7 NBA Superstars The New York Knicks Have Failed To Land In The Last 30 Years

The New York Knicks are one of the most storied franchises in NBA history. They have been home to some of the game’s greatest players, such as Walt Frazier, Bernard King, Patrick Ewing, and more. The team took home two championships in 1970 and 1973, but since those days, it has been nothing but misery for them. Sure, there has been hope for a return to glory through the 80s, 90s, and 2010s, but it usually ends up in heartbreak for fans in New York. Things are no different when pursuing the big names through free agency, trade, or the NBA Draft.

What was once considered the Mecca Of Basketball, Madison Square Garden, has simply turned into a joke when it comes to the New York Knicks. Owner James Dolan has had public issues with Knicks icons like Charles Oakley and Spike Lee. The team continuously fails to live up to any sort of expectations placed on them to the point that expectations are historically low. The organization has been in disarray for quite some time and it has been noticed mightily around the league. Year after year, fans and management let it be known which big fish on the market is supposed to be their savior. Year after year, they are left disappointed as players either choose to go somewhere else or another team comes in and swoops them up.

These are the 7 stars in the last 30 years that the Knicks have failed to land.

7. Donovan Mitchell

I apologize to Knicks fans in advance as this one might still be a little fresh. Donovan Mitchell is just the latest star that the Knicks missed out on, this time by being too stingy to give up just one more first-round draft pick. Mitchell was traded to the Cavaliers this week in exchange for Lauri Markkanen, Ochai Agbaji, Collin Sexton, 3 first-round draft picks, and 2 pick swaps. Reportedly, the Knicks had a deal on the table, but the Utah Jazz wanted just one more first-rounder thrown in. The Knicks refused, and the Cavs swooped in to seal the deal. 

Now, the Knicks are left with a $300 million trio of RJ Barrett, Julius Randle, and the newly acquired Jalen Brunson. Meanwhile, the Cavs look like they could be a Top 5 seed in the Eastern Conference with the young core they already had in addition to Donovan Mitchell. The Knicks have a young team that is surely hungry to win, but the East has gotten so loaded with talent that they may not even compete for a play-in spot. Who knows if Mitchell would have helped, considering how much they would have had to give up to get him, but he is a Top 10 shooting guard in the NBA, so he definitely would have been a tremendous boost. Again, I am so sorry Knicks fans.

6. Kyrie Irving

The 2019 free agency period was supposed to be one that put the Knicks back on the map. By the time the free agency period was done, the team was left in shambles as 3 of their largest targets chose to go elsewhere, including two of them to their crosstown rival, the Brooklyn Nets. The Knicks made every possible pay cut and salary dump they could make in order to lure three superstars their way. The first of which was Kyrie Irving. Irving wanted to play close to where he grew up in New Jersey and the 2 teams he grew up watching were the Nets and Knicks. Kyrie ended up choosing to go to Brooklyn for the simplest of reasons.

Kyrie chose to go to the Nets over the Knicks for the simple fact that he couldn’t trust the Knicks’ management. This shouldn’t be a surprise, as many NBA players have come out and said publicly that they can’t trust Knicks management. Poor roster construction and a completely inept owner are the main driving forces behind those ideals. Kyrie has been at the center of media controversy since arriving in Brooklyn, but let’s not let that distract us from just how good he has been on the court. The Knicks, on the other hand, are still yearning for a big star to come in and save the franchise. 

5. Kawhi Leonard

The second casualty for the New York Knicks in the 2019 free agency came at the rather large hands of Kawhi Leonard. Kawhi had just come off leading the Toronto Raptors to their first-ever NBA title in 2019 and was seriously considering returning to run it back. The Knicks knew they needed to throw a blank check at him in order for him to even consider joining them, but they also needed to be very cautious. Leonard agreed to meet with the Knicks but Knicks officials turned it down, knowing that the meeting would come after the Clippers and Lakers. They had also spent $70 million in the first 20 hours of free agency, knowing that if they waited until after the Kawhi meeting, they could lose a lot more than just him.

Kawhi chose to sign with the Clippers anyway and it was an 0-2 start for the Knicks. Kawhi has led the Clippers to new franchise heights, including a historic 2021 playoff run that was cut short by a knee injury that cost him the entire 2022 season. The Clippers made the Western Conference Finals for the first time in team history and Kawhi had a lot to do with it even though he wasn’t on the court when they actually advanced. Headed into 2022-23, the Clippers have title aspirations with Leonard and Paul George healthy again plus the acquisition of John Wall. The Knicks in 2022-23 are hoping to be competitive enough for a playoff spot. 

