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Knicks Need to Sign Nate and Lee

by Tommy Dee on March 3rd, 2009 at 8:32 am

As another failed basketball season in New York comes closer to an end, once again there is more talk in the Big Apple of what the Knicks will do in the off-season than there is around what’s going to happen in the next game. While most fans are praising Donnie Walsh for unloading the contracts of Jamal Crawford, Zach Randolph, and Jerome James, some fans are still cursing him for not re-signing Nate Robinson and David Lee before the start of the season.

Robinson and Lee have made a statement this year that along with Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, and a few potential draft picks, the Knicks could have a great young core: the type of core that a marquee free agent such as Dwayne Wade or Chris Bosh may have an interest in signing with during the summer of 2010. The problem that presents itself, though, is that if the Knicks pay too much to re-sign Robinson and Lee this summer, with the contracts of Jarred Jeffries and Eddy Curry on the books for 2010-2011, they won’t have room to sign a player such as Wade or Bosh.

On the other edge of that sword, however is the question: without Robinson or Lee on the roster, can the Knicks offer a playoff-worthy supporting cast to a marquee free agent? Without a shot at a championship, would any NBA stars really consider the day-to-day risk that in the absence of food, Curry might set his sights on a teammate? Or who would take the chance that the horrible illness that Jeffries calls his basketball game could be contagious? Once again, the Knicks need to bring back Robinson and Lee. more

Great piece by Billy O, however,  I still have my doubts about them both especially when I consider that we have a solid post player in Lee and a solid guard in Nate who have performed exceedingly well yet in their 3 plus years they’re a milllion games under .500. Of course, I can’t take the seasons previous to this one too seriously, but you should get the idea. They’re both not proven winners and Walsh needs to decide if they are pieces to the winning puzzle moving forward.
  • Prismo

    It could be extremely hard to sign two max contracts in 2010 if the Knicks resign both Lee and Nate. I would think signing one of the two is a must though – and it’ll probably be David Lee.

  • Mucha

    Donnie Walsh should have done a better job. Dumping Crawford and Randolph was great but he could have done better after that.

    The key to “the plan” was the choice he had to make between resigning David Lee or not resigning him. His name was burning hot (unlike Nate Robinson) and he could have gotten a great rookie contract in return for him, which would have settled the whole capspace issue. Taking him off the market was a huge mistake. Now the Knicks will have to choose between a big contract and a sign-and-trade deal, and they would lose A LOT of leverage in that case. Nobody will offer valuable assets for big contracts they know the Knicks can’t afford to keep – they’ll just have to wait. Lee and Robinson are not the kind of players teams desperately want to get anyways.

    Now, I know that Colangelo will either try to resign Chris Bosh or try to trade him during the summer. David Lee, Nate Robinson and the Knicks 2012 first round draft pick for Chris Bosh would be a great deal.

    Donnie Walsh should NOT trade this year’s pick because there are a lot of underrated players in the draft (Warren, Monroe) and maybe we’ll even be in a position to draft Harden. And Harden is a future NBA STAR, mark my words. Furthermore, adding a rookie contract before 2010 would be a great fit.

  • reddog2669

    Curry and Jeffries will be kept and traded for more talented guys with longer contracts. Think Kevin Martin and his $11 million a year, long term deal or someone of that ilk. Look at what the Nets tried offering Portland… VC AND two 1st rounders for Raef LaFrentz and his expiring contract. So here is my grandmaster plan…

    Sign Lee and Nate while leaving enough money for 1 marquee free agent.

    Sign a marquee free agent, we’ll call him D’Chris LeBosh

    Trade Curry for a talented player with long term deal.

    Build around D’Chris LeBosh, Gallo, Nate, Lee, Chander, this year’s first rounder, and whomeever you make the trade for.

  • Mucha

    The Nets wanted more than an expiring contract, they wanted Bayless or Outlaw if not more.

  • Mucha

    The only untouchable assets that we have now are Danilo “Detlef Schrempf” Gallinari, Wilson “Sean Elliott” Chandler and this year’s pick. This year’s pick is very important considering the fact that we wont’ have any first round draft pick next year (and a rookie contract would be a great fit).

