New York Knicks: Complete 2017 offseason grades

The New York Knicks seem to find their offseasons wrapped in chaos every summer. How should they be graded on their moves this time around?

The New York Knicks play in the league’s biggest market, with a long history of devoted fans and sharp media coverage. Their moves — good, bad, and everything in between — are headline news, and endlessly analyzed, dissected and critiqued. Any sliver of hope is blown into eventuality, and any misstep is turned into a death blow.

Cutting through the haze of inflated expectations and continual coverage, the Knicks again had a rocky offseason. They handed out large contracts, made questionable decisions on which players to keep and which to let walk, and they used their draft pick on a controversial player.

Hovering over all of it is the specter of Phil Jackson, who began the offseason as team president but has since been fired. Every move is tied to his involvement, but the team must now deal with the ramifications without him.

From the draft to the front office and a surprising walk through free agency, how has the offseason gone for the Knicks? Specifically, how can each individual move — and the offseason as a whole —  be graded?

Drafted Frank Ntilikina

Coming into the 2017 NBA Draft, most pundits identified a clear group of high-upside players with true star potential. Mock drafts and discussions varied in which players would go in what order, but there was a collection of eight players with the highest of pre-draft grades on them.

The New York Knicks held the eighth pick in the draft, ensuring they would get a chance to take one of those top-eight players. When the Chicago Bulls traded into the seventh pick and selected Arizona’s Lauri Markkanen, suddenly two top-tier players were available for the Knicks to choose from — point guard Dennis Smith Jr. and combo guard Malik Monk.

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But those same draft experts had alerted everyone to the fact that the New York Knicks were going to reject their choice between two elite guard prospects, and instead take a player better fit for the “Triangle” system favored by team president Phil Jackson. Thus Frank Ntilikina came off the board as the Knicks’ latest draft selection.

Two seasons ago, the Knicks took an international prospect and it turned out well for them, as Kristaps Porzingis is one of the best young players in the league. And it is certainly possible Frank Ntilikina turns into a future All-Star — but also unlikely. His limitations as a creator may mean he is better deployed off-the-ball, whether as a 1 or as a 2. His ceiling is probably not much higher than George Hill, a good but not great point guard.

There were players with both higher ceilings and higher floors available. If the team decided it needed a point guard, then Dennis Smith Jr. was a better pick — this is not hindsight-based on Smith’s NBA Summer League performance, but something that was widely mentioned at the time.

If the narrative is correct, and the Knicks took Ntilikina because of his fit in the Triangle system, then this organization erred in not firing Phil Jackson much sooner. While this pick may not turn into a “bust,” the organization shouldn’t be off the hook for passing on superior talent.

Grade: C+

Drafting Damyean Dotson

Leave it to the Knicks to be involved in one of the most controversial picks in the draft, even for it being a late second round selection. But Dotson is a player who divides opinions both on the court and off.

Dotson can absolutely shoot the ball, which is probably the most important skill in today’s NBA. The ability to put the ball in the net is a need for every team in the league, and only the Golden State Warriors have enough shooters to go around. Last season Dotson hit 44.1 percent of his 3-pointers for Houston.

Unfortunately Dotson can do little else in terms of offensive creation. He struggles to put the ball on the deck, to make plays for others or to dominate individual matchups. Defensively he is inconsistent at best. Dotson is a one-trick pony despite having to do more for Houston due to lack of talent.

Damyean Dotson didn’t always play for the Houston Cougars; he began his college career at Oregon, but left amid scandal when the university suspended him for 4-10 years after he was accused of rape. While criminal charges never stuck, both the public evidence and the opinions of the University of Oregon and the district attorney state that the crime was committed.

Is it the responsibility of the New York Knicks to only draft squeaky-clean players? Of course not; plenty of players have things in their past they are not proud of. But Dotson’s long-term fit in the league becomes even more questionable when his past is factored in. This was a pick that could have — and probably should have — gone in a safer direction.

