The NBA champion New York Knicks made a transfer at the 2026 NBA Draft. They dropped back precisely one spot, exchanging the No. 24 pick for the Los Angeles Lakers‘ No. 25 pick.
The value of the pick swap will reportedly be solely money concerns from the Lakers.
Advertisement
The Lakers proceeded to make use of the No. 24 pick on Baylor wing Cameron Carr, the No. 23 participant on the big board of Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor. With Los Angeles all the time in search of capturing round Luka Dončić and in want of athleticism general, it appears to be a pure pick.
More on Carr from O’Connor:
You may have watched each Tennessee recreation for 2 years and genuinely not identified that Carr existed. Then he transferred to Baylor, and led the crew in scoring, shot practically 40% from 3 on excessive quantity, and regarded like a 3-and-D function participant who additionally has blossoming abilities off the dribble. With NBA genes in his blood, because the son of former participant Chris Carr, Cameron has the abilities to make it within the NBA. But at 184 kilos with not a ton of video games underneath his belt, he will get launched to the NBA’s physicality in a manner faculty basketball by no means did.
The Knicks then took Spanish wing Sergio de Larrea, whose NBA ETA is TBD however presents an intriguing long-term worth at 20 years previous. He’s ranked at No. 20 on the large board and is at present enjoying within the ACB Finals for Valencia.
O’Connor’s breakdown:
De Larrea is a tall playmaking wing with main really feel and a knockdown jumper who thrives inside crew ideas. He suffered a dislocated shoulder that ended his 2024-25 season and eliminated him from draft boards, but it surely ended up a blessing in disguise since he returned with a much bigger function and stronger manufacturing for a fantastic crew within the EuroLeague. With dimension, smarts, and defensive versatility, he may carve out a job within the NBA if his worldwide ability can translate.
There’s no telling what both participant will flip into within the NBA, however the trade is a part of an offseason through which the Knicks try to maintain collectively their championship squad as a lot as potential with out going over the second apron, which team owner James Dolan has treated as a non-starter.