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Were the Knicks right to sit on the sidelines during free agency?

By Ken Tavarez

Sep 19, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Boston Celtics forward Gordon Hayward (20) reacts during the first half of game three of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2020 NBA Playoffs against the Miami Heat at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
Sep 19, 2020; Lake Buena Vista, Florida, USA; Boston Celtics forward Gordon Hayward (20) reacts during the first half of game three of the Eastern Conference Finals of the 2020 NBA Playoffs against the Miami Heat at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /
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LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA – AUGUST 13: Bogdan Bogdanovic #8 of the Sacramento Kings goes up for a shot against JaVale McGee #7 and Markieff Morris #88 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the first quarter at The Field House at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 13, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. 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. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
LAKE BUENA VISTA, FLORIDA – AUGUST 13: Bogdan Bogdanovic #8 of the Sacramento Kings goes up for a shot against JaVale McGee #7 and Markieff Morris #88 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the first quarter at The Field House at ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex on August 13, 2020 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. 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. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images) /

2020 Free Agency

The 2020 offseason was expected to be very quiet as the free agent class wasn’t great and there weren’t many teams with significant amounts of cap space. There was also the economic impact from Covid-19 which was expected to make teams tighten their spending.

However, the opposite happened: more free agent spending occurred than expected. While it’s too early to know how good some of these deals will turn out to be, there are a few that look like they will turn out bad.

  1. Gordon Hayward signs Hornets – 4 yrs/$120MM – Not looking good
  2. Danilo Gallinari signs with Hawks – 3 yrs/$61MM – TBD
  3. Jerami Grant signs with Pistons – 3 yrs/$60MM – Not looking good
  4. Bogdan Bogdanovic signs with Hawks – 4 yrs/$72MM – Good
  5. Christian Wood signs with Rockets – 3 yrs/$41MM – Good

Conclusion

While some are upset that the Knicks didn’t make any splashy moves, it looks like the franchise did the prudent thing. As we just saw, most of the free agent signings that are not for a Top-5 player haven’t worked out. Of the 40 free agent signings that were signed for more than $10MM per year over multiple years in the past 5 offseasons, only three are considered to be great signings: Kevin Durant to the Warriors, LeBron James to the Lakers and Kawhi Leonard to the Clippers.

There were only 11 signings that were considered good deals. The majority were either bad or horrible, and some of the TBDs are not looking good either. Even the Celtics, who are known for being patient and prudent, looked like they missed on two of their three high-priced signings in Hayward and Walker.

Next. How will RJ look in Year 2?. dark

The lesson is that even though free agency is appealing because you can make your team better immediately without having to give up assets, it’s still risky. The fact of the matter is, unless you sign a superstar, you are mostly likely overpaying for a player that had his best seasons for his old team. It looks like the Knicks actually did the right thing for a change.