The New York Knicks Have Spent Over $2 Billion Since 1999 And Haven’t Been To The NBA Finals

The New York Knicks are one of the most historic and illustrious franchises in NBA history. They have some of the most passionate fans in the world who long for a return to the glory days of old. Imagine being a Knicks fan right now. It has been 50 years since the Knicks have taken home an NBA championship and 24 years since they have even been to an NBA Finals.  

The Knicks have won two NBA championships in their team’s history. In 1970, they won their first NBA championship when they defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 4-3 in an epic series. They would win their second championship three years later with another win over the Lakers in five games. Willis Reed was named Finals MVP both times, and since those championships, it has been a whole lot of frustration in The Big Apple.

Now, let’s take a look at their history of simply being in the NBA Finals. They would make their first Finals appearance in 1951 against the Rochester Royals, who they would lose to in seven games. They would also appear in both 1952 and 1953 but fall short both times against the Minneapolis Lakers.

The Knicks would wait 17 years for another chance at the NBA Finals, this time cashing in on a championship in 1970, losing again in 1972, and winning their second NBA championship in 1973. All three of their Finals appearances in the 1970s would come against Jerry West, Wilt Chamberlain, and the Los Angeles Lakers.

It would be 21 more years until their next Finals appearance in 1994 against Hakeem Olajuwon and the Houston Rockets. They would lose that series in seven games in an all-time great battle between Patrick Ewing and Olajuwon. The Knicks’ last appearance in the NBA Finals came unexpectedly during the lockout-shortened 1999 season. In the Finals, the Knicks would fall in five games to Tim Duncan, David Robinson, and the San Antonio Spurs.

Since that most recent Finals appearance in 1999, the Knicks have spent over $2 billion in player salaries without a single Finals appearance to show for it. In fact, the results are far worse than that. The Knicks made the Eastern Conference Finals just once time in 2000, lost in the first round five times, lost in the second round twice, including in 2023, and missed the playoffs a total of 16 times.

Not exactly the results that fans and organizational leaders are looking for while spending that kind of money, right? To make matters worse, the team has had a bad string of luck when it comes to bringing in star players to join their franchise. Sure, Allan Houston, Carmelo Anthony, and Amar’e Stoudemire have all joined the Knicks at some point, but others such as LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Kyrie Irving have all spurned the Knicks for other opportunities even when all the money in the world was thrown at them.

Is it because of owner James Dolan and his disconnect with the fans and players? Is it because of the pressure that comes with playing in New York? Only those players can tell you why the Knicks were not the spot for them, but either way, the Knicks’ high hopes have been dashed for over two decades.

Now, let’s take a small look at their season-by-season spending on player salaries, along with the results from that spending for comparison.

1999-00 Season – $72,288,001

Following their loss to the Spurs in the 1999 NBA Finals, the Knicks set out on a mission to get back to the big dance in 2000. They invested $15 million into Patrick Ewing for the 2000 season and just under $12 million in Larry Johnson. Other players to make over $5 million but less than $10 million were Latrell Sprewell, Allan Houston, Chris Dudley, and Marcus Camby.

Ewing would miss 20 games at 37 years old, and Allan Houston would lead the Knicks in scoring with 19.7 PPG. Sprewell was just behind him at 18.6 PPG, while Charlie Ward led them in assists with 4.2 APG. The team would win 50 games and make their way to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second season in a row. Unfortunately for them, Reggie Miller and the Indiana Pacers would break their hearts in the series and eliminate the Knicks in six games.

This would be the last time we ever saw Patrick Ewing in a Knicks uniform.

2000-01 Season – $74,007,738

For the 2000-01 season, only Larry Johnson and Latrell Sprewell would be earners of over $10 million, with Johnson leading the way at $11 million. However, he looked like a shell of himself while dealing with back issues and averaged under 10.0 PPG while missing 17 contests. Allan Houston and Sprewell were the only two scorers for New York who went over 15.0 PPG on the year as the duo combined for 36.4 PPG, with Houston earning just $9 million per season at this point. 

