Pelicans Rumors: Top 5 New York Knicks assets in an Anthony Davis trade

#4) 2023 Protected first round pick

Okay, let’s try and simplify the terms of this draft pick. Of the two first-round draft picks the Mavericks sent to the Knicks, the latter of the two had a top 10 protection on it. Which means if the pick lands in the top 10 in 2023, the Mavericks keep it and it conveys to the next year. If the pick still fails to land outside the top 10 in 2024, it moves to 2025. If they have yet to receive a first by then, it downgrades to a second-round pick. (via sportsday.dallasnews.com)

So there’s a bit of substance with this pick, and some luck involved. If Dallas flops over the next five years, this pick could deteriorate significantly. Likewise, if they’re good, and it falls out of the top 10, it could also deteriorate based off of the team’s standing in the Draft. We may sound short on optimism, but the odds of this resulting in the next generational-talent appear slim.

However, it’s still a future first-round draft pick and should be valued as such whether it lands in the lottery or towards the end of the first round. Just don’t expect this asset to be what ultimately decides a hypothetical Pelicans/Knicks trade.