Updated: January 18, 2008
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When Knicks owner James Dolan hired Isiah Thomas to run the Knicks, expectations were enormous.
Former GM Scott Layden had been a dud. He had spent tens of millions of dollars on a team filled with role players and has-beens. And the Knicks weren't developing any significant young players despite Layden's reputation for having a great eye for talent.
Even when Layden's prize acquisition during his tenure, Antonio McDyess, was finally healthy, the team still struggled to come together.
When Thomas took over, he promised he'd be everything Layden wasn't. Layden was seen as tentative and risk averse and he seemed to value grit over star quality. Thomas vowed that everything would change. He would be aggressive. He would bring stars to New York. And ultimately, he promised, he would bring home a championship.
Four years into his tenure, the Knicks are now the laughing stock of the league. Over the past five seasons, they've spent more than any team in the NBA ... and have the fewest returns.
On a nightly basis, fans in Madison Square Garden call for Dolan to "Fire Isiah" but the axe has yet to fall.
Despite the jeers and the fact the Knicks have the second-worst record in the East, Thomas has remained defiant. In December, after Forbes claimed that the Knicks were the most valuable franchise in the NBA, he claimed the Knicks were better off than they were four years ago. Just last week, he spoke like someone who had laid the foundation for a championship team, as if the only question left was whether he'd still be around to reap the rewards.
"I've tried to put it in terms and I've told them we're kind of the concrete-layers, we're the cement-layers," Thomas told reporters. "When you move into your house, the guy who poured the concrete never really gets a chance to live in that beautiful house that he built. Our job right now is to make sure that we lay the concrete and that we lay it correctly."
Isiah's rhetoric has always been persuasive. He's been dealt a bad hand. He had to make extreme moves. Every trade he's made, the Knicks have come out ahead on talent. No one, he implies, could've done any more.
But to get a handle on what Isiah's done as a GM, I've evaluated every major move he's made during his tenure, from trades to free-agent signings to draft picks to coaching hires. The record seems to be seriously at odds with Isiah's claims.
Thomas took over as the Knicks' President of Basketball Operations on Dec. 23, 2003. The team had the highest payroll in the league at a whopping $89.1 million dollars and New York wasn't projected to have significant cap room until the summer of 2006.
And the roster Isiah inherited was underwhelming:
C: Dikembe Mutombo, Michael Doleac, Maciej Lampe, Slavko Vranes
PF: McDyess, Kurt Thomas, Clarence Weatherspoon, Othella Harrington, Michael Sweetney
SF: Keith Van Horn, Shandon Anderson
SG: Allan Houston
PG: Charlie Ward, Howard Eisley, Frank Williams
Here now is a chronological look, transaction by transaction, of what he did with the roster:
Dec 30, 2003: Traded Clarence Weatherspoon to Houston for Moochie Norris and John Amaechi
ANALYSIS: Isiah's first move running the Knicks was essentially a lateral one. Actually, it's one of the only deals in his tenure on which the Knicks saved a little bit of money.
Norris didn't have much of an impact on the Knicks once Stephon Marbury joined the team less than a week later, but he did relieve a logjam at power forward. Weatherspoon never amounted to much in Houston. Overall this one was a wash.
GRADE: C
Jan. 5, 2004: Traded Antonio McDyess, Howard Eisley, Charlie Ward and Maciej Lampe, the rights to Milos Vujanic and two first-round picks to Phoenix for Stephon Marbury, Penny Hardaway and Cezary Trybanski.
ANALYSIS: On paper, this trade appeared to be a home run for the Knicks. They gave away some talent in McDyess and the two first-round picks but, just as Isiah promised when he took over the team, he was able to deliver a star -- and a hometown hero at that. The reviews of the trade at the time were overwhelmingly in favor of the Knicks.
Phoenix, however, would get the better end of the deal, and I think then-Suns GM Bryan Colangelo knew it from the get-go. Marbury had already become a problem in Phoenix, just months after signing a huge extension. The feeling in the organization was that he was a cancer and the decision-makers wanted him out.
Although Marbury brought an initial burst of excitement to the Garden, his luster quickly faded. He was a shoot-first point guard who had never led a team past the first round of the playoffs. Marbury was undoubtedly talented, but his lack of leadership came to epitomize a rudderless team. And after defending Marbury for years in New York, Thomas ultimately had a falling out with him and would trade him if the Knicks could find any takers.
Hardaway was already on the downward arc of his career, but the bottom fell out in New York. Injuries were mostly to blame, though his style of play never fit with Marbury to begin with.
Financially, this was one of the most lopsided trades in NBA history. The Knicks sent out roughly $40 million in guaranteed salaries and took back a whopping $149 million in combined salaries due to Marbury and Hardaway. This move essentially sealed the Knicks' long-term salary cap fate. Now the Knicks weren't due for salary cap relief until the summer of 2007 when only Marbury's contract would still be on the books.
