Knicks management quits on team and fans; Will try again in two years
It was announced on Friday that the Knicks have made trades, dumping quality players for a little less quality players who are cheaper and will be finished with their contracts by 2010. The point, everyone assumes, is to make salary room for the summer of 2010 when several high-profile players – most notably LeBron James – will be available as free agents.
Stephen A. Smith, ESPN’s NBA analyst, called it a “fantastic job” by Knicks management.
Regardless of whether or not the Knicks will actually be able to land LeBron, Chris Bosh or one of the other potential free agents, am I the only one who thinks this is disgraceful move? So, let me get this straight … you finally get a coach that is at least getting a decent game of this team and you want to dump players? For a chance at something big not this year, not next year, but in 2010?
Really?
If the Knicks players went out on the court and purposefully dumped games in hopes that they could get a high draft choice or something like that, the media would have a field day. Quitters, cheaters, and other names would get thrown at them. How is this any different? The Knicks management is purposefully packing in this season and next in hope … hope … that they can throw enough money at LeBron James in 2010.
Make no mistake, this isn’t rebuilding. They aren’t saying that they have some young guys with potential that they want to make room for. They aren’t dumping dead weight. They are getting rid of players who are finally starting to produce in order to make a run at another team’s player in a couple of years.
What would happen if the Knicks fans paying hundreds or even thousands of dollars to watch the games decided that they would simply stop buying tickets until 2010?
