Knicks Fans Should Stop Worrying About Wizards' Protected Pick

To determine the next big addition for the New York Knicks, whether that be in a midseason trade or with a draft pick to cash in over the offseason, most fervent fans have locked in on one particularly-complicated asset that, for the time being, remains under the team's control.

Over five years ago, the Washington Wizards connected on one of the biggest deals of the COVID-shortened offseason in acquiring Russell Westbrook in exchange for John Wall, but the Houston Rockets demanded that the Wizards include their 2026 first-round pick to make it work. Through a series of trades, that increasingly-valuable asset ended up with the Knicks, a huge potential addition to bolster their young core of reserves.

There's just one catch: that pick is top-eight protected, meaning that should the lottery determine that the Wizards will pick in the top half of the drat lottery, they'll get their pick right back. Otherwise, it will dissolve into various second-round picks.

The Wizards, for the record, have picked within the top-seven in three consecutive drafts, and while one recent trade may initially imply that times are changing, their patient initiative remains the same. They're just as dead-set on finally winning the lottery in the summer, and it's best that supporters of the Knicks let go of any hope that they'll retain the asset.

Analyzing a Recent Trade

The Wizards broke away from a few of their norms in recent weeks; not only did they start actually winning games, securing numerous home victories behind inspiring play out of their freshly-drafted squad, but they also swung a big trade. Out went a few expiring contracts, in came Trae Young looking to rebuild his value at a new home.

Washington Wizards Guard Trae Young — Jan 9, 2026; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Newly acquired Washington Wizards guard Trae Young speaks at an introductory press conference prior to the Wizards' game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The four-time All-Star is plenty-familiar to Knicks fans, having tortured them during their 2021 playoff matchup against his former Atlanta Hawks, but he's yet to achieve that same high in the eyes of the NBA viewing audience since. Optimistic Wizards and Knicks fans alike saw the deal go through, and figured that Young, the final piece of the rebuild, could carry his new team from the league's cellar and into a contending situation.

Unfortunately for Young, leg injuries contributed mightily to his vanishing from the Hawks' rotation. According to Wizards insiders, he's considered unlikely to play out the rest of this season's games in Washington, if any at all.

The Wizards' front office is also keenly aware of the fragility of their draft pick, an especially-important note to make in a draft class this loaded. Their focus remains on getting their pick back, which will be a guarantee should they fall within the top-four of the draft odds. And it's no coincidence that since they shipped out CJ McCollum in exchange for Young, they've returned to the losing column, further fortifying their bottom-dwelling.

The Knicks, conversely, have much more pressing matters to concern over outside of the heavily-protected pick. Unlike the Wizards, they have championship aspirations to continue working towards in the months ahead, and they're better off forgetting about the draft asset when mapping out their team-building game-plan.

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