I think the award goes to one Eddy Curry. Hands down. Not even close.
Considering we gave up TWO lottery picks... our 1st in 2006 & 2007....
(Sure, not like J-Noah is a HOF player, or that we missed out on much in the 2007 draft (we still grabbed Chandler with our CHI selection)... Still, we could have grabbed L-Aldridge, Tyrus Thomas, Rudy Gay or Brandon Roy in 2006!)
B-U-T... We also tossed in TWO 2nd round picks (we could have grabbed Marc Gasol or Ramon Sessions in 2007 and we could have grabbed Buddinger, Thornton, Jerebko in 2009)!
A-N-D... wait... There's more! We also gave up M-Sweet (whom we drafted 9th in the 2003 draft; remember this draft? Lebron & Wade? We could have snagged David West, but we cannot draft!).
{Side note: 2002 draft, the year prior, was the darkest hour in NYK history. Instead of letting Ewing's contract expire, let him end his career in NY with dignity, we ruined our rebuilding hopes by trading our 1st round selection for contracts that would eventually get us in cap hell).
We should have drafted Amar'e or simply have kept Nene; let Ewing play out his final year and go from there.... For example, we could have signed Steve Nash when he let DAL after 2003-2004 season- and NYK would have had Nash & Amar'e....
BUT, we didn't have cap space, so we ended up TRADING for Marbury.... opening the door for PHO to sign Nash. And we all know Steph is a close 2nd to worst Knicks of ALL TIME....
As a matter of fact, we are still getting burned for this. We'll have a top-5 pick this draft, but we traded that away b/c of StepH!
I recall all the bandwagon Knick fans at the time.... So PRO Spree and wanted Ewing run out of town.... That move, along with the trades for Curry & Marbury set the franchise back a full decade.
Only Lebron can save it now.... and he doesn't sign here.... the pain continues.