When you look at the most successful teams in the NBA — Cleveland, Golden State, San Antonio and Oklahoma City — they were all built through the draft. Players like Stephen Curry, Russell Westbrook and Kyrie Irving all grew and developed alongside their organizations. This is the best way to have long-term success in the NBA. But building through the draft is something that the Knicks haven’t done under owner James Dolan.
Since 2000, New York has only had one drafted player remain with the team for 5 or more years; that player was David Lee, and after his 5th year in the league the Knicks traded him to Golden State. Most recently, the Knicks have been very active in the off-season, acquiring Derek Rose, Joakim Noah and Courtney Lee.
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If everyone stays healthy, their starting five is set as:
PG: Derek Rose
SG: Courtney Lee
SF: Carmelo Anthony
PF: Kristaps Porzingis
C: Joakim Noah
The good and bad about Rose’s contract is that it is a one-year deal. The downside is that if he gets hurt, or doesn’t live up to his past, the Knicks will clear cap space and pursue point guard Russell Westbrook, who becomes a free agent next year. The upside is that Rose is looking to get paid after this season; the general consensus is that he is working out extremely hard and is relatively healthy. Being part of a winning team and putting up points and assists will only give him a higher payday, and should serve as motivation enough.
Noah signed a 4-year deal worth about $72 million. (The salary cap for each NBA team in the 2016-17 season has been set at $94.14 million.) Noah will be a great fit for New York for several reasons: He doesn’t need to takes shots to have a positive impact on the floor. He is a very good defender, a great passer for a big man and an elite rebounder. If he stays healthy, I wouldn’t be surprised if Noah led the NBA in rebounding next year. He is a perfect complement for Porzingis, as the second-year Latvian player wants to play on the outside and Noah wants to play down low.
Lee signed a 4-year deal worth around $48 million. He has played with 7 teams already, but I really like this signing. He is another player who doesn’t need to shoot to be effective. He averaged a career-high 9 points per game last year, and will take pressure off Melo and Rose by guarding any opposing team’s best player.
Phil Jackson has done a solid job this offseason; the Knicks haven’t given up young talent or draft picks. There are rumors that Dwyane Wade is meeting with New York today. If that is the case, Jackson can’t let the three-time NBA Champion leave without signing with the Knicks. Jackson was brought here for this very reason, to meet with elite free agents and get them to play at Madison Square Garden.
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