4. Kevin Durant

The final loss the Knicks suffered in the 2019 free agency and perhaps the biggest was Kevin Durant. He was the Knicks’ biggest target in free agency that offseason and team President Steve Mills even made the decision to trade Kristaps Porzingis in February of that season in order to clear more cap space for the superstar. Unfortunately for the Knicks, Kevin Durant later revealed that he had no intention of ever signing with the Knicks. He even said that the thought of being the Knicks’ savior was a turnoff and that he again had no trust in the front office to put the right pieces around him.

Of course, Durant landed across town in Brooklyn with the Nets and things have been tumultuous, to say the least. He had a couple of MVP-caliber seasons so far with the Nets, but this past offseason, he clearly wanted out. He requested a trade early on in the summer and while things have cooled off now, there is still a lot of work to do in Brooklyn. Regardless of the extracurriculars, James Dolan would love for Kevin Durant to be his problem but instead, he remains a thorn in Knicks fans’ sides. 

3. Stephen Curry

The fact that Stephen Curry is not a Knick is in no way their fault other than for failing to trade up and take him earlier in the 2009 NBA Draft. They cannot be faulted for failing to do so, as no one really knew that he would change the game as we know it and become the greatest shooter to ever live. The pain from this one happens to be the fact that Curry was selected just one pick before the Knicks were set to take him. The Knicks decided to take Jordan Hill with the 8th overall pick, coincidentally one pick before DeMar DeRozan was chosen by the Raptors.

The tale of Stephen Curry’s career is one that is well known. He has led the Warriors to 4 championships in the past 8 years while establishing himself as the King of the three-point shot. Jordan Hill lasted just 24 games with the Knicks before he was included in a 3-team deal that landed the aging and often injured Tracy McGrady with the Knicks. Hill was out of the league after just 8 seasons and McGrady lasted just 24 games with the team himself before moving on toward retirement.

2. LeBron James

It was the summer of 2010 and for the first time in his career, LeBron James was on the open market. The Knicks felt that they had a serious chance, just like they always do, to recruit the superstar to New York for his services. The meeting with James that summer will forever be remembered as one of the biggest blunders of James Dolan’s tenure as owner of the Knicks. They completely botched the meeting, going all out in the presentation but failing to display a vision of any long-term basketball goals. This turned James off so much that he even declined to grant the Knicks a second meeting before signing with the Heat.

So the story goes for the Knicks, who ended up overpaying for an aging and often injured Amar’e Stoudemire. Later that season, they traded most of their young talent to the Nuggets for Carmelo Anthony in yet another ill-advised move. LeBron, on the other hand, went on to take the Heat to 4 straight Finals appearances, including 2 victories. He then left the Heat and took the Cavaliers to 4 straight Finals and delivered them their first championship in 2016. The Knicks made a couple of playoff appearances with Carmelo and Stoudemire, but the fact they messed up with LeBron so badly will haunt them until Dolan decides to sell. Good Luck.

1. Michael Jordan

I know what you may be thinking. When did Michael Jordan turn down the Knicks? The year was 1996 and Michael Jordan was seeking a one-year balloon payment deal as a free agent. The Knicks were in hot pursuit of Jordan as anyone should have been, and Jordan was seriously considering the move. He and Knicks center Patrick Ewing were good friends off of the court and NBA Commissioner David Stern gave the Knicks an extra $15 million to throw at Michael to try to pry him away from Chicago. The Knicks were set to offer Jordan $25 million, and the Bulls were given one hour to match. They did just that by giving Jordan $30 million and the rest is history.

After years of killing the Knicks during the regular season and playoffs, the fact that Jordan almost left and joined them is a crazy thought to think about. Instead, he went back to the Bulls and helped them to 2 more championships to end the 90s with 6 Finals wins in the decade. The Knicks would make a Finals appearance in 1999 once Jordan had retired and were contenders for 1 or 2 more seasons. They have not been back to the Finals since. There is no doubt in my mind that if Jordan had joined the Knicks, he would have delivered them at least one championship. Instead, the Knicks continue to long for that elusive Finals win they have been working towards for 50 years. 

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