Ken Berger writes that the Knicks could have a tough time selling big-name free agents on playing in New York:
Word circulating over the weekend was that Knicks president Donnie Walsh and Mike D’Antoni faced a “very tough sell” to the top free agents, according to one rival executive monitoring the free-agent buzz. The reason, according to an agent involved in the process: “They’re going to have a lot of convincing to do for guys. There’s not a lot of pieces there to make it attractive.” According to other sources, it’s even worse than that for the Knicks. A representative for one prominent free agent, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the negotiating period hasn’t begun, said the Knicks may have as hard a time – or even harder – persuading second-tier free agents to go to New York. “If you come in there, expectations are so high you almost can’t – unless it’s LeBron, anybody else will have a really hard time living up to it,” the agent said. “What if the team makes playoffs and loses in first round? Is that a success? Probably not. You’re starting off negative. That’s the way you want to start off? Everybody should be happy about getting two All-Stars, but they’re not the ones you thought you were getting or were sold on getting.”
As the year has worn on, the luster has slowly but surely worn off the Knicks as a free agent destination. This is largely due to a couple of factors: 1) the salary cap estimate came in higher than expected, creating more cap space around the league, and 2) teams with better pieces — Chicago, New Jersey, Miami — have made moves that have created enough space for two max (or near-max) free agents. Part of the attraction of the Knicks in the middle of last season was that they were the only team with enough cap space to sign two max free agents outright. This is no longer the case.
I still think that the Knicks are an interesting free agency destination for LeBron if he wants to be the hero. If he goes to Chicago, he’ll be playing in Michael Jordan’s shadow. If he goes to Miami, he’ll be joining Dwyane Wade’s team. If he goes to the Clippers, Los Angeles will still be Kobe’s city.
If he wants to (figuratively) own a franchise, he should stay in Cleveland or head East to New York (or New Jersey/Brooklyn). If he were to bring a championship to the Knicks, he’d create a massive legacy in New York. If he brings a championship to the Bulls, people will say, “Good job, now get us five more.”
The biggest problem with the Knicks is the pieces that are already in place. Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari are nice prospects, but they pale in comparison to the Bulls (Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah), the Heat (Dwyane Wade, Michael Beasley) or the Nets (Brook Lopez, Devin Harris).
If LeBron’s #1 priority is to win championships, he should hook up with Chris Bosh in Chicago or Wade and Bosh in Miami. If his ego requires that he also be viewed as a franchise savior, then he will sign with the Knicks, Nets or Clippers, or re-sign with the Cavs.
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