The Knicks entered a period of destructive management decisions beginning with coach Jeff Van Gundy's resignation after just 19 games in December 2001, marking the start of repeated coaching instability that would see seven head coaches in eight seasons. In pursuing immediate returns, the franchise surrendered future draft picks for declining or injured players, trading their first-round selection for injured forward Antonio McDyess, who appeared in only 18 games before another injury ended his tenure. President of Basketball Operations Isiah Thomas compounded the problem by shipping McDyess and additional future picks to Phoenix for Stephon Marbury and the aging Penny Hardaway, moves that cost the team draft picks that would become Gordon Hayward and Paul George, per Posting and Toasting. These years of sacrificing future assets for failed present-day solutions, combined with constant coaching turnover, helped define the franchise's lowest point. The collapse extended through the mid-2000s before the Knicks finally rebuilt into a championship contender by 2026.