2025 NBA Draft: What Jalen Brunson and the Knicks have to do with this year’s odd number of picks

Only 59 names will be called in the 2025 NBA Draft, one shy of the typical 60 that get selected each June. Wednesday night’s first round will feature the usual 30 picks, but the second round will only have 29 due to a punishment that dates back to the summer of 2022.

That was when the New York Knicks signed Jalen Brunson as a free agent, which became a franchise-altering signing for New York, as it has become a perennial playoff contender in the East, snapping a 25-year conference finals drought this season. However, the Knicks’ methods of landing Brunson’s signature that summer ran afoul of the league’s rules, as they engaged in conversations prior to the start of free agency. The result of the tampering investigation was the Knicks losing their 2025 second-round pick. 

That bill will finally come due Thursday night, leaving us with just 29 second-round picks.

The Knicks are far from the first team to lose a second-round pick for tampering, as that’s become the standard punishment from the NBA. That is not close to a stiff enough penalty to keep teams from doing whatever they can to sign a player, as the Knicks are happy to trade what would’ve been a pick in the mid-50s for the success they’ve had since Brunson arrived.

Since joining the Knicks, Brunson has averaged 26.4 points and 6.7 assists per game on 59.8% true shooting and become a perennial All-Star and All-NBA caliber performer. With Brunson in town, the Knicks have won more playoff series (4) in three years than they did in the 22 years combined (1) before he arrived. While you never know what kind of gem might be available late on Thursday, missing out on the 56th overall pick has probably been worth it for New York.

Still, the penalty will mean Thursday’s second round will be a touch shorter than usual, and one draft hopeful who normally would’ve heard their name called will have to make it to the league via undrafted free agency instead.