detroit Pistons Pick: Same Story, Different Team
The Knicks also hold the rights to a first-round pick from the Detroit Pistons in 2025. This pick, much like the Wizards’ pick, comes with significant protections. The Pistons’ pick is protected 1-13 in 2025, 1-11 in 2026, and 1-9 in 2027 before it eventually converts into a second-round pick in 2027. Detroit’s pick ranks higher in value (38th out of 68 in the same CBS ranking). However, it’s still unlikely to convey as a first-rounder any time soon.
The Pistons, like the Wizards, have been historically bad in recent years. They’ve consistently finished near the bottom of the standings. Despite their collection of young talent, they haven’t ’t shown signs of immediate improvement. The Pistons’ strategy has been long-term development, with no urgency to climb out of the league’s cellar. Unless they experience a meteoric rise in the standings — which seems improbable given their recent track record — the Knicks will likely be waiting on this pick for years. Even if it eventually conveys, it’s hard to envision it being anything but a mid-to-late first-rounder at best. Then there’s the looming possibility of it turning into yet another second-round pick.
Draft Picks Are Not Created Equal
The situation with the Knicks’ 2025 draft picks underscores a growing trend in the NBA: not all draft picks are created equal. The league has become hyper-focused on asset accumulation. Teams are more willing than ever to load up on protected draft picks as a form of capital. But the reality is, many of these picks come with so many conditions that their actual value is diminished. Teams like the Wizards and Pistons have little incentive to give up their picks if they are still rebuilding. This leaves the Knicks in a holding pattern, waiting on assets that may never fully materialize.
The modern NBA has made the art of pick protection a delicate dance. Teams fight to retain their most valuable assets while still appearing willing to trade them. The Knicks, in this case, are caught holding two picks that look good on paper but, in practice, are unlikely to help them land the kind of talent they need to take the next step.
The Last Word: The Illusion of Value
While the Knicks technically have two first-round picks in the 2025 draft, the reality is much less promising. The heavy protections on both the Wizards and Pistons picks portend a harsh truth. It’s highly likely that New York will not be selecting anyone in the first round of that draft. Instead, they are looking at the strong possibility of ending up with a couple of second-rounders in the distant future. It’s significantly harder to find gems in the rough in the second round.
This situation highlights a larger problem in the modern NBA, where teams can accumulate picks that seem valuable. They are in fact highly unlikely to convey in a meaningful way. For the Knicks, their 2025 picks are more of an illusion of value than a real opportunity to improve the team through the draft. Unless something drastic happens between now and 2025, the Knicks could find themselves sitting out one of the most hyped draft classes in recent memory.
