Larry Brown Wanted Tim Thomas; I Want Raja Bell; A Match?

Tim Thomas, Eddy Curry and Anthony Roberson for Bell and Diaw?

That deal would never happen because:

a) It makes too much sense for the Knicks
b) I’m sure Jordan would position Larry under the basket, walk the halfcourt, then sprint down the floor w/ a basketball in hand and slam dunk/teabag LB in the process for making such a horrible deal.

What about Bell for Thomas and then Roberson for Ryan Hollins in a seprarate deal?

I like Hollins and he never played down there.

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Chris I don’t know what has gotten into you lately. These trades that you propose are some lopsided it’s getting crazy. I respect your opinion on the Knicks but lately you have been coming up with these trades that as I posted in a previous column of yours would only be done if Zeke was named the GM of the team your talking about in you trade talk. Let’s get back to reality here, the only way we are getting Diaw or Bell is if we trade Lee I really believe there is no other way around it, whether it be Lee and Curry or Lee and Tim Thomas, something to that extent. Now that it’s 2009 lets leave the crazy trade proposals behind us and get back to realistic ways of improving this team through signings or fair trades.

You’re right… Roberson for Hollins is lopsided in favor of the Knicks.

In all seriousness, the Portland (Aldridge) deal I made up the other day was fantastical. I will admit that. I admitted it the other day. Before I wrote it, I knew that it was not realistic. I simply did that to use an extreme example of the issue that I was arguing. That issue is that the Knicks should try and trade Lee for a younger player to be used for the future of this franchise, not an aging veteran with a bloated deal. If I was that serious about my Portland idea, I would have made a seperate post for it. I knew it was far-fetched, and that was why I put it into the comment section. Strictly a conversation starter. Good job on the readers’ parts to bring me back to reality. Knick fans are the smartest ones out there (except for me). I truly believe that.

And with TT for Bell, I simply wrote that based on the report that Larry Brown wanted TT. Would I make that deal if I were the Cats? No. But if Brown wants TT to fill one of the voids upfront, then Bell would be most attractive for the Knicks. When push comes to shove, both players are role players. As much as I would like Bell, he is not superstar. Aside from his superior defensive ability, is there anything else that makes him head and shoulders better than TT? He is shooting a better % from 3 point land, but both are shooting about the same % from the field. Both are about the same age, and TT is averaging the same amount of points per game as Bell in about 10 less minutes per game. However, their differing systems help to account for that.

And fair trades do not require us to undervalue our own players. That said, I am at fault, and always have been for that matter, for overvaluing Knick players at times (perhaps in the case of David Lee).

Anyway, Happy New Year to everyone. I will try to keep fantastical trade proposals to a minimum.

Before I get ripped, I just want to cover myself by saying that I think that Bell is a better player than TT.

Also, there is a good chance that Berman’s article overplayed Brown’s interest in TT. I have simply bought into it.

I think this is a good starter Chris. If Brown loves TT so much it may not be so fantastical.

I remember when Brown came to NYC he had good things to say about TT. Then IT traded him for Eddy before the season got under way. Og course after the Brown experience in nYC I have a hard time believing anything he says.

Extending the trade to TT, Malik and Lee for Raja and Diaw may be more likely than Eddy and Lee at this point. I’d rather they use Malik’s expiring in a better deal but Diaw showed my something the other night. The Cat fans are starting to see just what MD loved in the guy.

Chris I appreciate your honesty and your willingness to admit that something you wrote was a little “out there” I’m not saying these things can’t happen I’m just saying they need to be a bit more equal.
As for Bell in my opinion what really makes him stand out compared to TT is his defense and his toughness, something TT has nothing of. I agree with you that Bell is a nice fit for the team, but I wouldn’t do it for Lee either. I agree with you the only way you trade Lee is for a younger type player ( no not Aldridge).
I have been thinking about who would fit that role since you originally posted that article and am truly having a difficult time finding a player that matches the description that both me and you agree would be the proper player to trade him for. The problem is, these players still have rookie contracts and teams aren’t likely to trade young talent for a talented player that is going to make a lot of money in the near future. What do you think? Do you have any more ideas? I was thinking originally a guy like Andrew Bogut or Bargani but Bogut just signed a big contract and Bargani is the same player as TT.

It is tough to say which young player is available and who is not when you do not follow other teams on a daily basis as closely as you follow your own team. A young player who has not reached his potential that we deem untouchable might not be that untouchable in the views of the fans / GM of the other teams.

Perceptions in different cities change for different players. Look at Lee. Here fans are willing to deal him, meanwhile all 29 other teams would love to pry him away. Not only would any team like to deal for him, but there also appears to be a market forming for him in the 10 mill per year range this off-season when he is a RFA. So there is a difference in perception of the value of this player. ONe more thing on Lee and my point about a young player… remember the rumor during the draft that the Grizzlies would have dealt the #5 pick to the Knicks in return for Lee. That pick ended up being Kevin Love and then OJ Mayo (man how nice would Mayo look in a Knick uniform right now). The Grizzlies did not make the deal because Lee said he would not sign an extension in Memphis. Deal dead.

Chris, as an astute NBA observer you probably know that Larry Brown is ALWAYS complimentary and nostalgic about his old players and down on his current ones. He’s even said nice things about Steph. Heck, as Isola (I think) pointed out, Larry traded Tim Thomas twice. I really doubt LB wants TT.

DanL
knicksfan.net