National Basketball Association

Phil Jackson made a mistake that could cost the Knicks Kevin Durant

Published Apr. 1, 2016 12:43 p.m. ET

foxsports

Phil Jackson and the New York Knicks might've killed their dream of signing Kevin Durant before this season even started. By giving Arron Afflalo and Derrick Williams player options on their two-year deals, New York left it up to those two players to ultimately decide how much cap space they'll have this summer.

Even at the time, it would have been tough to rationalize these signings. Sure, New York wanted to make the playoffs, and Afflalo's relatively low-risk contract would help. And thanks to a rising salary cap, it was assumed he and Williams would opt out and enter a lucrative marketplace. But neither guy has had an overly impressive season. Afflalo will be 31 next year and Williams averaged just 17.2 minutes per game. If they opt into their respective deals, the Knicks won't have enough cap space to sign a max player like Kevin Durant (via ESPN):

New York projects to have at least $18.9 million in cap space this summer (based on current cap projections) and will likely spend the money on upgrading its backcourt. One potential issue for the Knicks? Their $18.9 million isn’t enough money to cover a max contract for a player with seven to 10 years of service, such as Kevin Durant or Mike Conley...If Afflalo opts out, it will give the Knicks a total of $26.4 million to spend this summer. That would give the club enough space to offer a max contract -- with a $25 million value in Year 1 -- to players like Durant or Conley. Williams’ 2016-17 player option is worth $4.6 million. If he opts out, it would bring the Knicks’ total cap space to $30.5 million, which takes into account a $500,000 roster exemption that needs to be added for teams with fewer than 12 players under contract. That would give them enough money to go after a max player and add another key piece or add several second-tier players this summer.

There's a good chance Afflalo will opt out because he possesses the skeletal remains of a skill-set teams are clamoring for. He can (sort of) guard multiple positions and (kind of) knock down threes. But nearly half his shots are mid-range jumpers, and he doesn't make those around him better with any sort of playmaking off the bounce.

Will any team pay him more than the $8 million he can take from the Knicks next season? It's possible, but far from definite.

Same goes for Williams, who can either test the market or take the $4.59 million that was negotiated into his contract.

To avoid this situation and give themselves more flexibility, the Knicks should've non-guaranteed the second years on both contracts—much like the Boston Celtics did with Amir Johnson and Jonas Jerebko, two superior players—which also turns them into potential trade assets.

While some might say it's unfair to look back now and condemn Jackson for inking those contracts the way he did, it's also fair to say he didn't understand his leverage. The Boston example is rough, but what's the upside in signing Afflalo and Williams in the first place? New York wasn't going to be good this year, and just because you have cap space doesn't mean you need to spend it.

In the big picture, these two are meaningless acquisitions. But Jackson managed to turn them into so much more.