  • DanL

    Maybe Chandler, Gallo, and Stephen Curry will be enough of a core to attract a top free agent. Maybe add Lee to that mix. Maybe you do a sign and trade for Lee and/or Nate and bring some pieces back. There is a world of gray in between the black and white extremes of keeping Lee and Nate or letting them go.

  • http://www.hotstovenewyork.com gozer

    Tommy – You didn’t cite the article at the top. It’s a bit unclear at first that this isn’t your own piece (until you get to your commentary at the bottom)

  • tallmofo

    It’s definitely stupid Q — but is it possible for lee and robinson to have a contract which they make a limited amount till jeffries and eddie curry’s contracts are over and done with..after which, they get paid whatever money they contractually signed for? lol

  • 2010

    how do you write a knicks looking towards 2010 article and not include any mention of lebron james? the knicks need to have a good young core AND one of lebron’s usa basketball buddies in order to get him to come here. nate is completely expendable in our young core if it means being able to buy wade/bosh and then enticing Lebron with dlee, chandler, gallo, whoever we get in the draft this year, and DWAYNE WADE or CHRIS BOSH. not nate robinson.

  • DMAT89

    2010, thats exactly how i view it, if you can have a core of lee, gallo,chandler, a draft pick and dwade….i think lebron would come here, no bosh please, hes overrated…lebron, wade and the core the knicks will have should produce multiple championships.

  • reddog2669

    ESPN reported that the Nets wanted only Raef in exchange for VC and two 1′s. Nets want tou from under his contract.

  • craigamus83

    Just some stuff from Chad Ford’s latest chat…

    Chad Ford: Here was my Top 10 on draft night …

    1. Derrick Rose
    2. Michael Beasley
    3. O.J. Mayo
    4. Russell Westbrook
    5. Danilo Gallinari
    6. Kevin Love
    7. Eric Gordon
    8. Brook Lopez
    9. D.J.Augustin
    10. Anthony Randolph

    I doubt I’d do much shifting other then to drop Gallinari down to No. 10 and move Lopez to No. 5 … I still think Beasley will be a player.

    Interesting…

    He also said the Knicks love Steph Curry. Maybe he replaces N8. These undersized two’s aren’t that successful for the most part.

  • bmathews77

    I agree that the Knicks do need to re-sign David Lee. Nate however I think is expendable especially if you can package him in a deal to move Eddy Curry or Jared Jeffries undesirable contracts. A free agent will need a solid supporting cast if they are to come to the Knicks so I see it as a no brainer for Walsh to re-sign Lee.

  • Mucha

    And you still believe that they will come out of the blue? Come on, let’s be serious. LeBron James is a Cavalier for life and Dwyane Wade already has Michael Beasley and Mario Chalmers – furthermore the Heat (and the Cavaliers) will have more capspace than us. Let’s not be pretentious, we are not in a great position to aquire either one of them now – things may change but it is what it is now.

    Chris Bosh is not overrated, his team sucks and that is a huge difference. Chris Bosh is among the few players who can actually compete with Dwight Howard and the Knicks will need that kind of player. Of course I’d rather have LeBron James but the Knicks will need Danny Ferry’s passivity for that.

  • Mucha

    My top 10 would be :

    1. Derrick Rose
    2. Eric Gordon
    3. Michael Beasley
    4. OJ Mayo
    5. Russel Westbrook
    6. Anthony Randolph
    7. Danilo Gallinari
    8. DJ Augustin
    9. Brooke Lopez
    10. Kevin Love

    A lot of people are pessimistic regarding Stephen Curry – and I really don’t know what my opinion is – but it seems like people focus on his weaknesses too much. Am I wrong? If this kid can bulk up and improve his defense he could be a star. I prefer Willie Warren and the Knicks should try to get Harden because something tells me that he’s gonna be a star though.

  • bmathews77

    Actually I think the Knicks should really go after Chris Bosh. I also would love to have Lebron but it has been extremely rare for a player in James’ caliber to just leave his team (especially if they are a contender). The last free agent that did that was a guy named Shaquille O’neal. Bosh is more likely to be a Knick because the Raptors are not even going to make the playoffs this season and you can clearly see that Bosh wants out.

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  • BiggieSmalls

    impossible unless u trade curry and jj

  • BiggieSmalls

    thats because Raef’s money is 80% paid by insurance. So it was a very very valuable commodity

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