In response to The Phoenix...
Cavs: It doesn't matter if they get Lebron. Wagner, Miles, Diop, and whoever they get next year gives them four guys that have star-potential... and that's not including Ricky Davis (who they still might resign). Obviously, they'll be awful next year, but they have lots of exciting young players that could be stars.
Warriors: Yea, they're in the Pacific division... but there's no denying they've got some great young talent in Richardson and Dunleavy Jr, along with other solid young players. The present is obviously very bleak, but two good/very good drafts in a row should mean good thigns in the future, along with another high draft pick next year.
Jazz: You're right, free agents probably won't want to go to the Jazz... but with Kirelenko, Raul Lopez, and Deshawn Stevenson (who still shows flashes... he's only 21, and still should be given more time) they have three young guys that could be very good players... along with Borchardt, if his foot ever heals, or Collins if he ever develops. They have a decent collection of young talent.
Lakers: It doesn't matter how their future is... would you be unhappy if your team just 3-peated, even if they had no good young players? But regardless, they still have Kobe... and even if he doesn't sign an extension yet, I still think he'll be a Laker for life.
Magic: You honestly believe a team that has T-Mac has a worse future than the Knicks? He's already a superstar, and still only 23. And even if Hill doesn't bounce back, Mike Miller is a solid young guy to play next to T-Mac... and even if they don't sign Keon Clark (and I think they will sign him), they still have some more young talent in Steven Hunter, Sasser, and the bunches of draft picks they're owed.
Miami: They don't have that much young talent... but if Zo is healthy they have a pretty good present.
Nets: The Nets don't have a good nucleus of young players to go along with Kidd? Are you joking? Jefferson can be a star, Kenyon Martin can be a star, Collins can be a very solid center... Krstic played like a star at the Junior World championships (and that's not even counting Van Horn, and Kittles, who are overpaid and flawed, but still decent players) Kidd obviously made them a better team, but to say because they weren't good the year before, they're not a good team is just wrong. Martin was injured a lot, Van Horn was injured a lot, Kittles was injured the whole year.... they didn't have Jefferson or Colilns. They were a much different, and much worse team, that often had to rely on Johnny Newman to be the number 2 option.
Hawks: Abdur-Raheem is probably better than anyone the Knicks have, and is still only 26. Ratliff, if he stays healthy, is a defensive star. Terry is instant-offense. DeMarr Johnson and Dickau could develop into good players.
The main reason the Knicks don't have that good of a future (although it's definately possible that they can be a pretty good team this year, if McDyess is healthy) is because they have the worst young talent in basketball. Compare their young players (and who do they have? Frank Williams and Postell?) to the young players on any other team in the league..