NBA Free Agency: 3 reasons why the New York Knicks should not sign DeMarcus Cousins

#1 The Knicks and their signing curse

The Knicks have been far from fortunate with recent signings

The Knicks have a long history, spanning two decades, of signing high-profile players to long-term deals, ending in dramatic failure. It's essentially a curse. Cousins probably intended the 18/19 season to be a year where he'd reclaim his All-Star status, leading to a multi-year deal after penning a one-year $5m deal with the Warriors.

The Knicks would be better off either waiting to see if their $70m cap space attracts star talent elsewhere before even considering Cousins. Keep in mind his persistent injuries, he's a depth player at best right now. GM Scott Perry has a plethora of former Knicks deals to examine, as to why an injury-prone, sometimes unmanageable superstar is not worth the trouble.

In 2001, Allan Houston signed a six-year $100m contract and retired four years later due to knee issues. Houston even has an NBA CBA clause named after him for any team's ability to waive a contract without it counting towards their cap. Perry's predecessors also signed Eddy Curry to a six-year, $60m deal in 2005 and the center - with an irregular heartbeat - saw his ability to play decline in minutes and production after an undisclosed illness in 2007. Between 2008-2010, he could only manage ten appearances for the Knicks.

If Cousins is signed, they should make a similar deal to the one he took this past season with the Warriors. Should the situation not prove beneficial, a short-term deal is both flexible and easy to make disappear in a worse case scenario. However, the Knicks cannot panic as usual and sign Cousins to a long-term multi-year deal which could potentially make them suffer financially for years to come. A more patient, methodical approach is wise with a young nucleus centred around the likes of Dennis Smith Jr, Knox and Barrett.