Read opposing arguments from Loyal Homer and Bleacher Fan.
Now that the immediate dust has settled from the NBA’s trading deadline, it makes sense to examine which team really had the most success in basketball’s silly season. While teams like the Houston Rockets made big, important moves like acquiring scoring guard Kevin Martin, and a few teams made small moves to free cap space and hoard draft picks, the New York Knicks, without a doubt, had the most success at the NBA’s trading deadline.
The Knicks had two primary goals before last Thursday’s deadline. One, get enough new, short-term players to keep fan interest from plummeting. Two, clear up enough salary cap space to attract more than one premium NBA all-star to sign with the team for the 2010-2011 season and beyond.
To satisfy goal number one the Knicks acquired Tracy McGrady, a player who has led the NBA in scoring twice and has a huge expiring contract. In a way, the deal for McGrady solves both of the Knicks’ primary problems, giving the team an immediate scoring boost and shot of excitement (provided McGrady is still at least partly as effective as he once was) and the signing also allows the team to free up salary cap space to make an aggressive run at the best free agent class of players the NBA has ever seen. McGrady told the Associated Press that he still has a lot of ability left. If he does, that just gives the Knicks a high class problem – resign McGrady at a reduced salary amount for next season, or simply let his contract expire? McGrady hopes to create a great problem for the Knicks.
The McGrady move is getting the most attention, but other smaller moves have dramatically improved the Knicks’ fortunes. Trading Nate Robinson to the Celtics is the tried and true addition by subtraction to the Knicks organization. They rid the team of a player that never fit in to the system and was unable to perform consistently. They also acquired Eddie House, a sharp shooting guard that is a must have off the bench for any team with championship aspirations. The Knicks ability to include Jared Jeffries in the McGrady deal helped them free up a total of $32 million in cap space. In short, the Knicks can offer two players $16.5 million in the first season of a new contract. While it remains to be seen if two superstars can agree to receive the same compensation, the Knicks at least have a chance to solve that problem.
When all is said and done at the end of the season (which will come quickly for the Knicks), the Knicks will have the ability to offer a maximum contract to not one, but two elite players. We all know LeBron will be a major figure in free agency, but Chris Bosh and Dwayne Wade will also factor. The right team may be able to make a play for two of the three best players in basketball and completely shake up the world of professional basketball for many seasons to come. The Knicks will have a good draft position and two new, excellent players from free agency. The team will look completely different next season, and could be atop the Eastern Conference. Maybe. Provided the master plan comes to fruition.
While the speculation about the cleared Knickerbocker cap space will be focused on LeBron James, no matter what happens in the upcoming offseason the Knicks have improved their fortunes for future seasons, too.
Now, despite all of the success the New York Knicks had on the trading deadline, I still do not believe LeBron James is leaving Cleveland for the Big Apple. Most New York newspapers featured LeBron James on the front of their newspapers last Friday heralding the Knicks’ deadline success and the impending signature from LeBron James. The New York Post even went so far as to feature James on the front of the issue with a Knicks jersey photoshoped onto the perennial all-star. James will feel plenty of pressure to go to New York. Perhaps this is a topic for a different debate. As far as the trading deadline for the 2009-2010 season, the New York Knicks were the unsurpassed victors.