As for the Suns, they used the deal to get under the salary cap and signed Steve Nash as a free agent that summer. They've been rolling ever since.
GRADE: C-minus
Jan. 14, 2004: Fired head coach Don Chaney and signed Lenny Wilkens
ANALYSIS: Wilkens was supposed to be the second "big name" to come to the Knicks after Marbury. He symbolized a winning tradition and an old-school approach to the game, which Isiah loved. Wilkens was a mentor to Isiah; he was supposed to provide the stability and experience that Isiah lacked. But the absence of chemistry on the court with the team and off the court with Isiah proved impossible to manage, and Wilkens resigned a year later. Wilkens wasn't a total disaster as the Knicks' head coach. In fact, as far as records go (40-41), his is the best in the Isiah era. However, the settlement with Wilkens cost the Knicks millions.
GRADE: C
Feb. 16, 2004: Traded Keith Van Horn to Milwaukee and Michael Doleac and a 2005 second-round pick to the Hawks for Tim Thomas and Nazr Mohammed
ANALYSIS: Isiah immediately targeted Van Horn as someone who wasn't his type of player. Van Horn lacked the grit and toughness that Isiah wanted on his team.
For the most part the trade was a wash -- though like the Marbury trade, it generally played to positive reviews at the time. While Thomas was far from a tough guy, he was athletic and versatile, and the Knicks were trying to change their style of play into a more entertaining up-tempo style.
Like the Marbury deal, this trade was much better for Milwaukee and Atlanta financially than it was for the Knicks. The Knicks sent out $30 million in guaranteed contracts and took back $54 million in return.
GRADE: C
March 10, 2004: Signed Kurt Thomas to a 4-year, $30-million extension
ANALYSIS: Thomas was a tough defender and somewhat of a fan favorite in New York, but the extension didn't make a lot of sense. The Knicks had just spent a lot of money on Tim Thomas and Mohammed and they still had Harrington and Sweetney who played the same position.
The contract itself wasn't outrageous, but it cost the Knicks cap flexibility down the road. People accused Layden of overspending when it came to the cap, but he had nothing on Isiah. By the end of the first season of Thomas' tenure he had added nearly $160 million to the Knicks' long-term payroll.
Isiah was quickly painting himself into a corner. If the core of Marbury, Hardaway, Houston, Mohammed and the two Thomases could be a championship contender, there would be no worries. But if they fell short (and they fell short by a mile), he'd have little flexibility to make course corrections down the road.
In fact, while the Knicks would make several more major transactions over the years, Isiah was never able to be as active as he was in his first three months on the job.
GRADE: B-minus
March 13, 2004: Signed forward Vin Baker
ANALYSIS: Baker was another attempt to add a veteran with a history to the team. There was a time when Baker was an All-Star, but his alcoholism eventually cost him a guaranteed contract with the Celtics. The Knicks were supposed to be his comeback. He signed for the rest of the season and played well enough that the team re-signed him to a two-year, $7.35-million deal. Baker's play fell off dramatically after those first few months and he never made a significant contribution to the team.
GRADE: D
2004 NBA draft: Drafted Trevor Ariza with the 43rd pick
ANALYSIS: Analyzing this draft requires looking at two separate things. For starters, the Knicks had to send Phoenix their first-round pick (No. 16) as part of the Marbury trade. The Suns then sent it to the Jazz, who drafted a dud in Kirk Snyder. However, there were some prospects available at No. 16 who could've helped the Knicks greatly if they'd kept the pick -- primarily Josh Smith and Kevin Martin. So, in addition to taking back more that $149 million in long-term salaries as part of the Marbury deal, they also lost a chance to add a talented, young player to begin rebuilding with.
The second round went much better for the Knicks. Ariza now looks like he was the best player on the board at that point. Too bad he wears a Lakers uniform today.
GRADE: A-minus (for drafting Ariza)
Aug. 6, 2004: Completed a sign-and-trade with the Bulls that sent Dikembe Mutombo, Othella Harrington, Frank Williams and Cezary Trybanski to Chicago for Jamal Crawford and Jerome Williams
ANALYSIS: After Marbury, Crawford could be considered Isiah's other signature acquisition (Crawford got a 7-year, $56 million deal from the Knicks). Thomas raved about Crawford's versatility, youth and ability to score. The Bulls, however, didn't seem all that impressed and basically gave him away for long-term salary cap relief.
No one was sure how Crawford would fit in with Marbury, Houston and Hardaway. It appeared that Isiah was building a team of shooting guards. And Wilkens could never figure out how to make them all happy, which would be part of his downfall.
