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The roughest part is that it’s still a little too easy to see why the Knicks traded Patrick Ewing on this date, 20 years ago.
He asked for a deal, and it was never sensible to say “no” to what a client of David Falk requests, especially if you’re in the year 2000.
Also, that’s about the only reason.
Dealing Ewing for various Suns, Lakers and SuperSonic rejects (Glen Rice, Luc Longley, Travis Knight, plus two first-round picks) crippled New York’s salary cap for years to stretch. The best they’d top out with Rice (a dozen points per game, 75 games, 25 starts in 2000-01) was a 48-win season and embarrassing 2001 first round exit.
Ewing wasn’t a success in Seattle but his large contract ($18 million in 2000-01) ran out in the summer of 2001. Knight and Longley’s contracts expired in 2004, though they’d be waived years before their salaries left the cap.
The 33-year old Rice signed to a four-year, $36 million contract with New York as part of the package, he’d only last a season in New York before general manager Scott Layden shipped him out for (the lengthy contracts of) Shandon Anderson and Howard Eisley, two former Layden draftees.
The best player sent to New York in the transaction, future Heat rebounding ace Vladimir Stepania, was waived before he could join the club.
Layden and president Dave Checketts also traded the 2001 and 2002 first-round picks (Tony Parker and Tayshaun Prince woulda been available) out partway through 2000-01 in exchange for Falk client Othella Harrington, and 36-year old Mark Jackson.
Checketts resigned after the 2000-01 season.
NEW YORK DIDN’T RESPECT EWING ENOUGH
Ewing’s finger-roll miss knocked New York out of the playoffs in 1995, and while the Knicks gave Chicago a scare in 1996, 1997’s demolished wrist took quite a bit out of Patrick.
Fan frustration grew, as typified by this 1998 documentary:
By 1999, Patrick Ewing wasn’t in the way of Marcus Camby, Camby was just as ill-suited to play 40 minutes per contest as the aging Ewing.
New York hadn’t been sated in its thirst for new blood by 1998’s Camby acquisition, or the 1999 deal that netted Latrell Sprewell. When Seattle reportedly offered Vin Baker outta the gate, the fervor (in a year that saw the Mets and Yankees make the World Series) to deal Ew grew louder.
THE KNICKS WERE STILL A BIG DEAL
New York hadn’t been mistreated by two decades of James Dolan at this point, and the NBA’s world was certainly a lot smaller then.
Knick legend carried a disproportionate amount of weight, what with a New York tabloid scribe on every Sunday broadcast to give fascinating interviews like this one:
The NBA’s TV contract with NBC was up in the summer of 2001, the Knicks fielded a playoff team and often a championship contender for the length of NBC’s 1990-2002 run with the NBA.
The nascent internet ranters wanted to blow it all up, but you can’t rebuild in New York, they told us, as if we weren’t around in the 1980s.
EW WANTED OUT
Pat tore his Achilles missing what could have been a game-tying shot at the buzzer of Game 2 of the 1999 Eastern finals. The Knicks rallied to win that series in spite of Ewing’s absence, giving credibility to the idea that New York was better off without its longtime star.
Ewing also wanted a contract extension, greater certainty that he wouldn’t be dealt during next February’s trade deadline, all the perks of having carried a franchise for a decade and a half.
The Knicks let the summer get the best of them, and genuinely received fair value (an aging Rice, a stopgap center in Longley, whatever Travis Knight was) for the last year of the 38-year old Ewing’s contract. In a vacuum, at least.
With Marcus Camby in ascension, and Allan Houston due to become a top free agent target in 2001, Layden sent Patrick packing:
“It became clear that he was looking for a change, and when he requested a trade, we respected his request.
“It was important in doing so, however, that we had the ability to add value, and with Glen and his All-Star credentials, as well as two veteran big men and draft picks, we believe we have done that.”
Ewing’s expiring contract wouldn’t have put the Knicks under the cap in the summer of 2001, when the offseason’s top prize was Chris Webber. C-Webb’s eventual $122 million deal started at $12.75 million (on a $42 million cap).
