13 Players the New York Knicks held onto for too long

9. Pat Cummings

Cummings was the 59th overall pick in the 1978 draft. He spent his first three years in Milwaukee playing behind a talented cast of big men that included Bob Lanier and Marques Johnson before being traded to the Mavericks in 1982 for a second-round pick. Cummings became a starter and key contributor in Dallas as he helped the expansion franchise climb the standings.

The Knicks signed Cummings as a free agent in 1984 and were forced to give the Mavericks two compensatory draft picks. The 6’9 forward followed with arguably the best season of his career where he averaged 15.8 points and 8.2 rebounds in 32.8 minutes per game. Cummings was well on his way to following it up in 1986 when an ankle injury ended his season after 31 games.

Unfortunately, Cummings was never the same. He averaged just 21.6 minutes per game the following season and his playing time dipped to just 15.3 minutes each night the following year. The Knicks cut bait in 1988 and Cummings played just 94 games over the next three seasons before retiring from the NBA in 1991.

The New York Knicks missed the moment to sell high on Pat Cummings and were ultimately forced to release him with zero return.