Knicks must keep first-round pick
The New York Knicks are a laughingstock. Take it from a guy who was born and raised in New York, there is no bigger joke than the Orange and Blue. Since going to the 1999 NBA Finals, the Knicks have proven they can do nothing right, bringing in a hoard of bad contracts and horrific front office executives, led by Isiah Thomas.
If you are not a Knicks fan, you will never understand the intense hatred of Thomas. Seriously, there was a time Thomas was less popular in New York than Pedro Martinez in Reggie Miller in their primes.
In 2014-15, the Knicks are once again a complete mess. New York thought it would compete for the playoffs in a laughably weak Eastern Conference after signing Jason Smith, re-signing Carmelo Anthony and getting a healthy Amar’e Stoudamire back. Instead, New York is the worst team in the NBA, even worse than the Philadelphia 76ers. Considering Philadelphia is actively trying to lose, that is saying something.
For once, this dumpster fire of a franchise has control of its first-round pick. The Knicks are terrible, but at least the prize will be Jahlil Okafor, Karl-Anthony Towns or D’Angelo Russell, right? Maybe not.
On Thursday, general manager Phil Jackson stated his vision includes free agency being the main course of rebuilding. For folks who are desperate for the first solid draft pick in New York since Patrick Ewing and Mark Jackson, the message was terrifying, per Ramona Shelbourne of ESPN.
“We know what the first-round pick is going to mean for us, but we also know we’re going to build our team with free agents,” Jackson said. “A hundred and ninety players or so are going to be free agents. Not half the league, but like a third of the league is going to be free agents. So that’s where our priority stands.”
While Jackson did not commit to trading the first-round selection, there have been swirling rumors he is looking to ship the pick to the Sacramento Kings for DeMarcus Cousins. The statement of building through free agency only furthered that notion the coveted selection is for sale, only hurting the long-term picture for the Knicks.
The national media paints a picture of New York having a major lack of patience. The shame is, few basketball fans are educated like those who inhabit Madison Square Garden. Most Knicks supporters would gladly build slowly with Okafor or Towns before landing a major free agent or two in 2016 when the salary cap rises to $90 million.
If New York traded for Cousins, despite his considerable talent, it will ultimately be set even further back. The Knicks need to trust their scouting department and develop some talent from within the organization for the first time this century.
