The New York Knicks made two trades on NBA Draft night, and fans Stephen A. Smith and Spike Lee felt every emotion.
The NBA Draft is taking place, so New York Knicks supporters are preparing for heartbreak. But the Knicks determined that this year would be different since they made several moves and gave their supporters optimism that one of them would be a big impact.
As of this writing, the Knicks have not acquired any players in the first round of the NBA Draft.
Stephen A. Smith, a Knicks supporter and ESPN broadcaster, posted a video of himself holding his head and needing Spike Lee’s comfort. “Pain was the only word in the caption.
It began when Smith wanted the Knicks to take Wisconsin guard Johnny Davis, who was selected by the Washington Wizards with the No. 10 pick. Listen to what Smith said after the team picked Ousmane Dieng from France with the 11th pick.
In the NBA Draft, the Knicks caused ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith “pain”
The Knicks reportedly called the Detroit Pistons repeatedly all night long regarding Jaden Ivey, who they selected with the fifth overall choice.
Dieng was chosen by New York with the No. 11 pick, but was later traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder for a number of first-round picks.
When yet another Knicks target was selected before the team had run out of time, Stephen A. Smith eventually met with Spike Lee to vent his resentment.
In an effort to entice the NBA gods to favor the Knicks, they also took extreme steps.
It was ineffective.
Then, with the Knicks’ supporters anticipating a shocking deal, it happened. Jalen Duren, the No. 13 pick, was acquired by the Knicks from the Charlotte Hornets before being traded to the Pistons. There’s no doubt that this was for Ivey. Wrong.
Ivey was ultimately retained by Detroit, but Kemba Walker and Duren were acquired from the Knicks. Moving on from Walker ultimately resulted in more cap room for New York.
Marc Stein, who writes about the NBA, says that the extra money is being used to compete for Dallas Mavericks player Jalen Brunson this offseason.
It’s safe to assume that after watching what the Knicks did in the first round of the NBA Draft, Smith was not the only fan left scratching his head.
