By Matt Guokas
NBCSports.com contributor
Updated: 5:41 p.m. ET Feb. 12, 2006


The New York Knicks are clearly one of the NBA’s worst teams this season. The franchise’s poor salary-cap management has left them with few options other than to rebuild around budding star Channing Frye, which could leave little to cheer about in the Big Apple for another three seasons or longer.

In the days leading up to the Feb. 23 trading deadline, the Knicks endured one of the worst stretches in their otherwise proud history. At one point, New York had lost eight consecutive games, and 13 of its last 14. It had similar stretches of futility during the 1963 and 1985 seasons.

Salary-cap strife
While there is much to be said about the Knicks’ play — or lack of it — on the court, the franchise’s biggest struggle on the long road back to respectability is rooted in its Herculean struggles against the league’s salary cap.


The Knicks, at an astounding $125 million, easily have the league’s highest payroll. They are more than $63 million over the $61.7 million luxury tax threshold, which is based on the current salary cap of $49.5 million.

The best way to solve this problem is for the Knicks to rid themselves of players with expensive contracts, and to avoid having to bear the (salary-cap) weight of high-priced veterans.

Still, if you include Penny Hardaway’s $15.75 million salary, the Knicks, despite their poor record, are paying big bucks to the injured Stephon Marbury ($16.45 million), and the recently acquired Jalen Rose ($15.7 million). What’s more, the retired Allan Houston and his bloated $19.125 million salary is still on the books, which is remarkable when you consider that only Shaquille O’Neal is earning more money ($20 million) this season.

Knicks not smelling ‘like a Rose’
That said, the Feb. 3 trade for the 33-year-old veteran Rose made little sense. The former Michigan star, who was acquired by New York for Antonio Davis (whose contract will expire at season’s end), a first-round draft pick and cash, is earning $15.7 million this season and has a whopping $16.9 million option for next season.

And while still a capable offensive player (and is a suitable option to run the team’s offense as Marbury won’t return until after the All-Star break), Rose does not fit on a Larry Brown-coached team because he is a weak defensive player. Remember, the demanding Brown ran Rose of out town when the two worked for the Indiana Pacers.

Penny pinching
Knicks’ president Isiah Thomas has been hard at work trying to improve the team both on the court and from a financial standpoint. Not only is Zeke rushing to trade the expiring (and expensive) contract of aging veteran Hardaway, he also wants to acquire a legitimate backup at point guard (Denver’s Earl Watson surfaces most often in the Big Apple), and to add a player with more scoring and rebounding ability (read: star power) beneath the basket.

N.Y. doesn’t want to get ‘Fryed’
To significantly improve the team on the court, it appears the Knicks must be willing to part with promising (and inexpensive) rookie Channing Frye. Thomas has said more than once that he does not want to deal him.

Thomas, however, has been under pressure from the likes of Brown and others to improve the team talent-wise. And he could essentially be rushed into foolishly trading Frye for a player such as Denver’s injury-prone Kenyon Martin, whose contract calls for him to earn $65 million through the 2009-10 season.

Many success-starved Knicks’ fans might argue for trading Frye in a potential K-Mart deal. Simply put, they should not deal the former Arizona star because he is earning a mere $2.1 million this season. And at 22, the 6-foot-11 forward is averaging 13.5 points and 5.8 rebounds and has more upside than Martin.

Brown wants a pass-first point guard like Watson so Marbury can play shooting guard. But rumors have also floated about the possibility that the team could acquire the Magic’s Steve Francis in a three-way deal that could also involve the Nuggets.


As a broadcaster of the Magic’s games, I can tell you that Orlando, despite its recent suspension of “The Franchise” for conduct detrimental to the team, has no plan in place to deal him. And even if Francis was dealt, he would be a better fit for Denver than for New York.

Francis will earn $13.7 million on an expensive deal that will not expire until after the 2008-09 season. As a player, he is a lot like Marbury in that he is athletic and can create his own shot, but he can spell trouble for an offense because he dominates the basketball while looking for his shot.

Knicks need to stick it out and start over
On the court, the Knicks need to improve in many areas, including passing, defense and rebounding. They would be wise to stay patient and rebuild around Frye and talented rookies Nate Robinson and David Lee. But who knows whether they will do that?


The team, which has failed to make the playoffs in three of the past four seasons, has been beset by a sexual harassment lawsuit against Thomas while many of the current players have publicly admitted to having grown tired of the blunt, hard-driving Brown.

But Brown’s contract is too expensive (worth at least $8 million per year over four seasons) for the Knicks to cut him loose at this point. Perhaps the team might decide to pink slip Thomas if the team’s play doesn’t improve soon.

Will it happen?

Stay tuned.
© 2006 NBC Sports.com

Knicks need to stick it out and start over
On the court, the Knicks need to improve in many areas, including passing, defense and rebounding. They would be wise to stay patient and rebuild around Frye and talented rookies Nate Robinson and David Lee. But who knows whether they will do that?

I agree with this. Enough with the overpaid, underperforming vets already. Even if they're good, they soon start sucking as soon as they get on this team. Time to grow up and go with youth.

I could stand the losses if the team had a brighter future.