Shortly after midnight last July 1, Ron Baker announced on Twitter that he was re-signing with the Knicks. It was a two-year deal, with a $4.5 million player option that he has picked up for this season and a no-trade clause. True story.
Less than a week later, the Knicks signed Tim Hardaway Jr. to a four-year, $71 million offer sheet that some might say includes an unofficial no-trade clause. Hardaway’s own team, Atlanta, reportedly was willing to match if it was roughly $25 million less.
Those two free-agent deals were the first ones given out after Phil Jackson was fired and raised eyebrows and some concerns about how the Knicks would do business under president Steve Mills.