NBA: Why Donnie Walsh's Contract Extension Is Crucial for New York Knicks

According to Howard Beck of the New York Times, the Knicks are expected to extend Donnie Walsh's contract for two years.

Walsh is expected to sit down with Knicks owner James Dolan within the next few days to discuss logistics, but all indications are that Walsh is staying.

You hear that?  It's the sound of all Knicks fans breathing a sigh of relief.

This is obviously the right move by Dolan; there was no other justifiable move.  In fact, the entire basketball world is puzzled as to why this decision was not enacted sooner.

However, regardless of the timeline, Walsh's contract extension will be the most important move that the Knicks make this offseason and beyond.  No matter who New York may sign, no matter who it may trade for and no matter who the coach is, Walsh's signing is the most pivotal of any future moves.

Why?

It's simple.  Walsh is the backbone of the Knicks franchise.  When he became team President back in 2008, the Knicks had drifted off into the abyss and were the laughing stock of the NBA.  New York was nowhere near playoff contention, and its pay-scale to talent ratio was horrendous.

Walsh turned it all around, though.

The first trade Walsh made to begin his tenure with the Knicks was shipping Jamal Crawford and his bolstered contract to the Golden State Warriors for cap-friendly Al Harrington.  Two hours later, he sent Zach Randolph and Mardy Collins to the Clippers in exchange for Tim Thomas and Cuttino Mobley.

These were the first of many moves that Walsh would execute in attempt to set the Knicks up to be major players in the free-agency pool of 2010.  It cut New York's payroll by $27 million heading into that summer.

Why focus on Walsh's first moves?

They were a sign of things to come.  It was the beginning of him leading the Knicks out of oblivion and back into relevancy. 

Without Walsh, the Knicks would have continued their cap-managing nose dive, and who knows where they would be now.  However, thanks to Walsh's diligence, the Knicks are competitive again.

Walsh is the reason the Knicks have a manageable cap.

Walsh is the reason Amar'e Stoudemire is now in New York.

Walsh is even the reason that Carmelo Anthony now plays alongside Stoudemire.

While many believe that Dolan orchestrated the Anthony trade, Walsh was the most integral part of that deal.

How so?

Dolan obviously played a role in pushing through the trade.  It was widely known the Knicks owner was willing to pay the world to obtain Anthony, and some believe New York did pay dearly.

But they could have gave up even more.

The Nuggets were looking for the Knicks to include Landry Fields in the deal—as well as take on Al Harringon's monstrous contract—in addition to everything else.  So while it seems as if the Knicks gave Denver the world, Walsh is the reason New York showed any restraint at all.

If Walsh was truly autonomous when it came to basketball decisions, as Dolan claims he is, Anthony would have become a Knick at less of a price tag.  However, he isn't.  Even though Dolan will tell Walsh in the upcoming meeting that he is in full control and has the final say in regards to basketball decisions, he won't.

And he never will.

This is what makes Walsh's extension so important to the Knicks.  He is willing to work under grueling circumstances in order to finish what he started.

While it may puzzle us that the Knicks didn't extend Walsh's contract earlier, it is even more puzzling as to why Walsh is even willing to remain in New York.  A lesser man would have walked away by now.

But not Walsh.

Stoudemire and Anthony may be the reasons that Madison Square Garden is alive with noise again, but Walsh is the reason fans have anything to cheer for.

Walsh's extension ensures that the future of the Knicks is in good hands.  It means that even when Dolan decides to make brash decisions, Walsh will be present to make the best of the situation.

And after watching this organization tip-toe the lines of irrelevancy for nearly a decade, I am thrilled knowing that Walsh will remain with the Knicks.

He restored life to a dying franchise, which is why his extension means more to the Knicks organization than Anthony's and Stoudemire's signings ever could.