For two straight seasons one of the biggest stories in the NBA season has belonged to the New York Knicks. Last year, it was The Melodrama and Carmelo Anthony’s trade to New York after months of rumor and speculation. This year, it’s Linsanity. While the two stories couldn’t be any different–one, a disgruntled superstar forcing a trade; the other, a classic underdog tale— they both have had a significant impact on the Knicks home ticket price average.

As shown above, in the week following the Carmelo trade last season, the average price for Knicks home games jumped 25%, from $204 to $256. This year, Linsanity has had an even bigger impact, raising prices an average of 33%, from $229 to $304. While fans in New York love their superstars, the above comparison clearly shows that they love a great Cinderella story even more.

The Knicks brass are also thrilled at the being back in the center of the basketball universe. The 2012 edition, however, has come at a significant discount to 2011. With his salary of $18 million, the buzz generated by Caremlo ‘s trade cost the Knicks $805,000 for each percentage point of price increase. This compares to just $23,000 for each percentage point increase that Linsanity has driven.

For those looking for score a deal Knicks games the rest of this year, there are only a handful of games left with tickets under $100. If Lin can continue to help the Knicks win, come Spring, the current average of $304 may be as distant a memory as Lin’s spot at the end of the Knicks bench.

For tickets to all remaining Knicks games, click here.

It’s not every day that an elite NBA player in his prime is traded, but that is exactly the case of what happened last Tuesday night when the Denver Nuggets shipped Carmelo Anthony to the New York Knicks in a 3-team trade.
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With a trade of this magnitude come ripples that can be felt throughout the NBA, both on the court as well as at the box office. With the Stoudamire era, excitement for Knicks tickets is already well above anything seen in the last ten years.
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With Anthony’s arrival, already-expensive tickets are now even more expensive. Below is an overview of the impact on Knicks ticket prices since the trade’s announcement. Anyone is interested in tracking trends more specifically, they can do so at @TKB_Tiqs or at TheKnicksBlog Tickets Facebook page
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- Knicks Home Game Avg: Was $206 and is now $394 (Up 91%)
- Knicks Road Game Avg: Was $104 and is now $151 (Up 45%)
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Impact on other big upcoming games (% increase since trade):
- Melo’s 2nd home game, 3/2 vs. NO, now $332: (Up 20%)
- Sunday @ Miami now $438: (Up +43%); (Heat Home avg: $200)
- 3/21 vs. Boston now $806: (Up +56%)
- 4/13 @ Boston now $232 (Up +92%); (Celtics home avg: $108)
- 4/12 vs. Chicago now $575: (Up +73%)
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While all home games are up significantly, there are a couple away games with little to no change:
- 3/15 @ Indianapolis now $75: +3%
- 4/6 @ Philly now $90: No Change
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Our prices show what is currently available on the market across all major sellers. We also break each game down into TiqZones, which are different areas of the arena.
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Overall, higher level seats (300s and 400s) are up more than lower level seats (100s and 200s). Anyone interested in seeing the impact on specific TiqZones at MSG can so that at TheKnicksBlog Tickets, which is a partnership between TiqIQ and The KnicksBlog, the leading Knicks Blog, which is owned by SNY.
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For tickets to all remaining Knicks games, click here.

For tickets to Melo’s first game as a Knick, click here.

To a sports fan, seeing the thrill of victory in person is the ultimate reward. Unfortunately, not every game turns out the way you want it to. If you’d prefer to avoid that 9-3 loss in 20 degree weather or that 7-1 blowout, TiqIQ and OperationSports are introducing TiqSims to help.  In addition to providing you all the data you need to get the best deal, we’ll be running game simulations on the biggest games of the week.  We hope this gives you a better idea of what you’re getting in return for your hard-earned dollars.
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Our inaugural TiqSim takes place at the Worlds Most Famous Arena— Madison Square Garden—and features two of the NBA’s biggest stars: Carmelo Anthony and LeBron James.  Game one features The Nuggets vs. Knicks on Sunday, 12/12 and Game two features The Heat vs. Knicks on Friday, 12/17.   Over the last year, Knicks fans have spent a lot of energy wondering if ‘Bron and Melo would end up in Orange and Blue.  Now they get the chance to root against them and see if their 15-9 Knicks can continue their hot play against two elite teams.
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According to our TiqSims, both games will come down to the wire.  Not surprisingly, both Anthony and James have huge games.  Unfortunately for Knicks fans, both games end up going against the home team. Because of the relative value of the Nuggets/Knicks game (19% below Knicks home avg.), we give it a TiqSim rating of 9.  Because of the astronomical price for Knicks/Heat (232% above Knicks home avg.), we give it a rating of 8. With dramatic finishes and the mega star wattage on display, however, these are both games you’ll be talking about for weeks, if not years, to come.
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Deal Tips

Nuggets/Knicks, 12/12.
With less than 24 hours to Knicks/Nuggets, prices remain 19% below the Knicks $156 home average and 9% above their $138 day-game average. As a result, there are some great deals, especially in TiqZone 300’s Corner where prices are down 38% over the last week and there are still over 300 tickets available.

Click here for Deals on Nuggets/Knicks
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Heat/Knicks, 12/17.
As for the Heat game on Friday night, this is as big, and expensive as it gets. At an average price of $518, tickets are selling for 232% more than the Knicks season average, and should remain very high all the way to gameday. While the best deal on the board is around $140, quantity remains very high, with over 6,000 tickets available. With only 6 days until the game, if tickets don’t move, prices could drop as much as 25%, especially in TiqZones with the largest amount of inventory, like 300’s and 400’s Corner. Keep your eyes peeled.

Click here for deals on Heat/Knicks

For tickets to either of these games, click on the links below:

12/12 – Knicks vs. Nuggets

12/17 – Knicks vs. Heat