The New York Knicks seemed ready to acquire center Eddy Curry from the Bulls for quite some time. In 2004, the Knicks were attempting to trade for Curry.
The big man was a phenomenal talent. Taken with the fourth pick in the ‘01 NBA draft, Curry was talented but had his flaws. His offensive skill and athleticism were impressive, but his work ethic and lack of defense and rebounding raised several flags. The former Bulls first roynder had his best moments in a Bulls uniform during the 2004-05 seasonwhen he led the Bulls in scoring (16.1 PPG) as they made their first playoff push since 1998. After playing in 63 games, it was found that Curry had an enlarged heart and an irregular heartbeat. The ailment forced him to miss the final 13 games of the 2004-05 season as well as the playoffs.
Bulls general manager John Paxson wanted to keep Curry, offering him a one-year, $5 million deal if he passed the DNA test. And if he failed, Paxson said Chicago would offer Curry $400,000 annually for the next 50 years. Curry refused to take the DNA test. With the DNA test as a sticking point, the Bulls decided to shop Curry around.
The Knicks were compiling big contract after big contract and were not shying away from acquiring another (eventual) high-priced player in Eddy Curry. The Bulls signed Curry to a six-year, $56 million deal and then dealt him. Curry’s contract included an option allowing him to terminate the deal after the fourth year.
Curry appeared in 289 games (202 starts) during his career in Chicago. He left the Bulls with career averages of 11.8 PPG and 4.9 RPG in 23.1 MPG, while shooting 53% from the floor and 67% from the free-throw line.
Antonio Davis was originally acquired by the Bulls in a six-player deal between the Bulls an Toronto Raptors during the middle of the 2003-04 season. In one and a half seasons, Davis averaged 7.9 PPG, 7.0 RPG, and 1.5 APG while shooting 43% from the field and 76% from the free-throw line.
Davis was initially reluctant to come to New York in the trade. He was afraid of uprooting his family and took some time to ponder retirement. After some extended time, Davis agreed to report.
Mike Sweetney played 119 games averaged 7.0 PPG and 4.8 RPG. Last season, he made 77 appearances, including 28 starts, and averaged 8.4 PPG and 4.6 RPG in 19.6 MPG.
Tim Thomas continued to disappoint throughout his stint with the New York Knicks. He averaged 12.0 PPG, 3.5 RPG, and 1.0 APG with 44/41/79 splits from the field, three-point, and free-throw line with the Knicks over a season and a half before the trade.
Jermaine Jackson was acquired by the Knicks as a late-season ten day contract signing. Jackson would later sign for the rest of the season. He finished up the 2004-05 season with New York averaging 2.0 PPG, 1.1 RPG, and 1.1 APG in 21 games.
After the trade, Curry’s time in New York was a mixed bag at best. In his first season, the Knicks big man struggled to get in shape during training camp and got off to a slow start. Curry also dealt with a slew of injuries and the Knicks struggled with and without him. They finished 23-59 that season leading to coach Larry Brown’s departure after that season.
Curry’s second season was much more impressive. He had his best individual season averaging 19.5 PPG and 7.0 RPG. The Knicks still struggle finishing 33-49. The Knicks would then acquire another post presence in Zach Randolph. Curry and Randolph did not mesh well and the Knicks spent most of the 2007-08 season staggering Curry and Randolph’s minutes so they would not play together. Curry and Randolph posted a -250 +/- rating during that season according to 82 Games.
After the disappointing 2007-08 season, Curry showed up to camp out of shape in 2008. New Knicks coach Mike D'Antoni was angry with Curry and refused to play him. Under D'Antoni, he would play 10 games in three years before being traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves in the three-team deal that netted the Knicks Carmelo Anthony. Curry left New York with averages of 15.2 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 0.5 APG in 222 games.
Davis played with the Knicks for 36 games (31 starts) before being dealt to the Toronto Raptors for Jalen Rose and a future first rounder. He finished his short stint with the Knicks with averages of 5.0 PPG and 4.3 RPG in 20.8 MPG. Davis is probably best known for running up into the stands as a Knick to protect his wife during a game between the Knicks and the Bulls.
Jermaine Jackson would be waived two weeks after being acquired by the Bulls. He would later sign with the Bucks for the rest of the 2005-06 season.
Thomas played just three games in Chicago before being sent home by the Bulls after complaining about his role. Thomas suggested that if he didn’t receive proper playing time, he should be traded. Here’s what John Paxson had to say about it (RealGM via Chicago Sun-Times):
“Tim has made some comments about being here, and I have mentioned that he is at a different stage of his professional career than most of our guys. He wants to play, and right now we’re in a position where that’s probably not going to happen here. I don’t want to put Tim and my coach in a position where every day they have to answer the question of when he’s coming off the inactive list and why he’s not playing. We’re going to try to accommodate him, but we’re going to do what we have to do as an organization. We’re not going to do anything that’s going to set us back.”
Thomas would be waived on March 1st. He would sign with the Phoenix Suns two days later and help them in their 2006 playoff run.
