Knicks Convert No. 25 Pick Into Multiple Second-Round Picks and Cash

The team traded the pick to avoid a guaranteed first-round rookie salary and preserve payroll flexibility under the league’s roster rules.

Overview

The Knicks selected Sergio De Larrea at No. 25 and then flipped him to the Dallas Mavericks for No. 30 pick Koa Peat and two second-round picks, sources reported.
Hours later the Knicks sent Koa Peat to the Phoenix Suns for three additional second-round picks and cash, leaving New York with several second-round selections including No. 31, No. 47 and No. 55.
Sergio De Larrea is a 20-year-old 6-foot-5 guard from Valladolid who played for Valencia, averaged 9.7 points and 3.7 assists in 2025–26, and was named Liga ACB Best Young Player in 2026.
The trades were driven by a payroll calculus: a late first-round pick carries a guaranteed rookie-scale salary that would count against the Knicks’ cap and could push them toward the league’s second apron.
Teams often ‘stash’ international draftees overseas to delay that salary hit by keeping their NBA rights without signing them, and it is unclear which club will now hold De Larrea’s rights or whether he will be stashed.