NEW YORK — Quentin Richardson has played for the Knicks and against the Knicks.
With his current team, the Miami Heat, set to visit New York Sunday night, Q-Rich said he doubted either LeBron James or Richardson’s teammate Dwyane Wade would sign with New York as a free agent this summer.
“To me, I don’t see any of those guys coming to New York. I don’t see them coming,” Richardson said.
Both Cleveland and Miami are headed to the playoffs, while the Knicks have not had a winning record in nine seasons and have suffered through four 50-loss seasons in the last six years.
“LeBron’s in a situation where his team is competing for a championship. Now he could leave, I don’t know. I’m just saying me personally, I wouldn’t. If I’m in that situation, he’s in his hometown. And you’re King and all that over there, so why would you?”
The Cleveland Plain Dealer just reported that James seems closer than ever to re-signing with Cleveland, whether or not they win the NBA title this season.
“I have never been so sure that he’s going to stay in Cleveland than I am right now,” a source told the paper.
Richardson also thinks Wade is unlikely to leave his team.
“And if I’m D-Wade, why would I? You’re the King of Miami. He’s going to be the all-time everything in Miami and he’ll get a chance to play in one jersey for his career, probably be the best Heat player ever and why would you change that?” he said.
While the Knicks have $30-plus million to spend on two max-contract free agents, the Cavaliers and the Heat also have money to spend on free agents.
“Yeah, and improve,” Richardson said.
Asked if the top-flight free agents cared more about winning or money, Richardson said players like James and Wade want both.
“Most of the guys that they’re trying to get here [in New York] are really about winning. The funny thing is they’re going to get a lot of money wherever they go. And most of them can only get the most staying with their own team anyway,” Richardson said.
Asked about Richardson’s comments, Knicks forward Danilo Gallinari defended the Knicks’ future, saying the team had good players for LeBron and Wade to play with.
“I don’t consider myself nobody,” said Gallinari, one of just four Knicks under contract for next season. “It’s going to be an interesting summer because the Knicks can decide a lot of things and nobody knows really what’s going to happen.
“But I think that also ‘TD’ [Toney Douglas] and other players proved that they are really good players and they can really have a good role in this league so I don’t necessarily agree with that.”
He added: “I’m not thinking about LeBron or other players …I’m thinking about Wade and the Heat.”
(Photo courtesy NBA.com)
Follow Adam Zagoria on Twitter