Howeva, a creative front office sustains the attack while freeing up cap space at the trade deadline, as Checketts worked in 1996.
Instead, the Knicks tried to keep the train rolling with Rice, but only after Rice dragged Chicago through the fallback ringer. New York was reportedly assured (by Falk) of disgruntled Atlanta Hawks big man Dikembe Mutombo’s availability at the impending trade deadline.
Atlanta wanted nothing to do with Glen Rice’s mid-thirties. Philly later scored Mutombo at the deadline in exchange for 27-year old All-Star center Theo Ratliff, alongside the best month of Toni Kukoc’s career.
All the Knicks were left with was Rice, spurned by the Lakers, and the limping Longley, jettisoned by the Suns, signed through 2004:
“Phoenix knew what was going on. That's why they traded me. Their doctors had seen the X-rays and giggled at them.
“I brought up my ankle in my physical with the Knicks, and they said, ‘Have you been playing?’ I said, ‘Yes,’ and that was it.”
The Knicks waived Longley a year after the trade.
The SuperSonics, in open revolt, fired coach Paul Westphal 15 games into Ewing’s lone season in Seattle. Seattle changed ownership midseason, to the execrable Howard Schultz, and Ewing (9.6 points, 7.4 rebounds in 26.7 minutes per game as a SuperSonic) never got that contract extension. Seattle did not make the playoffs.
Ewing signed a two-year deal worth $4.7 million with Orlando in the summer of 2001. The Magic bought Patrick out for $1.5 million following one reserve season (65 games, six points and four boards per contest) with the club. He retired in 2002.
“If I had it to do all over again,” Ewing told Shaun Powell in 2010, “I wouldn’t have requested a trade.”
And if the Knicks had to do it all over again?
Huh.
Probably deal him for Blake Griffin and (a signed-and-traded) Bismack Biyombo and a coupla a picks. Then deal the picks to get Mario Hezonja and Jabari Parker back.
HALFTIME
1991 Athleticism: Greg Dreiling’s behind-the-back pass, Rick Mahorn’s post-up moves.
Boston 117, Miami 106
Ain’t it a trip when the Celtics don’t let up?
Miami doesn’t let up either, not with all that shit in its veins, but Boston at least let the Heat consider the prospect in Game 3. The C’s left it tough for Miami to get to its spots, every bit of offensive panache had to be preceded by a bit of panic
Goran Dragic and Bam Adebayo are Miami’s true playmakers, and the pair combined to notch five turnovers in the first quarter alone, eight all day. Jimmy Butler managed only 13 shots and 17 points in 37 minutes, Jae Crowder (2-10 from the field, all threes) saw the his percentages roll to the back of his head.
The Heat missed shots, but in the face of some good-ass Boston Celtics defense. Even when Miami wasn’t throwing the ball away the attack remained relatively sloppy, a far yelp from the sort of whippets we saw darting across the outside in the first two contests of the Eastern finals.
Tyler Herro yanked Miami back to contention with 11 points in the first four minutes of the second quarter(22 all day), but the Heat’s ball still stuck, and Boston couldn’t let up. The Celtics’ offensive insistence persisted even when they were taking the ball out of the net, with that girl, from the bus.
Jaylen Brown was your hero, turning Grant Williams into a Game 3 stud off Boston’s bench, flipping tables, closing out expertly on Miami’s shooters, offering three steals, five assists, only two turnovers in 43 minutes, and a team-high 26 points on 17 shots:
Boston’s offense is only going to become more comfortable as this series moves along. Miami’s best chance in Game 4 is the game of their lives.
Heat lead series 2-1, Game 4 on Wednesday at 8 PM Eastern on ESPN
NBA AWARDS ARE STUPID, WHO CARES
I’ve changed my stance.
AND HE HITS THREES, TWO
GOLDEN STATE UPDATE
“Hey, who was the last free agent who chose to come here? Mark Price?”
Golden State Warriors General Manager Garry St. Jean in 2000, after acquiring Danny Fortson and Adam Keefe.
And actually the correct answer was “Mark Price on one leg.”
IT’S ALL ABOUT YOU
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All about Ew