For New York Knicks fans wishing for James Dolan to sell the team, they are in need of a loaded Prince Charming.
Dolan told ESPN’s Ian O’Connor that he doesn’t want to sell the Knicks, but has had “the feelers” out around $5 billion. The Knicks were priced by Forbes earlier this year as the seventh-most expensive sports franchise in the world at $3.6 billion.
The 63-year-old has owned the Knicks since 1999 and has been unable to consistently pull them out of the trenches of mediocrity. He’s fallen under fire for poor business decisions including the hiring of head coaches and front-office members, swollen player contracts, and his seeming disconnect from up-to-the-minute happenings within the franchise.
Don’t forget the Charles Oakley fiasco, either.
After making the playoffs for the 12th-consecutive season and the NBA Finals during Dolan’s very first year as owner, the Knicks have since had just five winning seasons while making the postseason six times in the weak Eastern Conference.
They’ve never gotten further than the second round of the playoffs.
Dolan is on his 12th-different head coach in David Fizdale as the Knicks continue a two-decade rebuild. Through 31 games, only three teams in the Eastern Conference have a worse record than the 9-22 Knicks.
However, there is a bright future ahead of Dolan and the Knicks, which could prompt the right suitor to offer that lucrative $5 billion for the franchise.
Fizdale is nurturing a young, inexperienced roster and has proven to be a player’s coach that will get the most out of his team. A young core looks to be in place with Kevin Knox soon teaming up with the recovering Kristaps Porzingis.
Then comes the summer of 2019 where the Knicks are poised to have two max-salary roster slots available that could see them come away with big-name free agents like Kevin Durant or Kemba Walker.
In the blink of an eye, the Knicks can quickly become contenders in the Eastern Conference and bring back some pride to the hardwood at Madison Square Garden.
It provides promise for a new age in New York City that will only be accelerated should Dolan find the right buyer to take over one of the most expensive sports franchises in the world.
In a statement to Metro New York, Dolan revealed that “there are no plans to sell the Knicks.”
