The Worst Draft And Trade Mistakes In New York Knicks History

When it comes to iconic NBA organizations, the New York Knicks are at the top of the list. They play in the world’s most famous arena, Madison Square Garden, and have perhaps the most loyal and boisterous fanbase in the history of the league. Unfortunately for the Knicks, part of their place as an NBA icon also has to do with the disastrous mistakes their front office has made, particularly in the draft and trade department. 

Just as we have done with different NBA franchises such as the Washington Wizards and Golden State Warriors, today we will bring to you the worst decisions in Knicks history made during the NBA draft or when completing a trade. These decisions directly or indirectly cost the Knicks success and even championships over the years. Now, it is time to look at them in depth.

The Worst Draft Mistakes In New York Knicks History

1999 NBA Draft

New York Knicks Select: Frederic Weis, 15th Overall Pick

Better Available Pick: Metta World Peace (16th Overall Pick)

The Knicks’ first major mistake would come in the 1999 NBA Draft just a few weeks after their last NBA finals appearance. The Knicks sat in the middle of the first round with the 15th overall pick. New York native Ron Artest was sitting there for the taking, a homegrown talent who attended college at St. John’s University.

Instead, the Knicks decided on Frederic Weis out of France. Weis was a 7’2’’ big man who would go on to play exactly zero minutes in the NBA. The only reason you may know Weis’ name would be that Vince Carter put him on one of the most epic posters in basketball history during the 2000 Summer Olympics.

Meanwhile, Artest, as we have then known, went on to have an iconic NBA career. Although he was known for his temper and fighting tendencies, Artest was one of the most feared defenders in the NBA during the 2000s. Although he was an All-Star just once in his career, Metta World Peace was also a four-time All-Defensive team selection and 2004 Defensive Player of the Year. He would have been the perfect addition to a Knicks team that had just fallen short of winning the NBA Finals.

2003 NBA Draft

New York Knicks Select: Mike Sweetney, 9th Overall Pick

Better Available Pick: David West (18th Overall Pick)

The 2003 NBA Draft is famously known as one of the greatest draft classes in league history. With names like LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony, and Chris Bosh coming into the league that season, it is arguably the most talented draft class ever. Leave it to the New York Knicks to make one of the biggest blunders of the entire night.

That is because with their ninth overall pick, the Knicks decided on big man Mike Sweetney out of Georgetown. While the Knicks had success with Georgetown players in the past, Sweetney would not be one of them. Sweetney would play just two seasons for the Knicks, averaging 7.0 points and 4.5 rebounds per game in 119 games played. Sweetney would then go on to play just two more seasons with the Bulls before walking away from the game at 24 years old.

If the Knicks were in the market for a big man, there were plenty of options that turned out much better than Mike Sweetney did. One of those options would be David West, who was taken by the Hornets with the 18th pick. In 15 NBA seasons, West averaged over 20.0 points and over 8.0 rebounds at his peak. He earned two All-Star selections in his career as well and contributed off the bench to both the 2017 and 2018 NBA championships won by the Golden State Warriors.

2006 NBA Draft

New York Knicks Select: Renaldo Balkman, 20th Overall Pick

Better Available Pick: Rajon Rondo (21st Overall Pick)

Three years after the Mike Sweetney problem, the Knicks would have another first-round miss in the NBA draft. Balkman was a forward hybrid who the Knicks coveted for his athleticism and IQ. Unfortunately for them, this pick would quickly be yet another wasted first-round selection.

Balkman was a bust almost immediately, getting just one start in his first two seasons with the Knicks and averaging 4.2 points and 3.8 rebounds per game. After being shipped to Denver as a part of the deal that brought in Carmelo Anthony, Balkman averaged just 4.1 points and 3.2 rebounds in two-plus seasons with the Nuggets. Finally, he returned to the Knicks in 2010-11 where he played just 17 games before ending his NBA career.

Taken with the draft pick directly after Balkman would be one of the greatest point guards of the 2000s and 2010s. Rajon Rondo was one of the lesser-known Kentucky products at the time but would end up being one of the most impactful in the NBA. Rondo would help the Celtics win an NBA title in just his second season in 2008, earn four All-Star appearances, win three assists titles, and earn four All-Defensive team selections. In 2020, he played a pivotal role off the bench for the Lakers as they won an NBA championship as well.

2009 NBA Draft

New York Knicks Selected: Jordan Hill, 8th Overall Pick

Better Available Pick: DeMar DeRozan (9th Overall Pick)

I remember the 2009 NBA Draft like it was yesterday. The New York streets were abuzz with excitement as the Knicks landed Jordan Hill, a big man out of Arizona who was supposed to make the team feel better about missing out on Stephen Curry who had gone to Golden State just one pick before them.

