15 stars you forgot played for the New York Knicks
3. Zach Randolph
In 2007, the New York Knicks pulled off an extremely surprising move. They somehow proposed a trade to the Portland Trail Blazers, where they would receive an up and coming superstar in Zach Randolph, in exchange for a declining Steve Francis and Channing Frye.
Randolph was coming fresh out of the best season of his career, averaging 23.6 points and 10.1 rebounds per game and was just about to enter his prime. The Knicks had finally found an All-Star level big man in the post-Ewing era they were going through.
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To make a long story short, about a year-and-a-half later, the Knicks decided to trade him away, in exchange for an old pair of Tim Thomas and Cuttino Mobley. Mobley was waived two years later without even playing a game, while Thomas played about half a season for the team.
That's all, folks. 17 years in the league, and we've seen the last of Zach Randolph.
— ꜱᴘᴏʀᴛɪᴛᴏᴏᴅ: A Stance on Sports (@SportITood) December 27, 2019
- 2X All Star, 1X MIP & 1X All-NBA
- 4 years of 20+ pts, 10+ rbs
- Grit & Grind GOAT
- 18,500 pts, 10,200 rbs
Blazers, Knicks, Clippers, Grizzlies, Kings.
Happy trails, LEGEND.@MacBo50 pic.twitter.com/tJQ1pkhH6i
And just like that, despite having a future star on their hands, the Knicks somehow inexplicably managed to turn him into dust and get no assets whatsoever.
In a total of 80 games in New York, Randolph averaged 18.0 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. Doesn’t seem like that much of a big deal? Well, for the compensation they received, it was.