Free-Agent Salvation for Knicks, Nets? Won't Happen

It's time for the Knicks and the Nets to end this nonsense and stop teasing their fans. It's time to stop dreaming. All the salary cap room in the world this summer isn't going to save NBA basketball in the New York/New Jersey area.

The two worst teams in the Eastern Conference will remain the worst for the next few years. So get used to it.

LeBron James won't be walking through the door anytime soon. It doesn't matter how storied Madison Square Garden feels, or how many celebrities come to the games, or how wonderful the Nets-to-Brooklyn blueprint looks, or even the intensity of James' crush on rapper Jay-Z.

Free agents-to-be Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Paul Pierce, Amare Stoudemire, Dirk Nowitzki or Joe Johnson aren't coming, either.

Although this purging of players and clearing of cap room along the Hudson River sounded like a good plan when it began in both spots a few years ago, everything since then has been a disaster.

The two teams have spiraled downward so badly that no real star in his right mind would consider playing there now. And even if they would, history says they won't.

It's been more than 13 years since Shaquille O'Neal left Orlando as a free agent to play for the Los Angeles Lakers, dramatically changing the shape of the NBA. And since then, very few true superstar free agents have changed teams.

Not one since O'Neal has made the jump and won an NBA title.

It's not how the game is played now.

NBA rules discourage the movement of superstars, allowing current teams to offer them more as free agents, as much as $30 million in guaranteed money over a maximum allowable contract. It's a good rule, too, allowing the NBA to avoid the constant player movement that has damaged Major League Baseball.

When O'Neal left Orlando, there was no cap on individual salaries like there is now, allowing the Lakers to outbid the smaller-market Magic.

Since O'Neal, the only NBA superstars in their prime to jump teams as free agents have been Grant Hill (Detroit to Orlando, 2000) and Steve Nash (Dallas to Phoenix, 2004). Hill unfortunately was then buried by injury. And Nash left because Dallas wouldn't pay him.

That won't happen with any of the players the Knicks and Nets are targeting. All of them will be getting maximum allowable money from their current teams, so outbidding the current team won't be possible.

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Cleveland Cavaliers basketball player Shaquille O'Neal is pulled in a Radio Flyer wagon by Marine Gunnery Sgt. Kristopher, as Shaq shopped for toys at Toys R Us in Mayfield, Oh., on Sunday Nov. 22, 2009. Shaq donated $1,000 to the Marine Toys For Tots foundation. (AP Photo/The Plaindealer, Lynn Ischay) ** MANDATORY CREDIT **

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LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 22: Jack Nicholson (L) and Lorraine Nicholson (R) attend a game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on November 22, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Noel Vasquez/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jack Nicholson;Lorraine Nicholson

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LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 22: (L-R) Jimmy Iovine, Jay-Z and Polow Da Don attend a game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on November 22, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Noel Vasquez/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jay-Z;Jimmy Iovine;Polow Da Don

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LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 22: (L-R) will.i.am, Jay-Z and Fergie attend a game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on November 22, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Noel Vasquez/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jay-Z;will.i.am;Fergie

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LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 22: (L-R)will.i.am, B-Real, Fergie and Alex Rodriguez attend a game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on November 22, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Noel Vasquez/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Fergie;will.i.am;B-Real;Alex Rodriguez

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LOS ANGELES, CA - NOVEMBER 22: will.i.am (L) and Fergie (R) attend a game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on November 22, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Noel Vasquez/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Fergie;will.i.am

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Los Angeles Lakers center Pau Gasol, top, of Spain, puts up a shot as Oklahoma City Thunder center Serge Ibaka defends during the second half of their NBA basketball game, Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009, in Los Angeles. The Lakers won 101-85. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant, left, puts up a shot as Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jeff Green defends during the first half of their NBA basketball game, Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

Rapper and producer Jay-Z points toward the Los Angeles Lakers' bench during the second half of an NBA basketball game between the Los Angeles Lakers and Oklahoma City Thunder, Sunday, Nov. 22, 2009, in Los Angeles. The Lakers won 101-85. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)

LOS ANGELES - NOVEMBER 22: Jay-Z greets WILL.I.AM and Fergie of the Black Eyed Peas during a game between the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Los Angeles Lakers at Staples Center on November 22, 2009 in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2009 NBAE (Photo by Noah Graham/NBAE via Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Jay-Z;WILL.I.AM;Fergie

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Another issue is that all of the targeted stars already are on good or at least decent teams with promise, something the Knicks and the Nets can't promise. With O'Neal in Cleveland, James already is knocking on the door of the Finals. It's insane to think he would leave to start a rebuilding project in New York or New Jersey.

Johnson and the Hawks are surging. Nowitzki and Dallas still are contending. Bosh and the Raptors already have a nice young nucleus in place. Even Miami looks encouraging now to Wade.

All of which is not good news for the Knicks and the Nets, who really are beginning to look like the former Chicago Bulls, which had plenty of salary cap space after Michael Jordan retired, but no real star willing to take it for years.

What's likely to happen now is that the Knicks and the Nets will overpay for some second-tier free agent like Michael Redd or Carlos Boozer, players who will help but not significantly change a team.

For the Knicks and the Nets, it's time to draft well, trade smart and hope for a slow but steady improvement. The dream of an instant turnaround next summer is merely a fantasy.