In a way, this wasn't a bad deal for the Knicks. Crawford has been the steadiest player Isiah has acquired. Although he's overpaid and more of a gunner than anything else, at least he has competed night in and night out despite pretty miserable conditions.
Of the four main guards Isiah had on his team, Crawford has had the most success in a Knicks uniform.
Jerome Williams had energy and fire, but eventually would be waived by the club.
Financially, this was another major blow to the Knicks' cap, though. The team sent out $10 million in expiring contracts and took back $76 million in long-term deals. This move combined with the contract extension to Kurt Thomas, meant the Knicks wouldn't get significant cap room until the summer 2008.
It also meant that only three players (Houston, Anderson and Sweetney) were left from the team Thomas inherited nine months previously.
GRADE: B-minus
Sept. 9, 2004: Signed free agent Bruno Sundov
ANALYSIS: What can we say? Sundov was a dud.
GRADE: F
Nov. 11, 2004: Waived Shandon Anderson
ANALYSIS: Anderson was sick of playing for a dysfunctional team and didn't like his diminishing role on it. Isiah shopped Anderson around the league a little bit, but he wasn't going to find any takers for his contract. Anderson had three years, $23.7 million left on his deal, and the Knicks ate almost all of it.
GRADE: D
Jan. 22, 2005: Lenny Wilkens resigned. Herb Williams promoted to head coach.
ANALYSIS: Williams was a dead man walking, and the Knicks played that way. He would be ousted in a few months in favor of Larry Brown.
GRADE: C
Feb. 25, 2005: Traded Moochie Norris, Vin Baker and a 2006 second-round pick to Houston for Maurice Taylor.
ANALYSIS: By now Isiah was falling into a familiar pattern. He'd send out expiring contracts and youth for the contracts of overpaid veterans. The Knicks were weak up front, so Isiah thought the team could use Taylor's scoring in the front court. But it was another bad fit. There just weren't enough basketballs to go around and Taylor didn't really have any other skills -- on the boards or defensively -- to help out the team. A year later the team would waive him.
Financially, it was the same old story. Both Norris and Baker had one year remaining on their respective contracts. The total was $8.8 million. Taylor had two years and $18.5 million left on his contract so the Knicks took back an extra $10 million.
GRADE: C-minus
Feb. 25, 2005: Traded Nazr Mohammed and Jamison Brewer to San Antonio for Malik Rose and conditional picks in 2005 and 2006. The picks were the Suns' 2005 first-round pick and the Spurs' 2006 first-round pick.
ANALYSIS: This was the second trade-deadline deal for the Knicks on the same night. And it was one of the most mind-boggling deals of Isiah's tenure. Mohammed was the only true center on the team and he was having a decent year. In return, Isiah got back his second overpaid, undersized power forward of the night.
Rose has never been a significant contributor on the Knicks and, as we write this, is still looking for a way out of New York. Mohammed ended up playing a pivotal role in the Spurs' 2005 championship run.
Financially, this was another lopsided trade against the Knicks. Mohammed had one-year and $5.5 million left on his contract. Rose had four years, $27 million left on his. These two moves at the trade deadline inspired the NY Post to run the headline "Dunce Cap" the next day. With these two moves, Isiah guaranteed that the Knicks wouldn't have significant cap flexibility until the summer of 2009.
The silver lining of this trade? That 2005 Suns pick they got from the Spurs turned into David Lee. It's the only thing that keeps this grade from being an F.
GRADE: C
Feb. 28, 2005: Signed free agent center Jackie Butler
ANALYSIS: Butler showed some promise as a big guy who might turn into something someday. However, after some promising performances at the start of his career, he's never taken the next big step.
GRADE: C
2005 draft: Drafted Channing Frye with the 8th pick and David Lee with the 30th pick in the draft.
ANALYSIS: Lee was an A-plus with the 30th pick in the draft. I think, hands down, he was the best move Isiah's made in his tenure with the Knicks.
Frye was excellent as a rookie but has since dropped off. In retrospect, Andrew Bynum and Danny Granger both would've been better fits for the Knicks. Within two seasons, Frye would be wearing a Blazers jersey.
GRADE: B
June 29, 2005: Traded forward Kurt Thomas and the draft rights to Dijon Thompson to the Suns for Quentin Richardson and the draft rights to Nate Robinson
ANALYSIS: Since acquiring Rose and Taylor at the trade deadline, the Knicks had a glut of undersized power forwards and Thomas was the only one with any real trade value. He also happened to be the most talented of the group.
The Knicks got a mixed bag in return. Richardson was a young, good shooter -- something the Knicks needed badly since Allan Houston looked like he was done. But Richardson had major back issues and the Suns weren't convinced he could be healthy enough to justify his contract. They were right. Richardson has shot 34 percent from 3 the past few years and has been constantly shuttled in and out of the rotation -- when he's been healthy.
