New York Used the Deadline to Secure Future Center Depth
The Knicks acquired Terrance Ferguson, Vincent Poirier, the overseas rights to Emir Preldžić and two conditional second-round rights in March 2021. Oklahoma City received Austin Rivers, while Philadelphia acquired Ignas Brazdeikis. The trade was an exercise in reorganizing reserve contracts and draft assets rather than an exchange of multiple current starters. For New York, the incoming 2021 second-round right would prove more identifiable than either incoming reserve guard.
Jericho Sims Turned a Late Pick Into Real Knicks Minutes
The 2021 second-round selection became associated with No. 58 Jericho Sims, who went on to supply athletic center minutes in New York. His rebounding and finishing gave the Knicks an actual receiving-team contribution from an otherwise modest draft asset. Ferguson and Poirier did not establish lasting prominent Knicks roles, while Preldžić's rights remained a separate international asset. The additional protected 2024 second did not convey, so it shouldn't be counted as another NBA player.
The Thunder and Sixers Received Narrower Player Options
Rivers had NBA experience as an active guard, but his Oklahoma City transaction path didn't produce the extended Thunder playing role his previous career could imply. Brazdeikis offered Philadelphia a young wing with a less established skill set. Those were real incoming assets, though neither produced a substantial long-term replacement for an established starter through this transaction. Their earlier performances for other franchises shouldn't be retroactively attributed to these receiving teams.
The Late Pick Explains the Inherited Knicks Advantage
New York's B+ values the opportunity created by Sims alongside flexibility from other rights. Oklahoma City's C+ and Philadelphia's B- recognize contracts and developmental options that proved less durable. The draft lineage is especially relevant because picks near No. 58 often don't produce reliable NBA contributors. Here New York found an actual center, while the nonconveyed conditional selection added no fictional later value.
Final Verdict
Knicks Win. New York earns B+ for its player and rights package led by the second-round choice used on Jericho Sims, who became a usable Knicks center. Oklahoma City gets C+ for Austin Rivers, whose Thunder tenure was limited, and Philadelphia receives B- for Ignas Brazdeikis. The separate protected pick that did not convey cannot be credited as a selected player.