New York Knicks: Trade Deadline Moves Step In The Right Direction

While everyone else was busy scrambling for deadline day trades, the New York Knicks were surprisingly quiet, preferring instead to stand pat with their current roster.

Why is this significant? Well, considering the reputation of the Knicks and their previous trade deadline day deals, their decision to not participate in the madness was a sign of recovery. Much like an addict in rehab, resisting the urge to dabble is often the biggest step in getting better.

More from New York Knicks

When Goran Dragic announced his intention to be traded from the Phoenix Suns, the Knicks were listed as one of his potential destinations. His agent revealed that the Knicks were one of three teams (Miami Heat, Los Angeles Lakers, and the Knicks) that Dragic would sign a long-term deal with. Typically, you’d expect the Knicks of old to jump in and offer whatever draft picks they have left to snag a pseudo-star, in hopes of convincing him to stay.

However, with Phil Jackson at the helm, the Knicks played their cards differently. On multiple occasions, they insisted that they would rather approach Dragic during the free agency period, instead of trading for him this season. The risk with the latter is that Dragic could always sign with a different team, and despite his agent’s claims, nothing is guaranteed.

What may seem like a minor decision could have severe repercussions for the team in the future. Under the previous GMs, it’s likely that the Knicks would have paid a king’s ransom for a short-term lease on Dragic. They would then overpay him in the summer, giving him the super-max due to them owning his Bird Rights. This isn’t just a theory pulled from thin air – we’ve seen the Knicks make countless similar moves, only for their long-term flexibility to suffer.

One of the biggest moves the Knicks made during the All-Star break was to buy out the rest of Amar’e Stoudemire’s contract. The former All-Star was in the final year of his $20.9 million contract, and the Knicks managed to buy him out for $2.5 million. He proved this season that he could still provide some offensive firepower off the bench, but was clearly not worth the hefty price tag. The Knicks didn’t need him, and presumably shopped him around the league, but no one was game on adding his wages to the payroll.

Therefore, taking a leaf out of the Detroit Pistons’ book, they decided to buy out his contract. By doing so, they shave $18 million off their books, and are now just $3.46 million over the tax line.

Imagine that: the New York Knicks are one contract away from being under the cap. After starting the season with a $92.4 million wage bill, they now have $80 million on their cap. This is important because if the Knicks are able to get under the luxury tax line, they can avoid paying the dreaded repeater tax next season.

According to a report by ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, the Knicks already paid $36.3 million in luxury tax (the second highest in the league) for the 2013-14 season. Failure to drop under the luxury tax line will result in the Knicks incurring more penalties, which would affect James Dolan’s willingness to spend during the offseason.

The Knicks, for the most part, have been “boring” when it comes to blockbuster deals this season. But “boring” is what the Knicks need – especially after almost a decade of poor decision making when it comes to adding and trading players. The Knicks are on their way to becoming a functional basketball organization.

Next: NBA: 50 Greatest Players Of All Time

More from Hoops Habit