Hill would join the Knicks for just 24 games, averaging 4.0 points and 3.5 rebounds per game in 10.5 minutes of play. After 24 games, Hill was dealt to the Rockets in a deal that brought an aging Tracy McGrady to New York. Hill would go on to play a total of eight seasons in the NBA, averaging 7.9 points and 5.8 rebounds per game for his career.

The Toronto Raptors held the pick right after the Knicks in 2009 and decided on shooting guard/small forward DeMar DeRozan. Over the next nine seasons in Toronto, DeRozan would become a star, earning four All-Star appearances and averaging 19.7 points per game on 44.7% shooting. In the five years since being traded by Toronto, DeRozan has earned two more All-Star appearances and is averaging 25.6 points per game on 49.7% shooting in his last three seasons with the Bulls.

2017 NBA Draft

New York Knicks Select: Frank Ntilikina, 8th Overall Pick

Better Available Pick: Donovan Mitchell (13th Overall Pick)

It would be another eight seasons until the Knicks made another draft mistake that would change the trajectory of the franchise. In 2017, the Knicks held the eighth overall pick and selected Frank Ntilikina, a talented and athletic guard who was held in high regard by the New York front office.

Unfortunately for New York, Ntilikina could not stay healthy or be consistent on the court as he averaged 5.5 points and 2.7 assists per game in four seasons with the team. After signing with Dallas in 2020-21, Ntilikina would play two seasons with the team and averaged 3.6 points and 1.2 assists per game. He signed with the Hornets this offseason but has yet to play a game in 2023-24 due to an injury.

Five picks after Ntilikina, the Nuggets would select and then trade a player the Knicks have been coveting and chasing for years. Yet another hometown hero, Donovan Mitchell, was right there for New York’s taking but in typical fashion, they missed him. Over the last two seasons, the Knicks have been at the center of trade talks, eyeing Mitchell who has averaged 27.0 points per game over the last four seasons. It is unknown if a New York homecoming is in the future for Mitchell but four All-Star selections and an All-NBA team selection already tell us this was a big draft mistake.

2018 NBA Draft

New York Knicks Selected: Kevin Knox, 9th Overall Pick

Better Available Pick: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (11th Overall Pick)

In the 2018 NBA Draft, the New York Knicks would miss out on yet another potential superstar in favor of a big man who would not pan out for them in the slightest. With yet another pick inside the top 10. The Knicks decided on Kevin Knox, a big man from the University of Kentucky to be their next big presence in the paint.

Over the next three and a half seasons, Knox was anything but impactful, averaging 8.2 points and 3.1 rebounds per game while hardly ever cracking the starting lineup. In 2021-22, Knox would be traded to the Hawks in exchange for Cam Reddish, another move that did not pan out for New York. In 2023-24, Knox has made 12 appearances and two starts for the worst team in the NBA, the Detroit Pistons. He is averaging 6.4 points and 2.3 rebounds per game in those contests.

Just two picks after Knox, the Hornets would select and trade Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to the Clippers. After one season with the Clippers, he would be traded to the Thunder where he has remained for the last five seasons. In these five seasons, Gilgeous-Alexander is averaging 25.4 points, 5.2 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.4 steals per game. In 2022-23, he earned the first All-Star and All-NBA selections of his career averaging over 31.0 points per game. He currently has the Thunder on track to be major contenders in 2023-24, again averaging 31.0 points per game and leading the NBA in steals.

The Worst Trades In New York Knicks History

2000 Trade Between The New York Knicks And Seattle SuperSonics

Seattle SuperSonics Received: Patrick Ewing

New York Received: Luc Longley, Vernon Maxwell, Lazaro Borrell, Vladimir Stepania

Patrick Ewing is one of, if not the greatest player in New York Knicks history. In 15 seasons with the team from 1986 through 2000, Ewing led the Knicks to two NBA Finals appearances while averaging 22.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, 1.0 steals, and 2.7 blocks per game. By the end of the 1999-00 season, Ewing was clearly on his last legs and the Knicks began to shop him to see what was the most they could get in a trade for the aging superstar.

They ended up getting former Bulls center Luc Longley, Vernon Maxwell, Vlamair Stepania, and Lazaro Borrell. Longley was of no use to the Knicks, averaging 2.0 points per game in 25 games in his final year in the NBA. Maxwell would not play a single game for the Knicks and neither would Borrell or Stepania.

To end a New York legend’s career the way they did is one of the biggest blunders in Knicks history. All four of the players received for Ewing didn’t make one-tenth of the impact he could have for them in 2000-01 even at the tail end of his career. After years of hard work and sacrifice, Ewing was tossed to the side for table scraps that had no business being dealt to the Knicks.

