The Los Angeles Clippers have eight players with expiring contracts. The Miami Heat have seven. The extreme makeover award could go to the Nets, who have only two players with fully guaranteed contracts in 2010-2011.
All of them are following the blueprint laid down by the Orlando Magic, who signed Tracy McGrady and Grant Hill in 2000 after purging their payroll. In the 1999-2000 season, Orlando had 10 players on one-year deals and were expected to finish last in the Eastern Conference. But the Magic won 41 games and stayed in playoff contention until the last week of the season.
The current Knicks have more proven talent than that Magic team did, but they have no illusions.
The team knows that in nine months, James could take Hughes’ salary, Harrington’s starting job and Toney Douglas’ jersey (23). The trick now is to convince themselves that they are more than cap fodder, and that there is still a team to be found among the expiring contracts.
“If we all start going our own ways, it’s going to be a disaster,” Harrington said.
RSS