N.Y. Knicks: Power Ranking the 10 Worst Offseason Moves of the Last Decade

Nick Laham/Getty Images

The Knicks have made a ton of awful offseason moves during the past decade.

Whether it was coaching changes, free-agent signings, trades or draft picks, the Knicks have always found a way to screw it up big time. 

As a result of all these poor moves, the Knicks haven't made it past the first round of the NBA playoffs since the 1999-2000 season. 

Even when they have reached the postseason, they've still managed to lose 13 consecutive games to set an NBA record for most consecutive playoff losses.  

Here are the Knicks' 10 worst offseason moves of the past decade. 

10. Knicks Draft Renaldo Balkman

Christopher Pasatieri/Getty Images

The Knicks drafted Renaldo Balkman with the 20th overall pick in the 2006 NBA draft.

The Knicks fans booed this selection the second Balkman's name was called. It turns out they were right, as Balkman failed to ever be a solid contributor for the Knicks, averaging just four points per game in his two seasons with the team.

What makes this selection even worse is that star point guard Rajon Rondo was selected just one pick after Balkman was drafted.  

9. Knicks Hire Larry Brown

Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images

After getting fired by the Detroit Pistons, the Knicks hired Larry Brown to a ridiculous five-year/$50 million contract.

If you pay a coach that kind of money, he better come in and make his presence known right away. Larry Brown certainly did that, but in a negative aspect. In his first with the Knicks, the team finished 23-59, the second-worst record in the entire NBA. 

Brown got fired right after that season. 

8. Knicks Draft Mike Sweetney

In a draft that many people consider to be the best draft of all time, featuring LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony, the Knicks somehow ended up with a guy named Mike Sweetney. 

Sweetney was selected with the eighth overall pick, ahead of eventual All-Stars David West, Josh Howard and Mo Williams.

He only lasted two seasons with the Knicks, four seasons in the NBA in total. The Knicks once again struck out with their first-round pick.  

7. Knicks Sign Jared Jeffries

Elsa/Getty Images

Back in 2006, the Knicks brought Jared Jeffries to New York with a five-year/$30 million deal. 

During his four seasons with the Knicks before getting traded to the Rockets, Jeffries never averaged more than 5.5 points and 4.3 rebounds per game. Those numbers are terrible for a player making as much money as Jeffries was.

It's hard to imagine what the Knicks expected to get out of Jeffries, who never showed any real talent to warrant a contract of that magnitude.  

6. Knicks Draft Jordan HIll

Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

In 2009, the Knicks again had the eighth pick in the NBA draft and again they screwed up big time. 

This time they selected another big man, Jordan Hill. Hill did so little for the Knicks that they decided to trade him to the Rockets after only 24 games. 

The next two selections after Hill were DeMar DeRozan and Brandon Jennings. Both of these players would definitely be starting on the Knicks today had they drafted them. 

5. Knicks Hire Isiah Thomas

Nick Laham/Getty Images

I'm sorry to everyone who is reading this article who has tried so hard to forget about the Isiah Thomas era in New York.

After firing Larry Brown, the Knicks hired Thomas to a four-year/$24 million contract. He only lasted two years before getting fired with a record of 56-108.

Not only was he a terrible coach on the court, but he was also the man responsible for the majority of the terrible offseason moves that make up this list.  

4. Knicks Trade Marcus Camby, Mark Jackson and Nene for Antonio Mcdyess

Antonio McDyess was a great player in the NBA, just not when he was a member of the Knicks. During the 2002 draft, the Knicks traded away Marcus Camby, Mark Jackson and the seventh overall pick, Nene, for Antonio McDyess, Frank Williams and a future second-round pick.

Camby is still a dominant defender to this day, Jackson is third all time in assists in NBA history and Nene made the All-Rookie First Team. McDyess and Williams combined to play in only 95 games with the Knicks and scored a total of 399 points.     

Seems pretty obvious who got the better end of this deal. 

3. Knicks Sign Jerome James

Elsa/Getty Images

After one decent playoffs run with the Seattle SuperSonics, the Knicks broke the bank to bring Jerome James to the Big Apple.

The Knicks signed James to a five-year/$30 million contract, which was immediately criticized by anyone who knew anything about the game of basketball. 

James played a total of 90 games during his time with the Knicks. In the final two years with the team, he scored a total of 10 points. That comes out to $1.2 million per point.

Anytime you pay a player over $1 million per point, you know you made a terrible deal.  

2. Knicks Trade for Stephon Marbury

Jarrett Baker/Getty Images

The Knicks acquired Stephon Marbury back in 2004 in exchange for five players and two first-round draft picks. 

Marbury may have put up huge numbers with the Knicks, but the team was absolutely dreadful. In his five seasons as the Knicks' starting point guard, the Knicks' record was 151-259. They made the playoffs only once and were swept in the first round by the New Jersey Nets.

This trade hurt the Knicks for years to come since they didn't own multiple first-round picks that would have been in the lottery. 

1. Knicks Trade for Eddy Curry

Nick Laham/Getty Images

The Eddy Curry trade was the worst of the worst. 

In order to acquire Curry, the Knicks gave up three players, two first-round picks and two second-round picks. That was way too much for a player who was extremely injury prone.

During the last three years of his five seasons with the Knicks, Curry played in just 69 games combined. In the last two seasons, Curry only played 74 minutes and scored a total of 31 points.

This trade has to be No. 1 on the list since Curry will be remembered more for the amount of weight he gained in the offseason than anything he actually did on the court for the Knicks.