2002 Trade Between The New York Knicks And The Denver Nuggets

Denver Nuggets Received: Mark Jackson, Marcus Camby, Nene

New York Knicks Received: Antonio McDyess, Frank Williams, 2003 Second Round Draft Pick

Two years after the Ewing debacle and the remnants of that trade were all gone, the Knicks would take another risk in acquiring oft-injured forward Antonio McDyess from the Denver Nuggets. When healthy, McDyess was as talented as any forward was in the NBA. Being healthy was a big if for McDyess by this time.

Coming off a 2002-03 season in which he missed its entirety with a knee injury, McDyess took the court for the Knicks in 2003-04. He would appear in just 18 games for the team, averaging 8.4 points per game on 45.8% shooting. McDyess would then be traded to the Suns in another deal that brought in Stephon Marbury, another deal that the Knicks could have done without. Acquiring McDyess for the likes of Marcus Camby and Mark Jackson is still one of the worst deals in team history.

2005 Trade Between The New York Knicks And The Chicago Bulls

Chicago Bulls Received: Tim Thomas, Mike Sweetney, Jermaine Jackson, 2006 First Round Draft Pick, 2007 First Round Draft Pick, 2007 Second Round Draft Pick

New York Knicks Received: Eddy Curry, Antonio Davis, 2007 First Round Pick

In 2001, the Chicago Bulls made Eddy Curry their fourth overall draft selection. After four seasons of decent basketball with the Bulls, Curry began to struggle with weight and injury issues. Things got so bad between him and Chicago, he was traded during the 2005 offseason to the New York Knicks. The Knicks would give up a fortune for Curry, praying he could return to his previous form.

In the next five seasons with the Knicks, Curry’s weight and injury issues became the subject of punchlines for fans and media alike. After averaging 15.2 points per game in his first two seasons, Curry would play just 10 games in the 2009 and 2010 seasons combined. The move had completely backfired on the Knicks, much like every move backfired on them during the 2000s and 2010s.

Meanwhile, the players that the Bulls got back were not the center of attention in this deal. The 2006 and 2007 first-round picks they gave up would be the difference in this trade. In 2006, even though they would trade him, the Bulls landed LaMarcus Aldridge with their pick from the Knicks. The following season, the Bulls landed future Defensive Player of the Year Joakim Noah. Both of these players could have been difference-makers for struggling Knicks teams during this time.

2006 Trade Between The New York Knicks And The Orlando Magic

Orlando Magic Received: Trevor Ariza, Penny Hardaway

New York Knicks Received: Steve Francis

During the early and mid-2000s, Steve Francis was one of the most exciting players in the NBA. With his combination of speed and athleticism, Francis was a walking highlight with the Houston Rockets and Orlando Magic from 2000 through 2005. With three All-Star appearances and several highly productive seasons, Francis was then traded to the Knicks in exchange for an aging Penny Hardaway and young prospect Trevor Ariza.

Francis was a shell of himself in New York with 11.1 points and 3.7 assists per game in just 68 games played in two seasons. Francis’ injuries and lack of motivation would lead to a trade back to the Rockets in 2007 where he played just 10 games before blowing out his knee. Now, Penny Hardaway was no spring chicken at this time either, desperately holding on to a career that was over well before he said so.

The piece that the Knicks lost in this deal that hurt tremendously was Trevor Ariza. While he has been a career journeyman, Ariza had a long and impactful 18-year career and won an NBA championship in 2009. While the disparity in production is not humongous, the Knicks would have been far better off with a young Ariza than an aging Francis.

2013 Trade Between The New York Knicks And The Toronto Raptors

Toronto Raptors Received: Quentin Richardson, Steve Novak, Marcus Camby, 2014 Second Round Draft Pick, 2016 First Round Draft Pick, 2017 Second Round Draft Pick

New York Knicks Received: Andrea Bargnani

Our final trade in Knicks history is by far the worst they have ever made in their 78 seasons as an NBA team. In this deal, the Knicks would send three players and three draft picks north of the border to Toronto in exchange for former No. 1 overall draft pick, Andrea Bargnani.

While there was an upside to Bargnani, that upside would not be seen in New York. In two seasons with the team, Bargnani would average 13.9 points and 4.9 rebounds per game on 44.7% shooting from the field. He would appear in just 71 games in those two seasons with just 29 games played in 2015.

The Knicks didn’t lose anything overly spectacular in the deal in terms of players, Novak, Richardson, and Camby were all at the end of their careers. However, adding three draft picks, including a first-rounder in 2017, was what put this over the top as the worst trade in New York Knicks history, and it isn’t very close.