13 Players the New York Knicks held onto for too long
By Tyler Watts
6. Kenny Sears
The Knicks drafted Sears fifth overall in 1955, and the 6’9 forward quickly took off. He was an All-Star by year three and averaged 21 points per game in his fourth season as New York lost in the first round of the playoffs. It was his lone playoff appearance with the Knicks and things took a wild turn after that.
Sears led the league in field goal percentage for the second time in 1960, but his minutes and production dropped in 1961. He also missed time after breaking his jaw in a fight with Detroit Pistons guard George Lee. Things got so bad for Sears that he left the Knicks to play for the San Francisco Saints in the ABL in the 1961 offseason. The new league disbanded after one year and Sears returned to the Knicks.
His play significantly dropped off, and he was traded to the Warriors after just 23 games. The New York Knicks got Tom Gola in return, who was an All-Star in 1963 and 1964. Still, they failed to trade Sears at the peak of his value when he was one of the league’s best and most efficient scorers.
Kenny Sears struggled in his final year with the Warriors before retiring in 1964. Credit to the Knicks for getting back strong value in the trade, but they certainly held onto the 6’9 forward for a bit too long.