Kurt Thomas went on to give the Suns a much needed defensive enforcer in the middle.
The upside is that the Knicks did come away with Robinson, a spunky, energetic scoring guard who's shown some promise in New York. Robinson, however, didn't fill a need at the time. The Knicks' backcourt was already loaded with gunners. What they needed was a player who could be a point guard and a floor leader.
Financially, Kurt Thomas had four years, $30 million left on his deal. Richardson had five years, $39 million left on his. The money wasn't far apart, but the length of Richardson's contract -- combined with the fact that it's uninsured -- meant the Knicks were moving further and further away from cap flexibility.
GRADE: C-plus
July 29, 2005: Named Larry Brown head coach.
ANALYSIS: After Isiah collected all of this hand-picked talent, he turned to the master, Larry Brown, to mold it into a team. Brown had just had a highly successful two-year stint with the Pistons and had won his first championship by getting his team to "play the right way." Isiah knew he had a nightmare as far as team chemistry, so he hired Brown -- giving the coach a lucrative five-year, $50-million deal -- to get the most out of all the talent he assembled.
However, it was a disaster from Day 1. Brown was still recovering from offseason surgery and didn't seem to have the same vitality for the job. He hated most of the roster and, instead of trying to get the team to play together, he tried to prove to Isiah that the team needed massive changes.
Throughout the season, Brown pushed for trades (something he did at every stop). Isiah, on the other hand, pushed him to make do with what he had. The result was a bizarre number of starting lineups, team-wide discontent and a falling out between Brown and Isiah.
One year later, Brown was out in New York. After Brown was fired, the two sides went to arbitration over the $40 million the Knicks still owed Brown. Later, with some strong arming from David Stern, the Knicks settled with Brown for $18.5 million.
GRADE: F
Aug. 3, 2005: Signed free agent Jerome James to a 5-year, $29 million deal
ANALYSIS: The James signing was the biggest dud of Isiah's tenure. James had been, for the most part, a do-nothing in Seattle. But several big games in the playoffs, convinced Isiah to offer him the full midlevel exception. This came after Isiah was unsuccessful in his attempt to pull off a sign-and-trade for Erick Dampier (be thankful, Knicks fans, that Isiah couldn't find a way to pay Dampier $70 million).
James reported to camp out of shape and has never played a significant role on the team.
GRADE: F
Aug. 16, 2005: Waived Jerome Williams and designated him their amnesty player
ANALYSIS: In the new collective bargaining agreement, each team was allowed to waive one player and have the remainder of his contract not count against the luxury tax. The rule was nicknamed the "Allan Houston rule" because everyone in the league was sure that the Knicks would waive Houston because of his high salary and multiple injuries. The Knicks shocked everyone by choosing Williams instead, though it turned out to be the right move for the Knicks; Houston would retire a few months later.
GRADE: B
Oct. 4, 2005: Traded Tim Thomas, Michael Sweetney, their 2006 first-round pick and the right to swap picks in 2007 to the Bulls for Antonio Davis and Eddy Curry in a sign-and-trade (Curry signed for a 6 years, $56 million)
ANALYSIS: The Curry deal has been the most controversial and devastating of Isiah's tenure. On paper, it appeared the Knicks were getting a young center with a knack for scoring in the paint. In return they were giving up draft picks and expiring salaries.
The move seemed risky at the time because Curry had a heart condition and there was uncertainty about whether it would allow him to continue playing basketball. But on the merits, it seemed like a good deal for the Knicks. They finally got a big-time center and, with Larry Brown at the helm, they looked like a potential playoff contender.
More than two years later, it looks like the Curry trade was the final nail in the coffin for the Knicks. It turns out that Curry did have a heart problem, just not the one the doctors were worried about. His inability to play defense, grab a rebound, block a shot or give a consistent effort on the defensive end frustrated Brown, and then Isiah, to no end. By the end of 2007, Isiah was experimenting with Curry coming off the bench.
The Knicks lost two key draft picks in the process. They would've had the No. 2 pick in the 2006 draft and their choice of Brandon Roy, Rudy Gay or LaMarcus Aldridge. And they were forced to swap picks with the Bulls in 2007 and lost out at a chance to land Joakim Noah or a strong prospect like Rodney Stuckey.
Financially, the Knicks sent out $25 million to the Bulls and took back $69 million in salaries. The move meant the Knicks were unlikely to have cap room until the summer of 2010.
