Why Landing a Top Flight Free Agent Will Not Bring a Championship Banner to the Knicks

Disclaimer- On July 19, 2008 I published an article titled The Summer of 2010 Does Not Belong to the Knicks. It was a mathematical analysis of the Knicks' contract situation as compared to the salary cap and why they will not be able to make a splash in 2010. The article also detailed how the Nets have prepared for that summer and the advantages that the Cleveland Cavaliers have given not only their current contract situation, but the NBA salary cap rules. Appreciating that article did require a modicum of intelligence so I wasn't surprised when I started receiving nasty messages and emails regarding how it didn't make sense. I was not offended by these comments as I understand that the uneducated often respond to confusion with anger, but I did pity some of my readers as I realized that in reading my piece they were simply out of their league. Having said that, understanding this article will require a basic human ability to recognize historical trends and how they relate to the future, so please, if you are a Class "C" Moron or higher, do not read on. Without further ado, I give you Why Landing a Top Flight Free Agent Will Not Bring a Championship Banner to the Knicks.

Though I do not believe that Donnie Walsh will be able to position the Knicks to land a marquee player, such as LeBron James or Dwayne Wade, in 2010, I have often pondered what would happen in the Bronx-born Knicks president did pull off the impossible. Hearing James' name called out on the public address for the first time would probably result in a roar so load that the walls of the Garden would literally shake and the roof would be at risk of blowing off, but that would probably be the highlight of his career as a Knick. If historical trends are any indicator of the future, landing a big-name free agent signing in Gotham would just about ensure that the Knicks don't hang another banner from the rafters any time soon.

Let's take a look at the Knicks' past first. What do Patrick Ewing, Bill Bradley, Willis Reed, and Walt "Clyde" Frazier have in common? Not only are they some of the greatest players in team history, but they were all home grown New York draft picks. Bradley, Reed, and Frazier teamed up for two NBA titles in the seventies, while the newly recognized Hall of Fame member, Patrick Ewing, lead the team to two finals appearances in the nineties.

What about the other key member to those championship teams of the seventies, and the star the Knicks added to help win the title in 1973. Dave DeBusschere and Earl "The Pearl" Monroe were both acquired via trades. Key players to the success of the Knicks in the nineties such as Charles Oakley, Marcus Camby, Larry Johnson, Latrell Sprewell, and Derek Harper were also traded to the Knicks. Though they may not be worth discussing because they really aren't associated with the Knicks winning, I'll mention a few other former franchise players. Bob McAdoo, the Knicks' All-Star of the late seventies who helped end the team's playoff drought, came over in a trade from Buffalo. Oh, and how about the Knicks' sensational leader in the mid-eighties, Bernard King? He came over in a trade with the Golden State Warriors as well.

Okay, so the Knicks have obtained most of their key players through trades or the draft, but there must have been some good free agent signings, right? I will not insult your intelligence by examining any Isiah Thomas signings, such as Vin Baker, Jarred Jeffries, or Jerome James. John Starks was a key player for the Knicks in the nineties, and although he was technically signed as a free agent, it was virtually by accident. Starks was injured during a practice while trying out for the team and the Knicks were forced to keep him because of his injury. Though he worked his way into the starting lineup and eventually became an All-Star, many fans also credit Starks with costing the Knicks the 1994 NBA Championship with his 2 for 18 performance in Game 7. The biggest summer of free agent signings came for the Knicks in 1996. That summer they signed Chris Childs, who struggled throughout his career in New York and eventually took himself out of the starting lineup. They also signed Allan Houston. Houston, had a somewhat successful career in New York and is often remembered for his game-winning shot against the Miami Heat in the 1999 playoffs en route to an NBA Finals appearance. The reality of Houston's signing, however, is that it created a glut in the backcourt that resulted in chemistry issues (particularly after the Knicks traded John Starks for Latrell Sprewell) and Houston will forever be remembered for his exorbitant contract extension that crippled the Knicks financially while he sat on the bench with injuries.

