Trae Younger to the Washington Wizards impacts the Knicks in additional methods than one.
The discount in proximity can’t be neglected for the longstanding Public Enemy No. 1 at Madison Sq. Backyard, the place Younger is now inside Megabus distance following the deal that despatched CJ McCollum and Corey Kispert to the Atlanta Hawks for the celebrity scoring guard.
The Knicks, in fact, are extra involved with the discount in probability the Wizards’ first-round decide stays within the top-eight after Washington supercharged its beginning 5 by buying a 30-point, 10-assist per sport offensive participant.
That’s as a result of the Wizards traded a closely protected, conditional first-round decide to Houston within the deal that despatched John Wall to the Rockets for Russell Westbrook. The Rockets traded that decide to the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder for the rights to beginning massive man Alperen Sengun, and the Thunder subsequently flipped the Wizards decide to the Knicks as a part of the draft-asset package deal for Ousmane Dieng, the eleventh total decide within the 2022 NBA Draft.
Which brings us again to these protections, the circumstances beneath which the first-round decide would truly convey to the group that acquired it: The decide was top-14 protected in 2023 (Washington traded up from No. 8 to No. 7 for Bilal Coulibaly), top-12 protected in 2024 (Washington chosen Alex Sarr No. 2 total), and top-10 protected in 2025, the place the Wizards chosen Tre Johnson fifth total.
If the first-round decide doesn’t convey for the 2026 NBA Draft, it’s going to as a substitute convey as 2026 and 2027 second-round picks. It’s not the worst haul, contemplating Mike Brown’s early returns with current second-round picks Tyler Kolek, Ariel Hukporti and Mohamed Diawara.
However due to the brand new NBA Draft Lottery system, the door isn’t fully shut on the Knicks touchdown the first-round decide outright.
As of the day after the Trae Younger deal, the Wizards (10-26) personal the NBA’s fourth-worst document with a zero p.c probability of the decide falling outdoors of the top-eight. But when Washington have been to enhance to the seventh-best document, the place the Utah Jazz (13-24) at present sit, these odds would balloon to 14% to fall outdoors of the top-eight. And if the Wizards have been to go on a storybook run and end with the NBA’s eighth-worst document, the percentages would shift to almost 40% into New York’s favor.
Which is why Younger’s arrival within the nation’s capital holds weight on the mecca of basketball.
Younger, sidelined with a quad damage, coincidentally has not performed since his Hawks misplaced to the Knicks in Atlanta on Dec. 27. The Hawks are 1-9 in full video games Younger has performed and 17-12 in video games he has missed. He’s averaging 19.3 factors and eight.9 assists on 41.5% capturing from the sphere and 30.5% capturing from deep, the worst statistical season since his rookie 12 months on all accounts.
But the Wizards are anticipated to carry their newfound franchise cornerstone out an prolonged time frame this season. They are going to name it quad damage administration, however in fact, it’s draft lottery place administration.
What the Wizards can’t do, nonetheless, is shut Younger down your complete 12 months if he’s wholesome. He’s 221-272 all-time in his Hawks profession. And whereas Atlanta has missed the playoffs in every of the previous two seasons, the Hawks have received 40 or extra video games in 4 of their final 5 seasons, whereas the Wizards are hoping for his or her third straight season failing to succeed in 20 wins.
They will kiss that goodbye, together with their first-round decide, if Younger raises the ceiling of a gifted group of prospects in Washington, a scenario the Knicks have their eyes on simply in case a pair of seconds finally conveys