This was their team for better or, as it's turned out, for worse:
C: Eddy Curry, Antonio Davis, Jerome James, Jackie Butler
PF: Maurice Taylor, Malik Rose, Channing Frye, David Lee
SF: Quentin Richardson, Trevor Ariza
SG: Jamal Crawford, Penny Hardaway
PG: Stephon Marbury, Nate Robinson
GRADE: C-minus
Feb. 3, 2006: Traded Antonio Davis to the Raptors for Jalen Rose and the Nuggets' 2006 first-round pick
ANALYSIS: The Knicks were front-court heavy and Davis was unhappy in New York. The team also was unhappy with Richardson and thought adding another swingman to the mix would help with the team's ability to score. Rose, too, was unhappy in Toronto and the Raptors were looking for cap relief.
It was another disaster for the Knicks both on the court and in the books. The Knicks sent out $13 million in expiring contracts and took back $32 million in Rose's salary.
GRADE: F
Feb. 23, 2006: Traded Trevor Ariza and Penny Hardaway to the Magic for Steve Francis
ANALYSIS: Larry Brown was still pushing for wholesale changes and perhaps a lot of the blame for this one should lie at Brown's feet. He seemed to think that adding yet another scoring guard to the backcourt would turn his team's fortunes around. It ended up as a disaster.
No one other than Brown and Isiah thought Francis and Marbury could coexist in the backcourt. Within a few weeks, Brown was unhappy with Francis and you could hear Isiah beating his head on a table. The Knicks gave away cap flexibility and one of Isiah's favorite young players in Ariza.
The move was a godsend for Orlando. The Magic desperately wanted to get the surly Francis out of Orlando and couldn't have gotten a better deal. All the room that deal created for Orlando eventually went to Rashard Lewis this past summer.
Financially, it was another disaster for the Knicks. They sent two expiring contracts to Orlando and took back the last three years and $49 million of Francis' contract.
The only saving grace for New York was that Francis became a key part of the Zach Randolph deal the following summer.
GRADE: D
June 23, 2006: Fired Larry Brown. Isiah named himself coach.
ANALYSIS: You can't blame Isiah for firing Brown (23-59). He spent more time complaining than coaching and seemed to be holding back the Knicks' only few bright spots -- Frye, Lee and Robinson.
Isiah had success as the coach of the Pacers, but I don't think that's why he got the job. I think Dolan told him, if we're going to pay Brown all of this money not to coach, you do it. Isiah had made his bed, now he had to lie in it.
Although I actually think Isiah has talent as a coach, there were two reasons he was in big trouble. First, he believed he had more talent on the team than he actually had. He had, to a certain extent, drunk his own Kool-Aid and couldn't see the problems that were about to come.
Second, he's such an intense competitor that, at times, it seemed like he was competing against his own team -- not working with it. He's had several highly public standoffs with players. Puffing out your chest, as a coaching strategy, never really seems to work.
Within the past few weeks Isiah had been hinting that he might step down as coach to concentrate on running the front office. To that, I'd have to scream, "NOOOOOOO."
The one upside to his stint as coach is that he's been much less active in the front office. At this point, that's a good thing.
GRADE: C-minus
2006 NBA draft: Drafted Renaldo Balkman with the No. 20 pick and Mardy Collins (from San Antonio) with the No. 29 pick
ANALYSIS: The Knicks should have had the No. 2 pick in the draft and a chance to land a future All-Star like Brandon Roy, Rudy Gay or LaMarcus Aldridge. That was a heavy price to pay for Curry.
At No. 20, most felt they really reached for Balkman. Balkman has great energy and was surprisingly effective his rookie year. But he's leveled off this season and there were better players available like Rajon Rondo, Kyle Lowry, Jordan Farmar and Sergio Rodriguez.
At No. 29, Collins has been mostly a bust. The Knicks missed on better prospects like Paul Millsap, Daniel Gibson and Craig Smith.
GRADE: C
Aug. 1, 2006: Signed free agent Jared Jeffries to a 5-year, $30 million offer sheet. On Aug. 9, the Wizards declined to match and the Knicks got him.
ANALYSIS: The Wizards needed a small forward and declined to match. That should've told him something. Jeffries duplicated much of what Balkman was supposed to give Isiah and by midseason Balkman was playing better than Jeffries.
You wonder if Isiah's bizarre loyalties clouded his judgment here -- with Jeffries being an Indiana kid. It's just hard to come up with another explanation.
GRADE: D-plus
Sept. 30, 2006: Waived Maurice Taylor
ANALYSIS: This was the first sign that Isiah was seriously in trouble. In the past, the Knicks had been able to parlay expiring contracts into players at the trade deadline. Now, Dolan wasn't going to spend any more money. Taylor had no role on the team so they just waived him. It likely cost the Knicks the ability to make a trade deadline deal though. However, given the team's track record in that department, maybe it wasn't such a bad thing after all.
