Already distant in New York Knicks history, the 2005 NBA Draft was an active night. With two first-round picks in place, the team selected Channing Frye and David Lee to join one of the NBA’s most expensive payrolls.
The night was not done in the first round, however, as the Knicks traded for the rights to a player from the Phoenix Suns while also receiving NBA compensation, in return for a veteran big man and their own second-round pick.
How did this deal come back? Let’s look back at this exchange:
What the Knicks traded
Kurt Thomas was a seven-year stalwart with the Knicks, arriving and establishing himself on the 1999 team that made the NBA Finals.