The Value of an Expiring Deal
The trading deadline is next week, and I for one am very excited. Amare
rumors, Bosh rumors, Sacramento Kings rumors… there will be a lot of those and I am ready to eat up every single one. Reading through ESPN’s John Hollinger chat, I noticed one overarching theme. Teams want expiring deals, even if it means having to give up talented players to get them. The Suns are looking to deal an all-NBA power forward to clear cap space. The Kings are willing to move John Salmons and Brad Miller, both starters on most teams in the league, including the Knicks. The Clippers reportedly offered both Chris Kaman and Baron Davis for the expiring contract of Jason Kidd, but the Mavs rejected because they view Kidd’s expiring deal as more of an asset than the other two players and their long term deals.
The idea that teams are looking for expiring contracts is no revelation to Knick fans. Over the years, other teams have been knocking on the Knicks’ front door with a willingness to deal. Our team has supplied the league with expiring contracts for much of this decade. In dire economic times, it appears that even more teams are looking for these deals to save some bucks for the future. As I have noted previously, baseball fans have witnessed how a struggling economy can pinch the pockets of even the mightiest spenders (other than the Yankees, of course). While there is a cap in the NBA, I can definitely believe that the same issue is plaguing the NBA.
So in the coming week, what can we expect as Knick fans? The Knicks have two major expiring deals in Stephon Marbury and Malik Rose (I am not including David Lee or Nate Robinson in this discussion). This is just a thought, but perhaps Jerome James might be a valuable contract as well, as his ruptured Achilles injury has put him out for the rest of the season, leaving insurance to pick up the tab on his contract. Who knows, maybe that injury can even end his career. Those are three big deals that can possibly be moved to teams looking to cut costs. With Walsh’s seeming willingness to buy out Marbury’s contract at the right price, I have to question whether or not this Knick team is willing to cut costs. It is no secret that James Dolan is a very wealthy man. It is also no secret that if his Knick team makes the playoffs this year and next, he will be an even wealthier man, as the buzz that would engulf this city would generate even more cash inflow for the owner of Cablevision.
With assets clearly available for other teams, what will Donnie do? If he has his sights set on having cap space for the summer of 2010, there are plenty of good players out there whose contracts expire after next season. The question is whether or not Donnie is allowed to pick up the tab on their deals for next year. While it is not my money, if Walsh is serious about making this team a contender for the next year and a half, I feel that he has to be willing to take on deals that run into next year. On this site, we have made mention of making a Jermaine O’Neal for Steph swap. In the process, Donnie can probably snag a 2010 first rounder from the Raptors. The more and more I think about their situation, I have to believe that the Raptors would be thrilled at the opportunity to ditch that massive salary. As for Malik Rose, what about a deal for Mike Miller? Miller would fit right in as our starting two guard, our three point shooter, and our wing defender. Miller would be a perfect fit in our system, and his deal expires after next season. According to Hollinger, “I think they’d love to move Miller but big money that doesn’t expire is going to be extremely difficult to move in this environment.” If they are that eager to move Miller, then how about a deal for Rose? Maybe they can throw in a second rounder too? What about Malik for Earl Watson and a first round pick? Or if Donnie wants to get ambitious, what about Malik and Roberson for Wilkins, Watson, a first rounder, and a second rounder? As Alan Hahn wrote in recent days, the Knicks would have had to pay $2 million for the second round pick that was used to draft Mario Chalmers. Like I have said over and over again, in this league, you have to acquire as many assets and possible because you never know when they will be extremely useful.
Sorry for the long post, but I love trading season. I will probably be writing a lot in the coming week about NBA rumors (not just the Knick ones) and how they will affect the dealing teams. This much is clear, Donnie Walsh definitely has hot commodities on his roster. Teams want to cut costs, and I truly believe that the Knick organization is one of the very few in the league that has money to spend. So long as he does not mess with the 2010 plan, which he will not, I am advocating that Walsh take advantage of the prudent market and acquire assets for both the short- and long-term.
About Chris Alvino
Chris Alvino grew up in Crestwood, NY. He graduated from Regis High School in 2005. There he played both basketball and baseball. Chris is currently a student at Boston College, where he practices with the varsity Women's Basketball Team (... seriously). Chris has been a Knicks' fan for years and can literally talk about them all day long, every day of the week. Chris enjoys writing on this blog and seeing what everyone out there has to say about it. View all posts by Chris Alvino →-
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