Knicks and Warriors fans, and Steph Curry himself, all know the NBA's history is chock-full of what-ifs. What if Michael Jordan never left to play baseball? What if superstars like Derrick Rose and Tracy McGrady never got injured? A bulk of these what-ifs happen during the draft. What if the Charlotte Hornets did not trade Kobe Bryant to the Los Angeles Lakers? What if the Portland Trail Blazers selected Kevin Durant over Greg Oden? These are possibilities that would have changed the fortunes of teams and the landscape of the league for years to come.
One such what-if is if the New York Knicks managed to draft eventual 2-time MVP Stephen Curry. In the stacked 2009 edition of the draft, New York was picking seventh overall. The Golden State Warriors were one spot ahead of New York.
At the time, pace and spacing advocate Mike D’Antoni was the Knicks head coach. Curry's game was perfectly suited for D’Antoni's style. Curry, his father Dell, and his agent made it known that they preferred New York over the Bay Area. The agent even called up then-Warriors general manager Larry Riley urging him not to draft Curry. When the Golden State head coach at the time Don Nelson called Dell about possibly picking his son, Dell replied, “Don't.”
Donnie Walsh was the general manager of the Knicks at the time.
“I really wanted Stephen in that draft, and when I realized that Golden State was going to take him, I tried to trade up to take him,” Walsh told Marc Berman of The New York Post. “But I could not get the pick I needed so I looked elsewhere and tried to fill a need. Stephen was the guy and he obviously would have made a huge difference.”
Walsh was right. Curry was the key to transforming the Golden State from one of the league's laughingstocks to a perennial powerhouse. His absurd outside shooting revolutionized how the game was played. It could have happened with the Knicks… but it didn't.
A source said that Walsh did not even attempt to contact the Minnesota Timberwolves, who held the fifth and sixth selections. This draft was a stinging experience for the Knicks, but it was also painful for Minnesota fans. Those picks were used on guards Ricky Rubio and Jonny Flynn, respectively. These two players did not push the franchise to relevance.
“It didn’t seem Donnie was prepared for any other scenario,” a former Knicks scout said. “We all love Donnie, but he didn’t seem to have a backup plan and it was a mad scramble to finalize [No. 8 pick Jordan] Hill.”
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Hill would end up playing a total of 24 games for the Knicks, before being shipped off to the Houston Rockets.
Picturing Curry in a New York uniform makes for an interesting exercise. One could wonder if he would have saved the Knicks and turned them into contenders. Curry had a rough start to his NBA career, due to injuries. He made his All-Star team debut in his fifth season (2013-2014) in the league. The year after he would win his first MVP trophy and championship.
Knicks fans can only lament what might have been.
One reason why the Warriors won it all in 2015 was that Curry had a team-friendly contract, which paid him $10,629,213 for the season. Imagine having the league MVP for just $10,629,213. This gave the front office a lot of wiggle room to put out a well-rounded team on both ends of the floor. Of course, it also helped that they knocked their drafts out of the park by selecting three-and-D wing Klay Thompson and defensive anchor and playmaker Draymond Green. Smart acquisitions such as Andrew Bogut and Andre Iguodala raised the team's ceiling and provided a steady veteran presence.
Would the Knicks have shown the same patience with Curry early on? Would they have re-signed or extended Curry's contract before he became the deadly, playmaking shooter we all know today? Would they have built a team properly, where the players complimented each other? Would New York not make ridiculous trades or pursue overpaid free agents?
The Knicks front office has a long track record of shortcomings, which can be discussed for hours on end. Having a franchise player is one step in turning a team around.
Curry could have flourished under D’Antoni and lead an exciting and fun to watch team. If the Knicks had shown enough promise, perhaps LeBron James would have brought his talents to the Big Apple and not South Beach in 2010. Another possibility is Curry being traded to the Denver Nuggets as part of the Carmelo Anthony deal in 2011. Maybe Curry would have played his best basketball in Denver?
Because of the choices made in the 2009 draft, Curry remains one of the many what-ifs for the Knicks.
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