The team would go 48-34, primed for another run in the playoffs. That goal would be short-lived as the Knicks would fall to the Toronto Raptors in five games in the first round of the 2001 playoffs, marking another disappointing end to a promising season.

What followed would be some of the worst basketball in the history of the franchise.

2001-02 Season – $85,993,039

The Knicks would see a salary increase in 2001-02 with an extension for Houston that allowed him to become the highest-paid player on the team earning $12.75 million in 2002. Sprewell and Johnson were each earning over $11 million as well, while Marcus Camby made up $7.3 million of their salary, and Luc Longley added $6.33 million.

The only issue with those numbers is this. Larry Johnson was no longer with the team, as his back had finally given out to the point he had to walk away from the game for good. Marcus Camby would play just 29 games before going down in February with a season-ending injury. Houston and Sprewell earned their big paychecks with 20.4 PPG and 19.4 PPG, respectively, but the team would muster just 30 wins and miss the NBA playoffs entirely.

2002-03 Season – $93,452,379

With another increase in total player salary in 2002-03, the Knicks found themselves beginning to dig a hole that would be difficult to climb out of. For starters, they were still paying Johnson $9.6 million in his second season of retirement. They brought in Antonio McDyess, who would cost them $12.6 million for the 2003 season, and Houston and Sprewell would combine to make over $26.7 million as well.

More issues arose with their inflated salary. McDyess would not play a single game due to a knee injury. We can also add Longley’s $6.9 million as a waste considering he had been retired since the end of 2001. Once again, the Knicks were paying over $20 million for players who wouldn’t spend one second on the court with the team in 2003.

Allan Houston led the team with 22.5 PPG in 82 starts, a sight that Knicks fans should not have gotten used to. Sprewell was behind him with 16.4 PPG, while Kurt Thomas added 14.0 PPG and 7.9 RPG. However, the injuries and lost salaries once again gutted the team, who would finish 37-45 on the year and miss the playoffs for a second straight season.

2003-04 Season – $89,444,820

In 2003-04, the Knicks would see the salaries of Johnson and Longley finally come off the books. Also, Latrell Sprewell was gone, and paying him big money was no longer an issue. However, the team was paying Allan Houston his $15.9 million and brought in Keith Van Horn for a whopping $13.3 million, which fell just under the $13.5 million they were paying Antonio McDyess.

During the season, the team would add Stephon Marbury as well but wouldn’t have to take on his contract until later. Injuries messed with the Knicks in a big way, as Allan Houston missed 32 games, and Van Horn missed 35 games. McDyess, whose knees were always in question anyway, would play just 18 games in total as well, meaning the team paid out $43 million for over 100 missed games between the three stars.

They were able to make it to the NBA playoffs with a 39-43 record back when the East was referred to as the “Leastern Conference”. The playoffs would go as expected, with a First-Round sweep at the hands of the New Jersey Nets, marking another wasted season in New York City. Fans were beginning to become restless and impatient with the team as a whole, and things were not going to get any better.

2004-05 Season – $102,567,539

The Knicks’ salary would balloon to over $100 million in 2004-05 with the addition of some major contracts. Stephon Marbury now commanded $14.63 million for the season, and Houston’s deal was now worth $17.5 million. Penny Hardaway was also making $14.63 million, just like Marbury and Tim Thomas had increased to $12.9 million in salary. Let’s see how the top money-makers from that year fared.

Marbury would earn his cut, starting all 82 games and averaging 21.7 PPG and 8.1 APG to lead the team. Allan Houston, the highest-paid player on the team, would play just 20 games due to injury and averaged less than 12.0 PPG. Penny Hardaway would also be limited to 37 games off the bench, while Tim Thomas vastly under-produced with 12.0 PPG and 3.3 RPG.

The result of disappointing output from their top money-makers resulted in a 33-49 record for 2004-05 and another season of playoff-less basketball in New York. If fans had been restless before, it was only going to keep getting worse from here.

