The 5 worst NBA trade deadline deals ever
By Adam McGee
3. Steve Francis to the Knicks; Penny Hardaway, Trevor Ariza to the Magic
When this trade happened the New York Times’ story on the deal was headlined as “Knicks Deal Two Backups For Another Star Guard”. That may have been what the Knicks actually believed too, but if so, they were horribly misguided.
A three-time All-Star during his time in Houston, Francis had started to show his first real signs of decline during the 2005-06 season, which was likely what made the Magic so eager to move him at that year’s NBA Trade Deadline.
Possessing a record of 15-38 and mired at the bottom of the East only ahead of the Charlotte Bobcats, the Knicks chose to pair Francis with the enigmatic Stephon Marbury, a player similarly in decline. If they’d stopped to wonder why the Magic were prepared to do the deal for two backup pieces, they may have thought better of the whole idea.
Instead, the deal went through. Penny Hardaway’s return to Orlando was not about sentiment, as he was immediately waived to clear cap space. Trevor Ariza would stay in Orlando as a solid contributor for a year-and-a-half before moving on too.
While the Knicks were putting their trust in a maxed out backcourt of post-prime veterans, the Magic were willing taking a step back in the way the Knicks have so often been reluctant to do.
Freed of Francis’ cap burden, the Magic were then left to continue construction on a team who would become a true contender in the coming seasons. On the other hand the Knicks lost all flexibility for two-and-a-half years and only got 68 games from a player who was averaging 11.1 points per game on 42 percent shooting from the field.
Sometimes avoiding bad contracts is half the battle, and so to take them on willingly is a very high-risk strategy. Not for the first or last time, a lesson from the Knicks in how not to rebuild.