What Sets New York Knicks Apart as a Free-Agent Destination This Offseason?
Embrace the letter "M," New York Knicks fans. It could be your ticket to jackpot winnings in the 2015 NBA free-agent market.
New York's entire negotiating strategy boils down to three "m" words: money, market and Melo. No, wait, there's a fourth—master, as in Zen Master Phil Jackson, Knicks president of basketball operations and proud owner of 13 championship rings.
Whenever copious amounts of cash, the Big Apple's bright lights and resident superstar Carmelo Anthony's skill set aren't enough to convince a big fish, Jackson's treasure chest could be New York's trump card. Ideally, that four-pronged approach scratches both the business and basketball itches players carry into these discussions.
Now, that's a glass-overflowing view of the Knicks' sales pitch. This orange-and-blue-tinted perspective glosses over questions that potential targets are likely to have.
Between Anthony's rocky playoff record (10 career appearances, eight first-round exits) and the lack of experience for Jackson (in the front office) and Derek Fisher (on the sideline), New York won't be asking for signatures; it will be hoping for leaps of faith. And that's before getting into the sad state of affairs this season has become.
The Knicks have the second-lowest winning percentage and third-worst net efficiency rating.
"Like nothing I've seen before," Jackson said of the team's performance, per Harvey Araton of The New York Times. "So far, my experiment has fallen flat on its face."
Yeah, it's been that bad for the 'Bockers. And that certainly hasn't made Jackson's job any easier.
But it hasn't done irreversible damage to the Knicks, either. They won't be asking players to join this team, they'll be selling them on a vision of what they can become.
As with anything free-agency related, the discussion starts with money. Having it might not guarantee anything, but being without it keeps clubs out of the game.
Assuming nothing with the Knicks payroll changes between now and the Feb. 19 trade deadline, they should have more than enough to spend on a notable name or a couple of second-tier players. The NBA is projecting a $66.5 million salary cap for next season, per Grantland's Zach Lowe, and New York has slightly more than half of that in contract commitments.
Using salary information from HoopsHype.com, the chart below shows New York's economic pie for 2015-16 and how much of it has already been sliced.
That giant orange section represents an estimate of what the Knicks will have to spend. And that number could grow even higher depending on whether New York can dump any money in trades and what it decides to do with the team options for Quincy Acy, Travis Wear and Langston Galloway.
Either way, the Knicks will have the wiggle room needed to get their foot in the door.
The allure of their built-in market advantages will help strengthen their position. New York City and the pressures that comes with playing in it aren't for everyone. But players who want the spotlight—plus the business opportunities that come along with it—will answer Jackson's calls on the first ring.
There's also the chance to carve out a spot in basketball lore. Win something substantial with the Knicks, inside the storied Madison Square Garden, and your legendary status is permanently etched in stone.
"The pull of the big city and Madison Square Garden will always convince a big star to at least think about playing for the Knicks," wrote NBA.com's Shaun Powell.
The city, the arena, these things sell themselves.
"Madison Square Garden is the mecca of basketball," Anthony wrote on his site, ThisIsMelo.com, after re-signing with the Knicks last summer, "and I am surrounded by the greatest fans in the world."
Despite what certain sections of the public might think, sharing the floor with Anthony has its own perks.
The eight-time All-Star is an invaluable recruiting tool. He's not only one of the premier scorers of this generation, he's one of the greatest the game has ever seen. His 25.2 points-per-game scoring average is the 12th-highest in NBA history, above the likes of Karl Malone, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Larry Bird and Shaquille O'Neal, among others.
"He’s a unique blend of being big, strong, and athletic while also having a world-class shooting touch and a natural ability to get to the rim," Paul Pierce wrote of Anthony for The Players' Tribune. "That’s what sets him apart—every facet of his game is elite."
Anthony also isn't the offensive black hole he's often made it to be. He's a score-first player—and given his ability, why wouldn't he be?—but he keeps his teammates involved. Among the 66 players averaging 15-plus points this season, he ranks 36th with a 17.1 assist percentage. For reference, that puts him ahead of Jamal Crawford, Klay Thompson, Bradley Beal and Chandler Parsons to name a few.
Anthony has pull with players around the league.
LeBron James called Anthony "one of my greatest friends," per Newsday's Al Iannazzone. When a source told New York Daily News' Frank Isola that Kevin Durant would consider the Knicks in 2016 free agency, they highlighted the fact that "Kevin loves Carmelo." When former ESPN The Magazine writer Chris Palmer asked Kobe Bryant for his best NBA friend who's not a former teammate, the Mamba said Melo.
Anthony has grown up with a lot of these players, shared the same floor with them in the Olympics or All-Star Games. If the Knicks need a recruiter, he's as well-connected as they come.
"I have a big black book," Anthony said, per ESPN New York's Ohm Youngmisuk. "I have a big Rolodex."
The Knicks aren't the only team with money, a major market or a superstar to sell. But how many clubs can check off all three boxes?
The Philadelphia 76ers have cap space to burn, but who's rushing to go play with Michael Carter-Williams and Nerlens Noel? The Boston Celtics can afford to make some moves, but they had a hard time attracting talent when Rajon Rondo was still around. The Memphis Grizzlies don't have the market, plus if they're going big-game hunting, that likely means they're trying to replace current star Marc Gasol.
On the surface, the Los Angeles Lakers appear to have all three. But they had them when they struck out in free agency last summer, before Kobe Bryant turned 36 and suffered his third straight season-ending injury.
So despite its current pile of losses, New York has the tools needed to be a free-agent destination. And that's without knowing what type of clout Jackson the executive yields.
But perhaps the real question here is what the Knicks plan to do with these resources. While some fans might want a household name like Gasol or LaMarcus Aldridge, coughing up that type of change would restrict all subsequent moves. New York has multiple holes to fill, and that might steer it toward multiple good players as opposed to a singular great one.
"We're looking for multiple talents, drive, intelligence, guys that will play defense," Jackson said, per Araton. "We hope to develop a team, and there are a lot of agents out there looking to find a good spot for their players."
New York doesn't look like a good spot now, but in this league, fortunes can change overnight.
The Knicks are already giving themselves the chance to land a difference-maker on draft night. And several more could follow in free agency if New York's recruiting tools prove to be as powerful as they look.
Unless otherwise noted, statistics used courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com.
.jpg?w=600 "Colts Release Kenny Moore")
