Raptors winners and losers after chaotic 2022 NBA Draft night

Loser: New York Knicks

The Knicks started the night with the No. 11 pick and bushels of promise. As they are wont to do, the New York front office made fools of themselves by sending those picks away for some undisclosed future assets from Oklahoma City. They got off Kemba Walker’s deal by trading him to Detroit, but the Knicks still took an L.

The Knicks not only sent Ousmane Dieng to the Thunder and Jalen Duren to the Pistons after having both in their clutches, but they appear to have mortgaged a big chunk of their future to get the cap space needed to sign Jalen Brunson. If he stays in Dallas, the Knicks will have struck out once again in free agency.

The Toronto Raptors did better than the Knicks last night.

Even if Knicks fans sell themselves on the fact that they acquired three first-round picks, two of them are heavily protected. Why in the world did it require a first-round pick to get off a cheap one-year contract like Walker’s deal? Leon Rose has some explaining to do.

Getting Brunson would be one heck of a move, but they passed up a chance to get a starting wing or a potential long-term Mitchell Robinson replacement at center. The Knicks may have just secured one more year behind Toronto in the Atlantic Division standings last night.