Grade: D

Drafted Ognjen Jaramaz

When the dregs of draft night arrive, the player selected is not of much import. Teams are just as likely to find an undrafted contributor than to pick one with the last handful of picks in the second round. Therefore it is hard to grade any team harshly for who they take at pick 58.

Ognjen Jaramez is a Serbian point guard, from the same team as Nikola Jokic. At 21 years old, Jaramez is an extremely unpolished offensive player. The Knicks will keep him overseas and only bring him over if he shows a clear improvement all around.

Jaramez did come over and play in NBA Summer League in Orlando, and his stint was very close to a disaster. He hit just seven percent of his shots from the field on 1-of-14 shooting. Strangely, he also shot 11-for-11 from the free throw line, which generated all but three of the points he scored.

Defensively Jaramez was a pest, and that area is where his true upside lies. If he can improve his offensive skills in a comprehensive way — there is a lot of room for improvement — his place in the league will come because of his defense.

But that possibility is a long ways off. For now, the Knicks used a minimal asset on a player with a low chance of making his way to the league. There isn’t much to praise or criticize.

Grade: C+

Re-signing Ron Baker

As the start of NBA free agency approached on the night of June 30, the NBA world was in a frenzy following the sudden trade of Paul George to the Oklahoma City Thunder. Therefore, it came almost under the radar as Ron Baker announced his own free agent deal.

For over a week the mystery of what type of contract Baker signed loomed. An undrafted free agent out of Wichita State, Baker was a player worth keeping around at the right price. In a market more squeezed for money than expected, that was most likely a minimum contract.

But the New York Knicks, in the midst of the chaos of moving from the Phil Jackson era to the Steve Mills/Scott Perry era, did not pay market value for Baker. They went a little higher.

The Knicks should have had all of the leverage in this negotiation. Established players on the market were getting less than this contract, and Baker has turned in just one season of decent play. He was a restricted free agent, already 24 years old and without a true position in the NBA. Instead the Knicks gave him the farm.

The Knicks need a true starting point guard, and there isn’t one to be found on their roster. Baker is more of a combo guard, and a backup at best. Ntilikina is not ready to start in his rookie season. Instead of going after a true starter, the Knicks re-signed Baker to significant money.

For most players it’s reasonable to mention their upside, that a potential deal could end up being worth it if the player hits their ceiling. But at 24, Baker’s upside is very limited, and he didn’t show enough last season to suggest he’s suddenly going to turn into an NBA starter. But if he did, Baker has all of the power with a player option that will allow him to opt out and get more money. This is a lose-lose for the Knicks.

Ron Baker is more well-known than the average undrafted free agent, and by all reports is a solid locker room guy and well-liked by fans. He’s the kind of player you want as your third guard. But the Knicks paid him early and paid him well, and that was a move they simply didn’t need to make.

Grade: C-

Signing Tim Hardaway Jr.

Tim Hardaway Jr. began his career with the New York Knicks as a late pick in the first round. After two seasons he was traded to the Atlanta Hawks, and it was there last season that Hardaway turned in his best season to date, coming off the bench as a scoring threat.

Steve Mills and the Knicks found themselves impressed enough to want him back. As a restricted free agent, the Hawks could match any offer that was extended to Hardaway. Perhaps because of this, or perhaps because they were completely smitten, they offered one of the most lucrative deals of the offseason.

When the Atlanta Hawk inevitably declined to match, Hardaway became a New York Knick once again. He will be paid like an above-average starter for each of the next four seasons, despite having turned in just one above-average season of NBA basketball — and that coming as a substitute most of the time.

There is little to no track record that suggests Hardaway is an above-average NBA starter. After paying a large sum to sign 2-guard Courtney Lee last offseason, drafting a pair of guards perhaps best suited for the 2 (Frank Ntilikina and Damyean Dotson) and re-signing combo guard Ron Baker, this was both surprising and unnecessary.

