10 Huge winners and unfortunate losers from the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft
By Matt Sidney
Winner: New York Knicks
The New York Knicks came into draft night with the 24th and 25th picks. Many thought that they would use both picks to select NBA-ready players to enhance a bench unit that could use some sprucing up. Instead, the Knicks traded the 24th pick to the Wizards, selected an 18-year-old French forward Pacome Dadiet with the 25th pick, and traded the 26th pick to the Thunder for a treasure trove of future second-round picks.
The Knicks used the draft to better position themselves in the future. With the new salary cap rules, second-round picks are more valuable than ever. Long-term prospect development will be essential as well. The Knicks knocked those two out of the park. They would receive a winning grade if it were just for those moves alone...
However, we cannot ignore the move that shook the NBA world a few days ago. The Mikal Bridges trade was genius. It might be cheating putting that in this article, but whatever. The Villanova Knicks are more alive and well than ever before. The Knicks are the winners of the entire offseason so far.