So everyone agrees that the Knicks have historically stunk at free agency. Well, I'm sure that Donnie Walsh, who has won as many NBA Championships in approximately two decades of NBA experience as I have writing for Associated Content (for you Class "C" Morons who did not head my warning and read on, that number is zero) will change that trend, right? Based on his past history, I wouldn't say that. Walsh's one-two punch in Indiana of Reggie Miller and Rik Smits came via the NBA draft as did Dale Davis. He acquired Mark Jackson via trade and he only signed Antonio Davis as a free agent after the Pacers' initial draft rights to him expired while he was playing in Europe. Doesn't really sound like success through free agency, does it?

Recent free agent moves in the NBA have not shown a successful trend either. In July of 2004, the Utah Jazz signed forward Carlos Boozer to a six-year contract worth $70 million. Boozer has been an All-Star for the Jazz and along with teammate Deron Williams has made them one of the more formidable opponents in the league, although the only trips to the NBA Finals that they have made have been as spectators. Two years later, the Chicago Bulls brought in Ben Wallace with a four-year contract worth $60 million. Wallace did, however, bring a championship ring to the Bulls squad before they traded him to Cleveland. Unfortunately for the Bulls, though, that ring was only the one that Wallace had earned as a member of the Detroit Pistons. Perhaps the most successful free agent signing of recent history came when the Phoenix Suns landed budding superstar Steve Nash. Nash made an immediate impact on the team, helping them to rebound from a season of only twenty-nine wins with a run deep into the playoffs. Nash never did take the Suns to that desired level of champions and as his skills have begun diminishing, the Suns have started to make moves of desperation in a last-ditch effort to take home the title.

Even some of the more marquee players who have been acquired via sign-and-trade deals that were sparked by free agency have failed to help their teams win championships. On August 3, 2000, the Orlando Magic added both Tracy McGrady and Grant Hill courtesy of sing-and-trade deals with hopes of making a championship run, but that dream never came to fruition. In recent years, the Hawks and Magic have acquired Joe Johnson and Rashard Lewis, respectively, via sign-and-trade yet neither team has enjoyed any success as a result of their moves. Both teams have had mild regular season success in the talent-starved Eastern Conference, but neither has achieved anything noteworthy as of yet.

To anyone who thinks that I'm just harping on the negative signings, take a look at your past NBA champions. Since the free agency sparked the sign-and-trade deal that sent Moses Malone to Philadelphia where he would team up with Julius Erving and bring an NBA Title to the 76ers in 1983, only one player has changed addresses via free agency and lead his team to a title: Shaquille O'Neal. In 1996, Shaq agreed to a seven-year deal with the Lakers worth $122 million and although he did help deliver three titles to L.A., there were two other big factors in those titles. The Lakers had also traded Vlade Divac for the rights to Kobe Bryant that summer, but they never actually got back to the finals until Phil Jackson signed on as head coach.

There are several reasons that free agent signings don't lead to championships. First of all, they generally tie up so much salary cap space that the team no longer has the available funds needed to surround their star with talented role players. Second, many players can't perform under the pressure of being the designated savior to a franchise in dire need. Finally, free agent signings often create chemistry issues. When a high-profile player is added to a roster without the team having to give up anything, whether or not it is publicized, the other players on the team start to wonder if they are going to lose minutes or touches. These types of thoughts never help a team to become a cohesive unit.

Okay Knick fans, I know what you're thinking. We'll get someone big in 2010 and it will be just like when Shaq went to L.A. News Flash: you don't have a Kobe Bryant waiting in the wings and Mike D'Antoni has already proven that he couldn't win a title even with Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire, and Shawn Marion on his roster. Signing a marquee free agent in 2010 is not what the Knicks need to win a title. They need to build through the draft, develop their players, and perhaps make a few key trades, just like they did in the good old days.