Knicks Secure Playoff Spot, Lose Draft Pick

The Washington Wizards made a New York Knicks draft pick disappear.

The woebegone Wizards' suffering hit all new levels on Thursday night: already set to miss the playoffs for the fourth straight season, Washington endured a jaw-dropping 162-109 defeat to the Indiana Pacers. It was the most one-sided loss in franchise history and the most points any team has allowed this season.

If it was any consolation, the Wizards at least have their upcoming first-round pick at the 2025 NBA Draft: as noted by Greg Finberg of Bullets Forever, that pick would've transferred to the Knicks if it fell outside the top 10.

The Washington Wizards will officially retain their 2025 first-round pick.

The New York Knicks owned the rights to the pick if it fell outside the top 10.

The protections move over to 2025-26, where the pick is top-8 protected.
— Greg Finberg (@GregFinberg) March 28, 2025

The Knicks obtained the pick in 2022 in a multi-faceted draft night deal, one that helped build a budget for the signing of Jalen Brunson that came shortly after. Washington originally dealt it to Houston as a future selection in 2020 as part of the swap of John Wall and Russell Westbrook. It was later sent to Oklahoma City who finally sent it to New York.

Finberg notes that, with Thursday's shellacking, the Wizards (16-57) will officially in the NBA's bottom six. Lottery rules dictate that anyone in the bottom six can't fall out out of the top 10, hence out of the protection zone. It can still transfer to the Knicks next year if Washington falls outside the top eight at the 2026 selections.

Of course, the Knicks more than likely won't be bothered by such developments, even with most of their existing draft capital sent to Brooklyn and Minnesota in the respective deals for Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns: while Washington continues a seemingly endless rebuild, New York clinched its third consecutive playoff berth after the Atlanta Hawks fell to Miami Heat in South Beach.

The next step in the postseason process is homecourt advantage. New York can inch closer toward that goal with a win in Milwaukee on Friday night (8 p.m. ET, MSG).

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