6. Danilo Gallinari (2008)
Danilo Gallinari has found a successful career away from the New York Knicks, after his involvement in the aforementioned ‘Melo deal. His brief time in the Big Apple flashed promise, but that rookie season was limited.
A back injury limited the Italian forward to just 28 games in 2008-09, with 6.1 points and 2.0 rebounds on 44.8 percent shooting as the result. 44.4 percent on three-pointers was a bright spot, though, and became an early indication of his NBA value for the next 11 years.
Gallinari spent most of his time with the Denver Nuggets, had two seasons with the Los Angeles Clippers and will debut for the Oklahoma City Thunder in October.
5. Frank Ntilikina (2017)
A full season places Frank Ntilikina ahead of Gallinari, despite a miserable offensive campaign of 5.9 points on 36.4 percent shooting and 31.8 percent on three-pointers. He added 2.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists, but that did not mean much for the lacking impact scoring the basketball.
However, Ntilikina’s value came defensively, as arguably New York’s best perimeter defender since Iman Shumpert‘s stint. The effort at this end of the court allowed for meaningful minutes, but it meant less by his second season with the team.
The Frenchman may be on his last legs with the Knicks, but he still has value, as shown by his first year.