With the Knicks entering Tuesday night's NBA Draft lottery with a 14 percent chance of securing the No. 1 overall pick, the team already has plenty to occupy itself with before worrying about where other teams are selecting.
They will, however, be keeping an eye on whether the Mavericks earn a top five pick. If Dallas -- which has the eighth-best lottery odds (six percent chance at the top selection) -- drops below fifth, the Knicks can pick up a pair of first round picks.
The first would be an unprotected first-rounder in 2021, followed by a 2023 first round pick that is top 10 protected.
The pick is also protected top 10 in 2024 and 2025 if not conveyed in 2023. If Dallas jumps into the top 5, both picks are now pushed back a year (2022 and 2024) but only if the Mavericks convey a first to Atlanta in 2020.
- Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) May 14, 2019
Both picks could potentially go New York's way thanks to the Kristaps Porzingis trade from earlier this year.
There are plenty of moving parts, clearly, but two things are true for Knicks fans as the ping pong balls bounce Tuesday night: 1) the higher the Knicks pick, the better, and 2) a Mavericks selection outside of the top five only helps the team.