The Biggest Winners And Losers Of 2016 NBA Free Agency
Loser: New York Knicks
If the New York Knicks were competing for the 2011 NBA championship, they’d be the hands on favorites. Unfortunately, they’re about six years too late. (I’ve made this joke many times on Twitter to the chagrin of Knicks fans everywhere, but I won’t stop now. It’s just too damn funny, and still 100 percent accurate.)
On the one hand, the Knicks will probably be a better team next year, and they may even make the playoffs. Derrick Rose is an upgrade over the withering Jose Calderon and the unprepared Jerian Grant, Joakim Noah could still be good if he’s healthy, Brandon Jennings provides backcourt depth and those Courtney Lee and Lance Thomas signings should be celebrated.
Steve Mills said Knicks liked Courtney Lee's competitive nature and that he comes into the game wanting to guard the best perimeter player.
— Al Iannazzone (@Al_Iannazzone) July 8, 2016
But a mixed bag like that ignores the last few years of injuries that have befallen Rose, Jennings, Noah AND Carmelo Anthony. Giving Kristaps Porzingis playoff experience sooner rather than later is a good thing, but signing some of these aging, injury-prone players to longer deals sacrifices flexibility for some delusion of Eastern Conference Finals grandeur.
The Knicks traded away the best player involved in the Derrick Rose trade by shipping off Robin Lopez too, since Rose is a shell of his former self these days.
Steve Mills said that Derrick Rose deal energized the path that Knicks took. Put together more competitive team without sacrificing future.
— Steve Popper (@StevePopper) July 8, 2016
Maybe he can rebuild his stock in one year in New York. Maybe Noah will go back to being the top-5 MVP candidate he was a few seasons ago. Maybe Jennings will light up the Garden off the bench, maybe Melo will mesh with another ball-dominant guy like Rose, and maybe Lee will be the glue that keeps it all together.
But that’s an awful lot of maybes for these Knicks, and even if the win total goes up next season, it’s been a poorly kept secret everywhere but Phil Jackson‘s office that New York needs to just trade Melo for younger assets and draft picks to rebuild around the Zinger.
Next: Winner: Utah Jazz