The New York Knicks splurged on big names in 2016 NBA free agency, but was it the right call? Here are their complete offseason grades.
With a core of Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis, the New York Knicks were clearly a franchise being tugged in two different directions heading into the offseason.
Coming off a 32-win season that was considered an improvement from their bottoming-out 17-win campaign the year before, the Knicks had no reason to tank since they didn’t own their 2016 first round pick.
Still, Phil Jackson put just enough talent around Melo to keep his 32-year-old star from being disgruntled for the 2015-16 season, which wound up being a simultaneous improvement and disappointment.
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None of Jackson’s contracts from the last two summers — namely, guys like Robin Lopez, Arron Afflalo, Derrick Williams and Jose Calderon — were long enough to clog up the Knicks’ future cap space as the NBA’s salary cap prepared to skyrocket, and though the team was largely disappointing last year, Porzingis’ promising rookie season helped make up for it.
Facing a 2016 offseason without a draft pick but armed with a bundle of free agency money, Phil Jackson lost his patience and went all in on providing Melo with more star power and KP with the opportunity to make his first postseason appearance in Year 2.
The question is, were Jackson’s all-in moves a shortsighted blunder? And will the Knicks actually contend for anything more than a bottom-rung playoff spot in 2016-17? Here’s a look at every move New York made this summer with complete offseason grades.
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