2005-06 Season – $126,631,098

The Knicks managed to add over $24 million to their salary for 2005-06 and managed to get worse as a team. Stephon Marbury and Allan Houston now combined for over $35.5 million in pay for the 2005-06 season, while Penny Hardaway was given $15.75 million. Antonio McDyess’ money came off the books but was replaced by the $13.9 million given to Antonio Davis. Meanwhile, the production failed to meet the pay grade once again.

Allan Houston would not play a single game for the Knicks in 2005-06 as he retired in 2005, citing knee injuries as the main issue. Marbury was good but missed 22 games and averaged under 17.0 PPG. Prized new signing Antonio Davis would miss 46 games during the regular season and averaged just 5.0 PPG anyway, while Penny Hardaway got paid almost $16 million for four games off the bench.

The results, much as they were for most of the 2000s, were an abysmal 23-59 record on the year and another season without playoff basketball. Imagine leading the NBA by spending $126 million just to stay at home when the most meaningful basketball is being played. Yikes.

2006-07 Season – $117,350,866

The Knicks would see a bit of relief financially for 2006-07 but not much. They were rid of Allan Houston’s massive deal as well as Antonio Davis’ and Penny Hardaway’s. Now, they were still paying Marbury just over $17 million but added over $29.5 million with the addition of Steve Francis and Jalen Rose. Once again, for the Knicks, it would be big money on big names with little to no results.

Starting with the good, I guess, is Marbury, who would suit up for 74 games and averaged 16.4 PPG and 5.4 APG. Jamal Crawford turned out to be a solid 17.6 PPG player while earning just $7.2 million as well. As for Francis, he would only play 44 games while averaging 11.3 PPG. Oh, and Jalen Rose? He earned $14.6 million for the Knicks, only to play 29 games for the Phoenix Suns.

It was another season of over $100 million in salary while the Knicks finished with a 33-49 record to miss the NBA playoffs. I would venture to say that no team with this salary cap during the 2000s suffered this much with less than mediocre results. The even sadder part is things showed no signs of getting better.

2007-08 Season – $96,190,114

The Knicks would be able to move off many bigger contracts for the 1007-08 season, with Stephon Marbury and Zach Randolph being the only two players on the roster earning more than $10 million for the season. Marbury was making just over $19 million, while Randolph earned $13.33 million.

It would still prove to be horrible financial planning by New York, who just could not catch a break. Marbury would be limited to just 24 games for the Knicks that season, with only 19 being starts. Randolph cashed in on his money with 17.6 PPG and 10.3 RPG in 69 games. That would be the only bright spot for a team that would win 23 games and miss the playoffs for the fourth year in a row.

2008-09 Season – $96,643,646

The Knicks would add just $500 thousand to their salary for the 2008-09 season but with little to no improvement to their team. The Knicks started off by paying Stephon Marbury over $20 million to basically go away, as he would end up playing less than 30 games with Boston before going to play over in China. The only other player making more than $10 million that year would be Larry Hughes with his $12.8 million contract.

The Knicks trotted out a decent lineup with Jamal Crawford and Zach Randolph, each averaging over or close to 20.0 PPG. The only problem is that they would only play 11 games before being traded. Al Harrington was another 20.0 PPG scorer for the Knicks that season averaging 20.7 PPG in 68 games while making $9.2 million.

The Knicks would be ready to head into a new era of New York basketball but not in 2008-09. They would end the season with a 32-50 record, missing the playoffs, but at this point, even Knicks fans didn’t care. They had enough of the money being spent and organizational failure. They could often be seen wearing paper bags over their heads or filing out of Madison Square Garden in droves by halftime.

2009-10 Season – $85,710,076

As happy as fans and the team was to see their salary cut by $11 million, the money they did have did not go to good use. New York decided to give Tracy McGrady, who hadn’t been healthy in forever, a contract worth over $23 million for the season. On top of that, Eddy Curry and Al Harrington each made just over $10 million on the season as well, rounding out the Knicks’ top earners for 2010.

