Rebuilding efforts get magnified by loss against Nets

NEW YORK — The Knicks just happened to be an innocent bystander, the national television opponent last Wednesday when the Nets swung a massive four-team trade to bring another star to Brooklyn.

But as they were overrun by even a shorthanded incarnation of the Nets that night, it put the Knicks in a spotlight they may not want right now.

In dealing for James Harden the Nets made the questionable and controversial decision to mortgage their future in the form of not just two young, talented players (Caris LeVert and Jarrett Allen) but also control of future first-round picks. Still, as Kevin Durant led the Nets past the Knicks that night, it showed off the allure of securing a star.

The deal echoed the 2013 trade the Nets had made with the Celtics to acquire Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Jason Terry that turned Boston into contenders while the Nets were set back nearly a decade in a rebuild. But it also reminded some of the Knicks prior pursuits of stars, the deal for Carmelo Anthony being the most notable.

And it raised questions about the Knicks’ current rebuilding efforts.

The Knicks chased Durant and Kyrie Irving in the summer of 2019 and failed to convince them to even sit down for a sales pitch. Whispers that they would push for Kawhi Leonard also were met that summer with no interest from Leonard, who instead paired up with Paul George to play for the Los Angeles Clippers.

The latest brief freeagent market found the Knicks and their new management team with a huge amount of salary cap space, but they were unwilling to go all-in on Gordon Hayward and never got a face-to-face meeting with Fred VanVleet. What they have done is maintain their flexibility to be able to swoop in and make a move for a team looking to cut payroll in the form of star power or a disgruntled star looking for a new home.

But a procession of those stars have switched teams and the Knicks have not been the landing spot for any of them. Harden is just the latest, and this deal included Victor Oladipo, who might have been the next-best opportunity.

So is patience and trusting the process the right approach? It’s a question worth asking as the Knicks prepare to hit another arduous stretch of the schedule with a fivegame losing streak, a 5-8 record and a lineup that is not exactly soothing the frazzled feelings of the fan base. And maybe it’s worth wondering how it is satisfying the roster in place as echoes of the struggles over the last few years are being raised.

“We want them focused on the process,” Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said after Saturday’s practice session. “A big part of learning is the trial-and-error part of it.

“So come in each day and look at what we did well, what we didn’t do as well as we would have liked. Try to correct those things, but focus on the work and improvement.”