Knicks Stand Pat At The Deadline, But Beat the Warriors In the Bay

While the rest of the league was wheeling and dealing on the dance floor, Leon Rose sat on the sidelines, stoically sipping his punch, unable to find a trade partner to tango with...

Before we get to New York's much-needed victory over Golden State last night, let's discuss the Knicks inaction at the deadline. 

Trade Deadline Day often delivers the most chaotic and exciting few hours on the NBA calendar. This year was no exception, with disgruntled superstars and role players alike being shopped and swapped across the county. 

Yet, while the rest of the league was wheeling and dealing on the dance floor, team president Leon Rose and the rest of the New York front office were sitting on the sidelines, stoically sipping their punch, unable to find a trade partner to tango with.

When the 3:00 PM deadline came and went without New York making a single move, a large segment of the Knicks fan base was furious. And their frustration was understandable. After all, the Knicks woke up Thursday morning having lost seven of their last eight games and found themselves seven games under .500 on the season.

Fans, viewing the 2021-22 campaign as a lost cause, desperately wanted to see management dump the team's veterans in order to clear the way for an influx of youngsters. But when the smoke cleared, the roster remained unchanged. 

Yet, it's important to realize this was NOT the worst-case scenario. In years past, under previous regimes, we have seen the Knicks make moves solely for the sake of shaking things up or trying to "win the back page." 

Ask Knicks fans of a certain age, and they'll tell you about how the Knicks traded away a promising young second-round pick by the name of Trevor Ariza to Orlando for the corpse of Steve Francis and his bloated salary at the deadline in 2006. Poor New Yorkers had to try to convince themselves that Stevie Franchise and Stephon Marbury (the highest-paid backcourt duo in the NBA) were Earl Monroe and Walt Frazier reincarnated. 

"We just want basketball players. I think they both can just play," then-head coach Larry Brown said on Feb. 23, 2006, the day after the trade was completed. "When I was growing up, one of the great backcourts I ever saw, Barnett, Frazier, Earl the Pearl and no one thought Earl would fit in… it worked out OK!" Brown dared to tell reporters.

You guys don't need me to remind you of the other awful moves the organization has made over the past two decades. The common denomination in most of them was foolishly trading away draft capital, young players and cap space (or a combination of all three) for a washed-up former All-Star well past his prime. 

The Knicks have avoided such pitfalls over the past few years. For instance, the Lakers would have been ecstatic if New York was willing to take Russell Westbrook (and the $47 million he is owed next season) off their hands. 

Leon Rose was actively working the phones in the days and weeks leading up to the deadline. He was hoping to move Alec Burks, Kemba Walker and/or Nerlens Noel. Yet, the reality is no team was willing to send back anything of value, not even a protected second-round pick. Even the quasi-contenders that didn't trade for a vet knew full well they would be able to get similar/better players via the buyout market without giving up any draft capital whatsoever. In addition, those guys will be dirt cheap salary-wise with no long-term commitment. 

New York very likely could have moved Burks/Kemba/Noel or Evan Fournier if they were willing to attach assets, such as a promising prospect on rookie deals or future draft picks. But Leon Rose and company stuck to the script. Rose has made it clear since arriving in New York that he greatly value such assets and is in the business of acquiring them, not parting with them unnecessarily. 

Now, the fact that the vets New York signed this summer were not seen as desirable by other organizations is undoubtedly an indictment of the moves the front office made. Obviously, things have not gone according to plan this season. And Rose and GM Scott Perry certainly deserve to be criticized for those missteps.