McGrady’s $23 million amounted to just 24 games played, averaging less than 10.0 PPG as injuries had turned him into a shell of his former self. Eddy Curry played just seven games for New York as well after playing only three games the year before. Harrington earned his money by playing 72 games and averaging 17.7 PPG mostly off the bench. It didn’t matter, though. The Knicks fell right back into familiar territory with 23 wins to 59 losses and another year of missing the NBA playoffs.

2010-11 Season – $67,016,562

In the offseason, the Knicks cut most of their salaries while pursuing some major upgrades to their roster. They signed Amar’e Stoudemire to a deal that paid him nearly $16.5 million for the season. During the year, they went out and acquired Carmelo Anthony, taking on just over $17 million of his salary for the 2010-11 season as well. In that deal, they also acquired Chauncey Billups, who would end up costing them $13.15 million as well.

The deals turned out to be the right choice as the Knicks would finally get the monkey off their backs and make the NBA playoffs. They would finish 42-40 on the year, their first winning season in years, and meet the Celtics in the Eastern Conference First Round. The fun would end there with the Celtics sweeping them in the series, but finally, New Yorkers had some hope for the future with a brand new squad gracing the court at MSG.

2011-12 Season – $77,093,212

With Stoudemire and Anthony’s deals worth over $18 million for the 2011-12 season, they would also add Defensive Player of the Year Tyson Chandler to the mix with a contract worth $13.1 million. Chauncey Billups remained as well with a $12.2 million deal, and the Knicks added just over $10 million in total to their salary from the previous season.

In a season shortened to 66 games, the Knicks struggled a bit with injuries to Stoudemire, who missed 19 contests, Anthony, who missed 11, and Billups, who was being paid to play in Los Angeles. Still, the Knicks were able to sneak into the playoffs with a 36-30 record but drew the impossible task of taking on the Miami Heat in the First Round of the playoffs.

While the Knicks were severely overmatched, fans did celebrate when they picked up their first playoff win in over a decade as they dropped the series in five games. Once again, they remained optimistic that they were heading in the right direction as a team, but none of it mattered if they couldn’t contend for a championship.

2012-13 Season – $79,977,119

Once again, for the 2012-13 season, the Knicks would be under $80 million in player salary. Stoudemire was their highest-paid player, with a $19.95 million salary. Carmelo Anthony was right behind him with a $19.2 million salary for the season, and Tyson Chandler remained around the $13.6 million mark.

The Knicks would have one of their best regular seasons in recent memory with a 54-28 record led by Anthony’s MVP-caliber 28.7 PPG season, winning the scoring title in the process. Unfortunately, Stoudemire would play just 29 games off the bench while Chandler averaged a double-double, and J.R. Smith contributed with 18.1 PPG. The Knicks would turn heads in the NBA playoffs with a six-game series win over Boston, their first playoff series win since 2000.

The fun was short-lived, as the Indiana Pacers would take them out in the next round in six games. Despite the playoff exit, the Knicks were still headed in the right direction, at least, they thought they were.

2013-14 Season – $89,072,787

The Knicks would see another slight salary increase for the 2013-14 season, with Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire each making over $21 million on the season. Tyson Chandler had gone up as well to $14.1 million, while the team also added Andrea Bargnani for $11 million. Only J.R. Smith would be the only other Knicks player to earn over $5 million in the year with a $5.57 million salary.

Somehow, even with the increase in salary, the Knicks got much worse on the court. Stoudemire was moved into a role mostly off the bench, as he averaged just 11.9 PPG and 4.9 RPG on the backend of his contract. Anthony played up to his money with a 27.4 PPG season in 77 games played. As for Bargnani, he would miss 40 games while averaging just 13.3 PPG, and Tyson Chandler would miss 27 games while declining slightly on the court.

The results would be a 37-45 record, missed playoffs, and a fanbase once again fed up with the situation unfolding in front of them.

2014-15 Season – $81,369,219

Things would come to a serious head in 2014-15. Now, Anthony and Stoudemire were each making over $21 million for the season, while Bargnani now commanded $12 million on the year. The Knicks had decreased their salary from the previous year by $8 million but got a much worse result on the court.