It’s likely Steve Mills felt he needed to make a move while he still had the organizational power to do so, and so he acted quickly in signing Hardaway to the offer sheet. But not only did he back up the Brink’s truck for the young guard, but he gave out a player option on the fourth year. Just like with Baker, if Hardaway does play up to his contract, he can opt out a year early and secure more money from either another team or the Knicks.

Like so many of the Knicks’ moves, this was a decision that looked out of place immediately and with the small amount of hindsight we now possess. The Knicks overpaid at a position they didn’t have a glaring need.

Grade: D

Signing Ramon Sessions

The New York Knicks needed a starting point guard. Prior to signing Ramon Sessions, they had a second-year undrafted combo guard out of Wichita State (Ron Baker), a raw, 19-year-old rookie out of France (Frank Ntilikina), and an undrafted player who has bounced around Europe and the G League for the past few seasons (Chasson Randle).

Blue Man Hoop

Ramon Sessions is a solid backup point guard, the sort of player teams want to provide a steady hand running the offense. There is no longer anything flashy about Sessions’ game; rather he is a veteran who has been around the block and doesn’t need to be told not to make stupid errors or to gum up the team’s offense.

Over his 10-year career, Sessions truly has been around the block. Specifically, he has changed teams 10 times, most recently spending time in Charlotte. He has played in both conferences, on both coasts, and for a number of coaches.

What he has never done is be a full-time starter. Only twice in his career has he started at least 30 games, and never more than 39. Sessions is best cast as a veteran reserve, not as the starter. And yet he will be asked to take on that load in New York, unless they look to someone ill-prepared and not ready for the job.

The price was right, as Sessions signed for the veteran’s minimum. Getting a reliable point guard with his experience is worth that much. But this team needs more, and unfortunately Sessions will be unable to provide it.

Grade: B+

Signing Michael Beasley

Michael Beasley has undergone a number of transformations as a player, from high school star to one of the best college seasons of all time; from highly-anticipated prospect to disappointing professional; from toxic gunner to well-liked veteran.

Beasley has rebuilt his career over the past two seasons, sparked by a humbling experience playing in China. The former No. 2 overall pick had a rocky start to his career but has seemed to find a niche recently as a bench scorer.

The Milwaukee Bucks brought him aboard after Khris Middleton went down with a hamstring injury prior to last season, and he filled his role well. He played sparse minutes, but came in and created offense when he was on the court.

If the Knicks do follow through on their reported plan to trade Carmelo Anthony, Beasley is a solid low-cost replacement for that role. He can create offense, and is doing so more efficiently now than in years past. The defense has never been there, but he has some modicum of foot speed to try and guard in space.

This is the sort of signing smart teams make on the margins. Beasley is not going to win a championship for a team, but he can provide value on a cheap contract. Adding Beasley and Sessions are smart moves; unfortunately there weren’t the accompanying smart moves to fill out the starting lineup.

Grade: A-

Overall

The New York Knicks have not enjoyed competent basketball decision-making for years — long-suffering fans may say decades upon decades. There is hope that with the removal of Phil Jackson and the hiring of Scott Perry, things may begin to turn around. Ramon Sessions, Michael Beasley, Nigel Hayes — these are all smart, value signings done under Perry’s watch.

Unfortunately, pieces are still in place that suggest otherwise. Steve Mills is now making final basketball decisions, and the moves he made autonomously were both gross overpays for guards with significant weaknesses. James Dolan is still the team’s owner and causes shockwaves each and every year.

The specter of Phil Jackson isn’t done wreaking havoc on this team’s present and future, either. Joakim Noah has three seasons left on his contract, and his bloated cap hit limited the team’s ability to go after the best in the pint guard market. The team now has Frank Ntilikina on their roster for the next 6-9 seasons instead of a true blue-chip prospect in Dennis Smith Jr. or Malik Monk.

Overall this team’s positive moves exist, but are extremely overshadowed by the negative moves it makes year after year. As Kristaps Porzingis ages into his prime, the team will be hampered in their ability to build around him by huge contracts for middling players. That trend continued this season, and the future is not bright in the Big Apple.

Final Grade: D