Bulls were shopping Curry.
Knix were the mark.
Same with Bargs later.
And both times we gave up too much.
The problem is Knix target the wrong players -- usually big names who are old or big names who are gimpy. And I think the whole reason is that if you have Marbury or TMac, Steve Francis or Kidd, Curry, Amare, Melo, TyC, etc -- you can market that, and folks come out to see the big names; the team gets buzz, even if some of it is negative.
Basically it's a strategy to sell-out the Garden to corporate accounts and out of states rubes. Drafting young studs and watching them learn on the job isn't as sexy or sell-able, unless you have the #1 pick.
It's all a short-term marketing strategy, money-making prioritized over fit or winning. The constant churn of players and coaches means there's new hope, new uncertainty, people don't get tired of watching the same stale product. Always a new storyline. I think the famed NY impatience stems from the management and the desire to sell tickets.
Knix finally stopped trading away 1st rounders (about the only thing Phil did well, an act of omission). It was too obviously a bad strategy. The Knix draft reasonably well -- hit or miss, with a good rate of 2nd round overachievers. But trade terribly. And trading is usually the mark of impatience.
The other theory, not mutually exclusive, is that the Knicks are staffed by sycophants and incompetents.
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