Injuries and other issues caused both Stoudemire and Bargnani to miss over 45 games and provide almost nothing when healthy. Anthony would also miss 42 games, and the Knicks looked like less than a G-League team most nights. They would win just 17 games on the season and miss the playoffs by a long shot. Heading into 2015-16, there were many looming issues going on within the organization, and rightfully so after one of the worst showings in team history.

2015-16 Season – $74,237,021

The Knicks were able to cut some salary once again in 2015-16 with Stoudemire’s contract coming off the books. Anthony was the highest-paid player, as expected, making over $22.75 million for the season. Only Robin Lopez would make over $10 million other than Carmelo Anthony, and only Arron Afflalo and Jose Calderon would be the only other two players to make over $5 million.

Other than Anthony, the roster for New York would be incredibly lackluster outside of the promise shown by rookie Kristaps Porzingis. No Knicks player outside of Anthony would average near 15.0 PPG, and the team would go 32-50 under coaches Derek Fisher and Kurt Rambis. Once again, even with a player making over $23 million, the Knicks finished their season without a trip to the playoffs, and Knicks fans felt endless misery.

2016-17 Season – $102,593,418

The Knicks would make some financial decisions that are still questioned to this day during the 2016 offseason. Anthony was still making north of $24.5 million in what would be his final season in New York, and they added more salary in the form of Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah. They decided to pay Rose $21.3 million for the season and inexplicably gave Noah $17 million as well.

Even the great Phil Jackson couldn’t right the ship in 2016-17, with just 31 wins to 51 losses. Anthony was still great but clearly distracted by the rumors of trade and wanting out of his New York situation. Rose was good, too, with 18.0 PPG in 64 games played on the year. Porzingis also stepped up in his second year with 18.1 PPG. Outside of that, the Knicks were awful and, yet again, not good enough to make their way to the NBA playoffs.

2017-18 Season – $105,403,130

The 2017-18 season was even more of a financial mess than in previous years. Now with Carmelo’s contract off the books following an offseason trade, the Knicks dispersed their money irresponsibly. Enes Kanter would come in with a $17.9 million salary, and Joakim Noah would also be in the same ballpark. Tim Hardaway Jr. would command $16.5 million for the season as well, with Courtney Lee now worth over $11.7 million.

The Knicks were not a good basketball team, and everyone knew it. Still, Knicks fans, as they had done for 40 years, filled Madison Square Garden. Porzingis was now the clear number-one option in just his third season with a 22.7 PPG, 6.6 RPG, and 2.4 BPG campaign. As for the others, they were double-digit scorers aside from Noah, who would play a total of seven games in the year.

The results of poor roster construction and financial handcuffing resulted in just 29 wins for the Knicks and yet another year of no playoffs. Knicks fans had no idea where to run for relief as no big stars wanted to come play for them, and no help was coming in any other way.

2018-19 Season – $123,387,454

If you thought the 2018 team was a mess, the 2019 squad was far worse. The Knicks decided to severely overpay a declining DeAndre Jordan with $22.9 million for the season. They were also on the hook for just over $18 million to Wesley Matthews, Enes Kanter, and Joakim Noah as well.

The team would be led by Tim Hardaway Jr. with 19.1 PPG in 46 contests and double-digit scorers around the entirety of their roster. However, their moneymen barely saw the court as fans watched the team basically flush their money down the toilet. DeAndre Jordan played only 11 games and Wesley Matthews just seven games as the team limped its way to 17 wins under coach David Fizdale.

Once again, the Knicks shelled out over $120 million only to miss the playoffs and be considered the most frustrating team in all of sports.

2019-20 Season – $100,232,129

In hopes of tanking for Zion Williamson and attracting big-name free agents, the Knicks cut over $23 million from their 2019 salaries heading into 2020. Now, they would have none of these situations play out for them, and things just got worse for the team as time went on.

The team would have $33 million tied up in Julius Randle and Bobby Portis. Moe Harkless would also make a little over $11 million, meaning $44 million was dedicated to just three players. In a Covid-shortened regular season, the Knicks had zero chance of making the playoffs as they would win 21 games before the shutdown and not even participate in the Bubble restart.

