New York Knicks: 4 Reasons to still be excited about the future

They Have Their Picks

The Knicks own all their first round picks for the foreseeable future. We can knock Phil Jackson all we want (and we should), but his lack of activity has been beneficial in one aspect.

He hasn’t compromised New York’s future by dealing away any first-round picks. Isiah Thomas would’ve dealt a first for Ricky Rubio for sure.

The Knicks have a first round pick and two second rounders in 2017. To understand the gravity of that situation you need to think back on the history of the Knicks.

The Knicks haven’t made a pick in both the first and second rounds of any draft since Channing Frye and Dijon Thompson in 2005. The franchise hasn’t used their own first and second round picks in the same draft since 2003 when they chose Mike Sweetney and some dude named Slavko Vranes.

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Thomas infamously traded two first round picks for Stephon Marbury in 2004. One of which was used by the Jazz in 2010 to select All-Star forward Gordon Hayward. Then there was the Eddy Curry trade. Thomas sent off two firsts and two seconds for a bust.

Oh yeah, those firsts were used to select LaMarcus Aldridge and Joakim Noah.

Isiah thought draft picks were meaningless, but Jackson has learned from those mistakes. You have to give him that.

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