Why Aren't Knicks Picking in NBA Draft's First Round?

The New York Knicks and the rest of the league are convening for the 2025 NBA Draft, which kicks off tonight at the Barclays Center in nearby Brooklyn.

Out of the 30 teams in the league, only 27 have a first-round pick going into the draft. The Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors and Knicks do not hold a selection in tonight's first round.

The Houston Rockets, who hold the No. 10 overall pick, are also a team without a first-round selection after acquiring Kevin Durant in a blockbuster deal earlier this week with the Phoenix Suns.

The reason why the Knicks are not in this year's first round has to do with a big trade made last summer for Mikal Bridges.

The Knicks traded five first-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets, and two of those will convey in tonight's first round.

One of those picks belonged to the Milwaukee Bucks originally, which landed at No. 19 overall. The Knicks also sent their own pick, which ended up at No. 26 overall.

The Nets ended up making another trade yesterday with the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks that saw them claim the No. 22 overall pick, giving them five of the first 26 selections in the draft. Brooklyn also holds No. 8 (their original pick) and No. 27 (which originally belonged to the Rockets).

The Knicks also made another blockbuster trade for Karl-Anthony Towns back in September. That deal saw the Knicks send another 2025 first-round pick to the Wolves for Towns. That selection will also be conveyed tonight at No. 17 overall.

The NBA Draft is set to begin tonight at 8 p.m. ET with coverage on ESPN and the ESPN app.

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