The New York Knicks have long been hailed as a team that players are lining up to play for, but their history in attracting high-profile free agents has told a different story.
For years, fans were expecting LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and several other names to land in NYC, and while Durant and Irving eventually did, it was in Brooklyn with the Nets.
The biggest name to play for the Knicks in this century has been Carmelo Anthony, and he came over in a trade from Denver.
None of this means the Knicks can’t attract a free agent given the right circumstances, but former NBA head coach Stan Van Gundy is telling fans to pump the breaks in thinking they have what it takes to get Zion Williamson.
SVG Gets Candid
GettyInjured Pelican Zion Williamson and Knicks star R.J. Barrett
Van Gundy has spoken in the past about he thinks the Knicks don’t have a good shot at getting Zion, even with his former teammates RJ Barrett and Cam Reddish on the roster.
In an interview with the New York Post, he repeated those claims and even took a shot at fans.
“It’s always a plan that all these free agents want to come there,” Van Gundy said. “And their fans think everybody wants to come to New York to play. But what is the example of that to use — the high-profile free agents who have come there? A lot of New Yorkers think everyone has New York at the top of their list and the Knicks are picking and choosing. That’s not the way it’s been working the last 20-plus years.”
It’s not uncommon for big market fans to think their team can get anybody because it’s exactly what the Lakers fans say. In the case of the Lakers, they are able to lure names like LeBron where the Knicks have struggled.
“I don’t know a player who didn’t like going to the Garden,” Van Gundy continued. “I never understood the allure of it myself. But the players think it’s a big deal to play [there], from everybody I coached. That doesn’t mean they want to play for the Knicks or live there.
Could Zion Actually Come to NYC?
GettyZion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans.
Despite everything he said, Van Gundy does say there’s at least a chance Williamson could put on a Knicks jersey.
“Can Zion go there [to the Knicks]? Yeah, definitely could,” he told the Post. “But what are you giving them back? You’re going to give them a lot. You’re not giving them [Knicks center] Mitchell Robinson and a first-round pick for Zion. Of course you like that trade. It’s never going to happen.”
The New Orleans Pelicans are locked in a tight playoff series against the Phoenix Suns, and all of this comes without having the services of Williamson for the entire year. There’s currently no indication the Pelicans are ready to move on from him, but if they did say they were open to a trade, numerous teams would pick up the phone and start calling.
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Zion Williamson’s Former Coach Sends Candid Message on Pels Star Joining Knicks