Mike Sweetney received solid playing time with the Bulls after being acquired from the Knicks. In two seasons, Sweetney averaged 6.0 PPG, 4.1 RPG, and 0.8 APG while shooting 45% from the field, and 63% from the free-throw line. He started 44 games with the Bulls in his first season, but that was due to the lack of depth up front for Chicago.
Once the Bulls acquired Ben Wallace and P.J. Brown for the 2006-07 season, Sweetney’s role and minutes declined vastly. After '07 Sweetney never played another game in the NBA.
The Knicks sent the Bulls a first-round draft pick in 2006, and their second-round picks in 2007 and 2009. The first-round pick was going to be either the Knicks’ or the San Antonio Spurs’ depending on whichever was higher. The Bulls also had the right to swap first-round picks with the Knicks in 2007.
After the trade, the Knicks finished 23-59 during the 2005-06 season which was great news for the Chicago Bulls. They ended up with the second draft pick in the 2006 draft. John Paxson expressed his pleasure with the pick (via Taipei Times):
“This is kind of like found money.”
The Bulls drafted LaMarcus Aldridge at the second slot in the draft and then traded Aldridge’s rights with a future second rounder to the Portland Trail Blazers for the rights to the fourth overall pick Tyrus Thomas as well as forward Viktor Khryapa.
The Bulls decided to swap picks with the Knicks after they finished with a 49-33 record and the Knicks finished with a 33-49 record that same season.
The 2007 first rounder that the Chicago Bulls acquired from the Knicks in the swap became the ninth pick in the '07 draft. The Bulls used that selection on center Joakim Noah. Noah has played with the Bulls for six seasons and has developed into a high caliber center. His ability as a mobile defender, shot-blocker, passer, and facilitator makes him a unique and very useful center. He recently made his first All-Star team in 2013 and has made two All-Defensive teams in his career. Through his first six seasons, Noah has averaged 9.4 PPG, 9.1 RPG, 2.1 APG, and 1.5 BPG in 396 career games with Chicago.
The 2007 first round draft pick that New York acquired was the 23rd pick. The Knicks used that selection on forward Wilson Chandler from DePaul. He would play with the Knicks for four seasons before being dealt to the Denver Nuggets in the multi-team deal that brought Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks. Chandler left the Knicks with averages of 14.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG, and 1.8 APG in 233 career games with the Knicks.
The Bulls traded the '07 second rounder that they acquired in the trade with Rodney Carney to the Philadelphia 76ers for the rights to Thabo Sefolosha. The pick would be traded by the Sixers to the Jazz and the Jazz would take center Kyrylo Fesenko with the 38th pick.
The Bulls also traded the '09 second rounder that they acquired from the Knicks in a three-team deal to the Portland Trail Blazers. The Blazers would later select Jon Brockman with the 39th pick in the '09 draft.
Eddy Curry on trade and heart (via Washington Post):
“I’m happy to have all that stuff behind me and people can start looking at me as a basketball player and not a patient. I go out there knowing and feeling I’m not at more risk than anybody else. I’m more worried about breaking my finger or something like that. I’m not worried about my heart.
On leaving the Bulls:
It was tough to hear the team that you grew up watching didn’t want you no more. It was a breath of fresh air what the New York Knicks did.”
New York Knicks president of basketball operations Isiah Thomas on looking into the trade (via NY Times):
“We’ve followed this for a while, and the research that we’ve done from afar led us to the point where we thought we could make a trade for him. We’ve talked to all of our doctors, and now the second phase of it is to get our hands on and get an eyeball on him. I feel very confident in our medical staff, that if he passes the physical, we’ll be real lucky to have gotten a guy such as this.
On the unique qualities within Curry’s talent:
They don’t come along that often. Do you gamble on this type of talent in big people? Without question. Every 15 to 20 years, a guy comes along with this size with this type of agility and skill. So when you have a chance to get one of them, you go and get him.”
(via Washington Post):
“This is a very complicated issue that required a lot of sensitivity and care. I’m extremely confident in what we have, and what was done. Eddy is going to be playing in the NBA and living a healthy life for a long time.”
Knicks head coach Larry Brown on Curry (via NY Post):
“Look around the league, everybody talking about young post players, most kids now don’t want to be post players. He is a true, pure, low-post presence."
New York Knicks guard Jamal Crawford on Eddy Curry (via NY Post):
"It’s scary how good he could be. Coach Brown is going to get the best out of him. I didn’t think when I came here he’d be my teammate a year later.”
Knicks guard Allan Houston on Curry:
“He’s an impact player. He’s one of those guys that when you play against him, you say, 'Man, if we had him, it’d be nice.’”
Knicks forward Maurice Taylor:
“It’s definitely a concern, because a guy that talented is having troubles getting a contract from Chicago. When you talk about someone’s heart, it’s definitely a crapshoot, but who are we to say? If he feels fine, if the doctor says he’s fine, that’s the only two people that really has to make the decision, is Eddy and the doctors.”
Chicago Bulls center Tyson Chandler on Curry (via ESPN):
“It’s tough. I’m sad to see him go.”
8/17/2016 1:52 PM LAST EDITED: 8/17/2016 1:55 PM