GRADE: F
Oct. 30, 2006: Waived Jalen Rose
ANALYSIS: The same analysis could be made for Rose. He was potentially a valuable asset because of his expiring contract, but once he was waived, the Knicks essentially just paid him $15 million not to be on the team. Considering they traded an expiring contract for him six months earlier, it could be the most colossal waste of money in NBA history. Rose cost the Knicks roughly $30 million (once you add in the luxury tax) for three months of play. That's $10 million a month.
GRADE: F-minus
March 23, 2007: Signed free agent Randolph Morris
ANALYSIS: Morris went undrafted in the 2006 draft and was therefore a free agent who could be signed by any team. He ended up going back to Kentucky, but left after the college season to play for the Knicks. Many teams were trying to land Morris, but so far it looks like he's a dud.
GRADE: C-minus
June 29, 2007: Traded Steve Francis, Channing Frye and their 2008 second-round pick to the Blazers for Zach Randolph, Dan Dickau, Fred Jones and the rights to Demetris Nichols
ANALYSIS: Isiah has to be grateful that Paul Allen owns a team. He was the only owner in the league who would've sent one of his most talented (but troubled) players to New York and then take back Francis' contract only to waive him.
The Knicks clearly won in the talent department; Francis was done, Frye had regressed from his rookie to his sophomore year and Randolph was one of the most talented young big men in the league.
However, it was also clear from the get-go that Randolph was a terrible fit next to Curry up front, and his presence would also stunt the growth of Lee, the Knicks' most promising young player.
So far, Randolph's and Curry's numbers have both been down and the chemistry has been awful. But you can't write this trade off just yet. The Knicks may get more for the dollar on Randolph than the Blazers did in a trade, or they may find a taker for Curry. Either way, it's too early to call this deal until we see the Knicks' next move.
Financially, it's the same story. The Knicks sent out $39 million in contracts and took back $67 million. Now they don't have cap room until the summer of 2011.
GRADE: INCOMPLETE
2007 NBA Draft: Drafted Wilson Chandler with the No. 23 pick.
ANALYSIS: Despite a terrible season, the Knicks had to swap this pick with the Bulls, who drafted Joakim Noah with the No. 9 pick.
Chandler seemed like an odd pick because he duplicates Balkman and has virtually no chance of finding playing time. But it's too early to call him a bust and no one drafted after him has really shined yet.
GRADE: INCOMPLETE
CONCLUSIONS
There's no perfect way to grade a GM, but we can largely put their job into five areas: trades, free agents, draft, coaches and overall management of the franchise. So, given the exhaustive list above, how does Isiah rate?
TRADES: Say this for Isiah, he isn't afraid to pull the trigger. The Knicks have been very active on the trade market since he took over.
Although Isiah may be able to argue that on every trade he made he walked away with the most talent, it's difficult to point to any one trade that has made the Knicks a better team. The Randolph trade may still turn in his favor, but it's too early to tell.
Building a basketball team is about more than acquiring individual talents. It's not fantasy basketball. Isiah's inability to find players who complement one another and the lopsided nature of each trade from a financial perspective destroy his grade in this area.
GRADE: C-minus
FREE-AGENT SIGNINGS: Isiah has a smaller sample size here; he never had more than the midlevel exception to work with. In his first few years, that was Layden's fault. After that he had no one to blame but himself.
Of his signings, almost all were disasters. The only one with any real redeeming qualities was the Crawford sign-and-trade. The cost to the Knicks was high, but Crawford has been an important player for them.
It's too bad, too, because free agents want to play in New York. The fact that he was never able to really position the team in a way that allowed him to go after a major free agent was one of the biggest failures of his presidency.
GRADE: D-plus
DRAFT: Isiah has a rep for having a keen eye for talent and most of the players he's drafted have turned into legit NBA players. David Lee has been the best of the bunch during his Knicks tenure. Trevor Ariza has talent. So do Channing Frye and Nate Robinson, though their upsides are still unclear. And the jury's still out on Renaldo Balkman and Wilson Chandler.
But here are two other factors to consider. Isiah rarely got it right when he drafted. With the exception of Lee and possibly Chandler (it's too early to tell) there were always better players on the board when he drafted. How would Andrew Bynum or Rajon Rondo or Paul Millsap look in a Knicks uniform?
The other factor is that during his Knicks tenure, the Knicks have had a shockingly low number of picks for a team that has been so bad. Isiah has been cavalier about trading away both first- and second-round picks for veterans, which has stifled the Knicks' ability to rebuild.
Had the team not signed any of the free agents or made any of the trades that they did, you could argue that the team would be much better off today ... just on the draft picks alone.
GRADE: C-minus
COACHES: Isiah had two expensive disasters for coaches -- Lenny Wilkens and Larry Brown. They both did nothing to help the franchise and cost the Knicks tens of millions of dollars after they were fired. Isiah's currently working on the third disaster -- himself.