Knicks fans decided to look on the bright side of things for at least one year. After three months without it, basketball was back and hopefully, a new and better beginning for their team was on the horizon.

2020-21 Season – $102,137,151

The Knicks would add some star power from unexpected places in 2020-21 and shock the NBA nation with their team’s turnaround. Julius Randle would be the only player to earn over $10 million with a deal worth just under $20 million for the season. He would reward them with an All-Star and Most Improved Player campaign, averaging 24.1 PPG, 10.2 RPG, and 6.0 APG.

The rest of the team stepped up as well, with RJ Barrett having an impressive second season with 17.6 PPG as well as 14.9 PPG from Derrick Rose. The Knicks would win 41 games and make the playoffs as the NBA’s most shocking turnaround. The fun was short-lived, as they fell to the Atlanta Hawks in the First Round, but the Knicks had the recipe for success within their grasp.

It was the happiest Knicks fans had been in years.

2021-22 Season – $120,644,081

The Knicks would still not have a $20 million per year player in 2021-22, but they would pay three different guys over $13 million. Randle led the team with $19.8 million, Evan Fournier was given $17.1 million, and Derrick Rose was still making $13.4 million. However, this season, the Knicks would take a tiny step back in how they performed on the court.

Randle and RJ Barrett each averaged over 20.0 PPG for the Knicks, and each played 70 games or more. Outside of those two, the Knicks were hopeless, as no other player even reached the 15.0 PPG mark. Instead of improving and heading back to the playoffs, the Knicks took a step backward with a 37-45 record, missing the NBA playoffs and play-in tournament altogether.

Little did Knicks fans know, help was on the way.

2022-23 Season – $148,987,936

In the offseason, the Knicks decided to pay free agent Jalen Brunson a monster deal that would see him make over $27.7 million for the 2023 season. Julius Randle would also reach the $20 million mark, making $23.76 million for the year. What followed was wildly unexpected.

Jalen Brunson had an All-Star caliber season in which he averaged 24.0 PPG and 6.2 APG. Randle would have another All-Star selection added to his resume with a 25.1 PPG and 10.0 RPG season once again. The result was a 47-35 finish and the fifth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs.

The team would then defeat the Cleveland Cavaliers in round one, much to the delight of New York fans everywhere. Madison Square Garden was in a frenzy as it had rarely been before as the Knicks advanced in the NBA playoffs for the first time in 11 seasons. The Knicks would lose to Miami in round two but have given New Yorkers something to cheer about for the first time in forever.

What’s Next For The New York Knicks?

After a stellar and promising 2022-23 season, the Knicks know they have to make a move or two to make even more of a run in 2023-24. Right now, they will be on the hook for $152 million in 2023-24, with Brunson making over $26.3 million and Julius Randle making over $25.6 million. RJ Barrett’s deal also kicks in, with the young forward making $23.8 million as well.

I would say look for Randle or Barrett to be hung out for a trade in any superstar deals that may come up, but Brunson will be untouchable. They will have to shed some of their salary if they wish to continue, which they have already started by shedding Derrick Rose’s $15.5 million he was due next season. Evan Fournier is another player making over $18 million, while Mitchell Robinson is worth over $15 million for 2023-24.

If the Knicks wish to take the next step in their growth, they need to make an addition-by-subtraction move to make way for a roster that can get to the Conference Finals and beyond. Whatever the case, it will be interesting to see if the team can manage their hefty salary for next season while living up to the expectations that they will be right back in the NBA playoffs.

I know Knicks fans will be waiting to show up. Whether that is a good or bad thing will be up to the Knicks themselves.

We sincerely appreciate and respect you as a reader of our site. It would help us a lot if you follow us on Google News because of the latest update.

Thanks for following us. We really appreciate your support.

Next

The New York Knicks All-Time GOAT Pyramid

How Much The NBA Has Changed Over The Last 5 Years

Ranking The 10 Most Disappointing Draft Classes In NBA History