[1] During the offseason, the Knicks acquired Jamal Crawford from the Chicago Bulls.
[5] Head coach Lenny Wilkens resigned after a 17–22 start,[6] and was replaced by assistant Herb Williams for the remainder of the season.
[7][8] The Knicks then lost nine straight games between March and April,[5] finishing fourth place in the Atlantic Division with a 33–49 record, and failing to qualify for the NBA playoffs.
[9] In his first full season with the Knicks, Stephon Marbury led the team with 21.7 points, 8.1 assists and 1.5 steals per game, and Jamal Crawford finished second on the team in scoring, averaging 17.7 points per game.
[9][10] Following the season, Larry Brown was hired as coach,[11] Kurt Thomas was traded to the Phoenix Suns,[12] Tim Thomas was dealt to the Chicago Bulls,[13] and Allan Houston, who played just 20 games due to injury, retired after 12 seasons in the NBA.