The Knicks' best coach has been Herb Williams -- the guy who always seems to finish in second place within the organization.
GRADE: F
OVERALL MANAGEMENT: A GM does more than just add and subtract talent and hire and fire coaches. He leads in other important areas.
1. He has a long-range vision for the franchise. Isiah's initial vision -- that you can't rebuild in New York and must add more and more overpaid assets -- was a huge mistake. Furthermore, he kept compounding his mistakes when the returns didn't go his way. The more the Knicks stumbled, the more Isiah pushed his initial vision. It wasn't until he took over as coach that he announced the team would rebuild. By then it was too late.
2. He has to manage the cap. I know fans think it's boring, but savvy cap management puts a team in position to make good deals when they come up. Bad cap management forces teams to make bad deals at just about every juncture. No team since the cap was introduced has been more mismanaged financially than the Knicks. It's just absolutely staggering how much of a deficit the Knicks have created trying to build their team.
3. He sets the tone for the franchise from a professionalism standpoint. Basketball teams are businesses and they require leaders who know how to run an organization. The Knicks have been in chaos for years. From the sexual harassment suits, to an ongoing war with media members who cover the team, to embarrassing player antics that go unpunished, the Knicks, organizationally, are light-years behind most of the teams in the NBA. Some of the problem comes with losing, but most comes from a lack of leadership.
GRADE: F
PART II
The Isiah Thomas era in New York has been dying a slow death for the past two seasons. A three-game win streak not withstanding, owner James Dolan has had all the ammunition he needs to kick Isiah to the curb for more than a year now. (Here's a transaction-by-transaction case for why the Knicks' president of basketball operations needs to go.)
At this point, it seems to be a matter of "when", not "if", Isiah will get fired.
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Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images
Isiah's deal for Zach Randolph has backfired in New York so far.
And at some juncture, whether Isiah loses his job now or at the end of the season, someone is going to have to come in, sift through the rubble and try to salvage a basketball team out of the Knicks.
Dubbed "Mission Impossible" by several prominent GMs, the once-coveted Knicks job is now considered a quagmire of salary-cap hell mingled with combustible chemistry.
Big name executives with stellar reputations -- like Jerry West, Jerry and Bryan Colangelo and Donnie Walsh -- have been mentioned as possible candidates for the job. But this mission, should any executive choose to accept it, would be the most challenging of their career.
For more than a year I've been talking with GMs about what they would do to fix the Knicks. The answer, invariably, has been a chuckle followed with a rejoinder: What would you do?
It's easy to criticize Isiah Thomas for the moves he has made. Suggesting a course correction is more difficult … but I'm up for the challenge.
The Knicks' situation is salvageable. Bring in the right people at the top, change the culture, hire a great head coach, manage the cap carefully, develop the young guys and the Knicks might actually look like a basketball team in a few years.
I think the model to follow is the Blazers. Four years ago they were the "Jail Blazers" -- a team filled with talented players, zero chemistry and plenty of problems. Now? They are the hottest team in basketball, with a young core fans can stand behind.
Mr. Dolan, I hope you're taking notes.
Step One: Buy out Stephon Marbury
When Isiah acquired Marbury three years ago, just about everyone thought it was a slam dunk of a deal. The Knicks gave up a few expiring contracts and draft picks and in turn landed a young point guard who could re-energize the Garden.
Only Marbury hasn't been nearly as good as Isiah (or Stephon, for that matter) thought he'd be, and the Knicks haven't been able to put together a winning season in New York.
Marbury has one more year and nearly $20 million left on his contract after this season. The Knicks have tried to trade him or the past 2½ years, but no one's biting. He hasn't had a good season in several years, he's been at odds with his past two coaches and he's been missing in action since his father died.
At this point, no one is trading for him. So the Knicks should fire him. Yes, it would cost them a fortune, but it would be worth every penny.
Some will argue that he'll be a valuable trading chip next summer because of his expiring contract. But using expiring contracts to collect talent hasn't worked out well for the Knicks. With this strategy, they have gotten back overpaid, third-tier type players in return; generally teams that want cap room won't give up great talent to get it.
Although Marbury could bring the Knicks something in return, it most likely won't be as valuable as getting back some cap flexibility down the road.
And whether Marbury goes on to resurrect his career elsewhere is not an issue. It's not happening in New York. The quicker the Knicks get him out, the quicker the team can begin to move away from the Isiah era. Making a bold move like dumping him sends a message to the team's next coach: The front office is serious about creating a different atmosphere in New York.
