New York Knicks: What happened to the young core of the 1990s?
The Don Nelson trial
The 1995-96 Knicks marked the beginning of the Don Nelson era, which would only last 59 games. Nelson sought for a more uptempo offensive pace that mostly clashed with the style of play mastered under Pat Riley by the Knicks core of Ewing, Oakley, and Starks.
Nelson also had his eyes set on the now-infamous 1996 NBA Free Agency period. The NBA’s elite from Michael Jordan, Charles Barkley, Reggie Miller, and Shaquille O’Neal were expected to test the market. Little did Nelson know that the mere thought of trading Ewing for a soon-to-be-free agent in Shaq would lead to his demise with the team. More on that story at another time.
As for the kids, Nelson didn’t trust all his youth in a consistent matter. Hubert Davis became one of Nelson’s most reliable perimeter threats. Davis averaged 10.7 points per game on 48.6% from the field and 47.6% from three.
However, even after Charlie Ward scored 15 points in his season debut, the Knicks signed Gary Grant to provide backup point guard insurance. As a result, Ward competed with Grant for the remainder of the backup PG minutes, although quirky rotations led to both players playing at the same time on occasion.
While Nelson and Ward received minutes, Doug Christie and Monty Williams lingered on the bench. Both players requested a trade midway thru the season that effectively ended their tenure with the team. Christie’s most defining moment as a Knick was participating in the 1996 NBA Slam Dunk Contest.
With the 1996 NBA Free Agency looming, the Knicks granted both players’ trade requests. The Knicks traded Williams, along with Charles Smith’s contract, to the San Antonio Spurs for a pair of expiring contracts in Brad Lohaus, JR Reid, and a 1996 1st round pick.
The Knicks traded Christie, along with Herb Williams, to the Toronto Raptors for a pair of expiring contracts in Victor Alexander and Willie Anderson. These trades gave the Knicks an extra $10 million of cap room for free agency.