It sure would have been a lot easier for a team like the Knicks before they signed all of those contracts. Maybe they would have still signed Randle, but: Portis, Bullock, Gibson, Ellington, and Payton make up over $50M in contracts they now have to pay this season and beyond. Granted, they are all on team options after this year (not Randle) and the Knicks aren't held to the restrictions of the hard cap, but it's not like they are allowed to trade any of those players now.