New York Paid Two Future Pick Assets for a Player It Immediately Waived
The Knicks sent Travis Outlaw, their 2019 second-round pick and a 2018 second-round swap arrangement to Philadelphia for Arnett Moultrie. The transaction was completed on the final day of preseason roster cuts, and New York waived Moultrie the same day. Philadelphia also waived Outlaw immediately, so neither veteran created on-court value for his new team. That leaves the draft assets as the meaningful substance of the deal, and the Knicks surrendered far more future value than they received for a player who never appeared in a regular-season game for them.
The 2018 Swap Moved Philadelphia Up to No. 39
The 2018 second-round mechanism eventually moved Philadelphia ahead of New York in the draft order. The Sixers ended up with the No. 39 selection, used on Isaac Bonga, while the lower side of the swap was tied to No. 43. Philadelphia did not keep Bonga; it traded his draft rights to the Lakers for another 2019 second-round pick and cash. That is still directly traceable value from the Knicks trade because the original swap created the No. 39 asset Philadelphia was able to monetize four years later.
New York's 2019 Second Became the First Pick of Round Two
The larger cost was New York's unprotected 2019 second-rounder. The pick ultimately landed at No. 31 and became Nicolas Claxton, although Philadelphia had already sent it to Brooklyn in the 2017 Jahlil Okafor and Nik Stauskas trade for Trevor Booker. Philadelphia therefore did not receive Claxton's NBA career, but the pick still functioned as a premium trade asset before draft night. For the Knicks, giving up a selection that became the first pick of the second round for Moultrie looks especially poor because Moultrie's New York tenure ended before it began.
Philadelphia Won Through Asset Conversion, Not Outlaw
The canonical grades correctly separate the transaction from the players' names. Outlaw and Moultrie were both waived, so the deal's hindsight value comes almost entirely from what happened to the picks. Philadelphia turned the 2018 position into Bonga's draft rights and another trade package, while the 2019 New York second became useful currency in the Booker transaction. The Knicks received no Moultrie minutes and only the weaker side of the 2018 swap. That is enough to support an A for Philadelphia and an F for New York.
Final Verdict
76ers Win — New York F, Philadelphia A. Arnett Moultrie never played for the Knicks after they acquired and waived him on the same day, while Travis Outlaw was also waived by Philadelphia. The difference is the draft capital New York attached. Philadelphia moved up to No. 39 in the 2018 second round, later turning Isaac Bonga's rights into another pick and cash, and it also received New York's 2019 second-rounder, which eventually landed at No. 31. The Sixers converted those assets into real transaction value; the Knicks received almost nothing in return.