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New York Knicks: Reviewing the Andrea Bargnani debacle of 2013

By Rob Wolkenbrod

PHILADELPHIA,PA - MARCH 20: Andrea Bargnani #77 of the New York Knicks composes himself prior to shooting a foul shot against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center on March 20, 2015 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2015 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
PHILADELPHIA,PA - MARCH 20: Andrea Bargnani #77 of the New York Knicks composes himself prior to shooting a foul shot against the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center on March 20, 2015 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2015 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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In the next edition of New York Knicks Trade history, a review of the deal that never worked out in the summer of 2013.

The New York Knicks moved a haul of first-round picks over the years, and while they backed away from that stance, their last trade of a draft selection did not work out, at least for the player they acquired in return.

On July 10, 2013, the Knicks completed a trade with the Toronto Raptors for Andrea Bargnani, the No. 1 overall pick of the 2006 NBA Draft. His most recent seasons north of the border featured injuries and underwhelming play and it carried into his next destination.

What the Knicks traded

Marcus Camby‘s second Knicks stint wrapped up with this trade to the team he started with in the ’90s. However, he never suited up for them and did not play another NBA game, leaving the league at age 40.

Steve Novak was a fan-favorite for his two seasons in New York, but salary matching forced his move to Toronto, where he played 54 games during the 2013-14 season. Stops in three different NBA cities followed, before last appearing in a game in 2016-17.

Quentin Richardson only appeared in one game in the 2012-13 season, but his salary remained on the books at the time of this deal, so he was included in the package for Bargnani. The veteran swingman never played another NBA game.

The stinger of this deal, though, was moving a 2016 first-round pick, which became Jakob Poeltl, the ninth overall pick. His career has not blossomed into star status, but, either way, the Knicks lost a chance to take a player in the top 10 and build their core with younger talent.

2014 and 2017 second-round picks, which became Xavier Thames and Jonah Bolden, respectively, were the final pieces. Bolden appeared in 44 games for the Philadelphia 76ers in the 2018-19 season.

What the Knicks acquired

All of that left the New York Knicks for Bargnani, who played a mere 71 games in two seasons of injuries and mostly disappointing play.

In 2013-14, the Italian big man averaged 13.3 points and 5.3 rebounds on 44.2 percent shooting and just 27.6 percent on three-pointers, which he was lauded for earlier in his career. He also barely played more than half that season, suffering an elbow injury on a missed dunk.

2014-15 was no better. While Bargnani shot 45.4 percent and 36.6 percent from behind the arc, he appeared in just 29 games, with a calf injury sidelining him throughout.

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Bargnani’s eight-figure contract expired after that season, and he played out the remaining 46 games of his NBA career with the Brooklyn Nets, before moving overseas.

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