Step Two: Trade Eddy Curry or Zach Randolph
If the Marbury deal was the one that started the Knicks' descent into hell, it was the Curry trade that sealed the door. The Knicks gave up two lottery picks and paid a boatload of cash for Curry, a talented low-post scorer who does little else on the court. And, so far, he's been unable to coexist with Randolph.
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AP Photo/Seth Wenig
As disappointing as Eddy Curry has been, he might have trade value.
Although it may be Randolph who is begging for a trade, I think Curry may be easier to pawn off. Randolph is the more talented of the two, but he also has more off-the-court baggage. Curry's deal is also for far less money, and the fact that he's a center may make him attractive to a team with a huge hole in the middle.
Although it may seem crazy to give away a guy the Knicks spent so much money on, cost is irrelevant at this point. He's a bad fit and the Knicks need flexibility and chemistry.
What type of deal might make sense for the Knicks?
First I'd hit up the Hawks, who are making a push for the playoffs. Although Al Horford has been great for them in the middle, he's much more suited for the power forward position. A deal that sends Zaza Pachulia and Tyronn Lue to the Knicks for Curry (or if the Hawks won't part with Pachulia, then Lorenzen Wright) would give the Knicks cap relief.
Another team that might be willing to take Curry is the Magic. They have Dwight Howard dominating in the middle, but he and Curry could play together in the front court. Two expiring contracts (take your pick of Carlos Arroyo, Keyon Dooling, Keith Bogans and Pat Garrity) along with J.J. Redick might be enough for the Knicks.
They may also try to entice the Wizards with a deal of Curry and Malik Rose for Antawn Jamison, whose contract comes off the books at the end of the season.
If the Knicks can't trade Curry, they can keep trying to find a home for Randolph. There's been talk in the media about Randolph being sent to the Bucks. However, if you look at the long-term salary cap implications of the rumored deal, it doesn't make sense for the Knicks -- even if Charlie Villanueva is in the deal.
The Lakers could also put together a deal that included Kwame Brown's expiring contract and one or two of their young players like Jordan Farmar, Javaris Crittenton and/or Trevor Ariza.
Or the Knicks could try to get Jamison for Randolph if the Wizards won't bite on Curry.
They also could try a swap with the Cavs to get Drew Gooden and expiring contracts in return.
Still, getting rid of Curry or Randolph is only half the battle. For the Knicks to have real cap flexibility in the next few years, they need to find a way to get one more guy off their roster. Whether that's Jared Jeffries, Jamal Crawford or whoever's left between Curry and Randolph, they'll have to find a way to get a player whose contract expires in the summer of 2010.
Step Three: Start to dig the Knicks out of salary-cap hell
The Knicks' payroll issues are bleak. The team has committed to a whopping $95.2 million in payroll this season. Add in the roughly $27 million they'll owe the league in luxury=tax penalties and it gets even uglier.
Things don't get much better next season -- they only drop one contract, Fred Jones', from the books. As it stands now, the Knicks' payroll goes down to $89.8 million in 2008-09.
The watershed year is the summer of 2009. Marbury, Rose and Mardy Collins all come off the books and the Knicks' payroll plummets to $62 million. That's not enough to sign free agents, but for the first time in a long time the Knicks will have breathing room from the luxury tax.
Of course, had they not pulled the trigger on the Randolph deal this past summer, they could've been $10-$15 million under the cap in 2009.
If the Knicks are patient for one more year after that, Quentin Richardson and Jerome James can come off the books, too. However, by then they'll have to decide how much to pay David Lee and Nate Robinson.
So, in the summer of 2010 -- the same summer that LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh become unrestricted free agents -- the Knicks could conceivably have cap room, especially if they move Curry or Randolph for cap space down the road.
Patience is a virtue here. If Isiah had bit the bullet and whittled away the Knicks' salary cap when he got to New York, he would have had serious cap room this past summer.
Instead, the Knicks are in worse shape than when he arrived. The next guy can't make the same mistake.
Cap room doesn't win championships, but it gives teams the flexibility to make things happen. Right now the Knicks have zero flexibility, essentially neutralizing anything intelligent that a GM can do.
If the Knicks can find a way to get rid of some combination of Curry or Randolph plus either Jeffries or Crawford for a contract that expires after the 2009-10 season, they could be major players on the free-agent market in 2010.
Step Four: Start collecting lottery balls
With the exception of Lee and Robinson, the Knicks have done a poor job of cultivating their young talent. That has to change.
If the Knicks start rebuilding, it should produce high lottery picks the next few years. If they can get a high pick this season and use it to draft a franchise player like Memphis' Derrick Rose, the Knicks suddenly would have some talent to build around.
Two draft picks combined with Lee and Robinson could form a nice core. And it needs to happen now -- Utah owns the Knicks' 2010 pick, which is unprotected. So they need to score big in the next two drafts.
