Therefore, come along as we examine 15 of the most questionable, burdensome, and frankly, insulting contracts during the tenure of James Dolan, along with my—let’s call me Alex Smith’s—assessment of their appropriate compensation.
To be clear, that last point is based on [somewhat informed] speculation and is merely a small part of the bigger problem of mismanagement. In fact, for every dollar wasted on poor player acquisitions, there’s likely another 25 cents spent on dismissed coaches, executives, general inefficiencies, and similar issues.
Just to reiterate: This isn’t a precise calculation.
Undoubtedly, factors exist beyond what a team believes a player is genuinely worth—including expiring contracts and overall financial flexibility. Nevertheless, these considerations should balance out on both sides, so we’re accepting the amounts these players earned with the Knicks at face value.
Furthermore, although many of these arrangements were established under previous Collective Bargaining Agreements, we’re judging them by modern standards.
Thus, we’ll employ the following general classifications: “veterans minimum” (approximately $1 million annually), “mid-level” ($2-4 million), “starter” ($5 to $8 million), “near-max” ($9 to $12 million), and “max” (anything above that).
Important note: For players obtained through trades, only their earnings with the Knicks are considered—specifically, before they were traded again, released, or entered free agency.
Ultimately, we’ll arrive at a rough idea of how much money the Knicks’ unorthodox administration has accumulated on the Garden’s floor, covered in gasoline, and ignited.
Spoiler alert: It’s sufficient to purchase several islands.
