Via Ken Berger:

“…David Lee‘s days in New York are effectively over, said a source who believes that agent Mark Bartelstein will find the Knicks‘ choking point and exceed it by a dollar in negotiations with Oklahoma City and/or Memphis. “It’s a tough loss for New York, but they don’t want to screw up their 2010 plan,” the person said. The money will be there for Lee, especially now that Boozer is off the market. The only reason for Lee to think twice is the added bang for the buck he’s gotten out of playing in New York. He won’t be a known commodity anymore in OKC or Memphis…”

Not buying this yet. We know the Grizz and the Thunder are the leaders, and the Pistons may be added to the mix.

We have learned that Lee is returning from a trip overseas and that he is en route.

Stay tuned….

I heard several reports earlier in the eason stating that Jamal Crawford was going to opt out from the remaining near $20 million of his giftwrapped deal from Ole St. Zeke. You heard them too:

“Imagine Crawford in D’Antoni’s system, he’ll be an All-Star!”

I didn’t believe them by any stretch of the imagination. I “imagined” Donnie’s face when he dealt the contract, and we were the first to piece together the Al Harrington connection.

The economy wasn’t great then either, and when you think that Crawford managed to accumulate a ton of losses along with his points throughout his career, I wondered, “who on earth would offer him a big contract?”

Fast-forward several months later, Crawford will keep his $19.4 million and play for his new team, thank you very much.

Recent trade or not, Crawford came to his senses. No team in the league would pay him an extended deal at what he’s making now. Not in this market, and not what his value is.

Which brings you to Nate Robinson. For argument’s sake, let’s say Crawford left his money on the table. How much money would he be worth? 7 million? 7.5? Would a team pay him that for one year, let alone long term? If you were a GM in this league, do you open up your checkbook for JCraw and seriously sign him for 7 plus? Name a team who would pay $7 million for a shoot first, no defense-playing combo guard who has stockpiled losses. Too risky, in my opinion.

Would the Cavs, who desperately could use Craw’s jump shooting, bring him in? Face it, by trading Acie Law and Speedy Claxton, the Hawks are basically paying $5 million for his services over the next two years. In trying to judge what Crawford’s value is, I’m finding it hard to believe he’s anywhere near what he’s being paid. Is he a “bargain” at 2 years/14 million? Seriously, think about it.

Sure  you can tell me that in the right situation, he could be a productive player and help a star player win big games. But my point is, will that player’s GM take the lucrative risk on a player who hasn’t done it? In this economy, with next year brewing, the answer is no.

Despite the fact that he’s played on losing teams, Crawford is a pretty established scorer in this league so where does that place Nate? Are we to believe that if Crawford were a 7 million dollar free agent that Nate is worth the same? Surely not.

Nate would be worth less than Crawford, who at this point is worth less than his own contract, hence why he didn’t opt out.

You really have to think hard if you want to judge market value in today’s NBA.

ESPN.com is reporting that Mark Cuban is on his way to meet with Jason Kidd at the stroke of mid-night.  It sounds like Cuban is desperate to keep Kidd in Dallas.  Kidd is expected to meet with Donnie Walsh tomorrow regarding the possibility of playing in NY next season.

If Walsh makes an offer to Kidd, I think it should be for more than one year.  At the bargain MLE price, I am not sure where Walsh will find a better PG on such a cheap tab, so he should take advantage of the market to help avoid cap problems.  Kidd is not a $6 million player.  He is worth more than that to a good team, even at his age.

I am not against the idea of signing Kidd here, but I cannot help but overlook the awkwardness of the fit.  The Knicks are building for a team of the future.  How Kidd for 1-2 years will entice LBJ to come here next year is beyond me.  Let’s say Walsh gives Kidd a two year offer, that would mean that LBJ would play with the star PG for only one season.  If Walsh offers 3 years, that is only 2 years for LBJ to win with Kidd.  And if Kidd only comes for one year… well then I have no idea how that entices LBJ.  If all goes according to plan, he will play on the 2010-2011 team, not on next year’s team run by Kidd.

Kidd would be a much more valuable asset if Walsh were to find a way to snag Ricky Rubio.  Kidd can then teach the rookie PG lessons about the NBA game.  But without a young PG to groom, signing Kidd feels more like a gimmick than a move for the future success of this franchise.  Walsh does not strike me as a gimmicks kind of guy, so I am not worried about that.

As for what we can offer Kidd, money is not it.  As proud as I am to say this, New York is what Walsh has to offer Kidd.  The bright lights.  The big stage.  The chance to become a legend for helping to turn this franchise around.  The chance to be around his kids.  New York is the bargaining chip.  Not a championship.  Not a lucrative offer.

If Kidd decides to play elsewhere, or if Walsh decides to look elsewhere, I cannot blame either side.  Kidd to the Knicks is a bit awkward for both sides.  But if this happens, there could be big changes in the Garden next season.  A 2009-2010 Knicks team led by Kidd would have to be considered a playoff team.  That, to me at least, is a major step in the right direction.

Howard Beck has yet another strong article in today’s Times and does a great job of putting the market in perspective. There are some interesting things of note in how the market lays out for all 2009 free agents.

“…More than 100 players will become free agents at midnight Tuesday. Negotiations will commence soon after, although no deals can be consummated until July 8, after the annual moratorium.

Teams are already cutting back. Last week, the Milwaukee Bucks practically gave away Richard Jefferson, a high-scoring forward, in a trade with the San Antonio Spurs. The Bucks received a package of expiring contracts designed to reduce their payroll. Two days later, the Phoenix Suns traded O’Neal to Cleveland, and the Nets sent Vince Carter to Orlando, also for cap-friendly contracts.

The Bucks continued their payroll slashing on Monday when, in a surprise move, they declined to tender a qualifying offer to Charlie Villanueva, their promising young forward. The move made Villanueva an unrestricted free agent and probably ended his career in Milwaukee.

The Boston Celtics, who won the championship in 2008, have been offering their starting guards, Ray Allen and Rajon Rondo, in trade talks, in part because of financial considerations…

…The biggest buyer this summer will probably be the Detroit Pistons, who could have about $20 million in cap space after letting Rasheed Wallace and Allen Iverson leave. The Pistons have reportedly targeted Ben Gordon, the hot-shooting Chicago Bulls guard, and will also be shopping for a big man, possibly Boozer or his Jazz teammate Paul Millsap.

The other teams with significant cap space are Portland, Memphis and Oklahoma City, although it is not clear how much the Grizzlies and the Thunder are willing to spend. The Trail Blazers are reportedly interested in Turkoglu. They also need a point guard, and there are three top veterans available: Dallas’s Jason Kidd, Philadelphia’s Andre Miller and Atlanta’s Mike Bibby.

The lower-tier free agents will probably have to settle for re-signing with their teams or accepting a midlevel exception elsewhere. However, some team executives predict that only three or four teams will use their midlevel exceptions…”

Ironically, the Pistons are going to be shoppers, despite the fact that Mo-Town and the auto industry have been hit hardest during the downturn, but the idea is that once the buyers stake their claim, teams looking to mill over the second tier players may pass based on the economy.

So the question becomes where do executives place both Lee and Nate? I liked what Donnie Walsh said the other day in regards to Lee. He seemed to dare Lee’s camp to prove they can get a huge offer. What if Paul Milsap wises up and snags a modest offer from the Thunder? If he were smart he wouldn’t wait for Lee to set the market because he may give any leverage back to Utah.

Again,  Boozer will  decide go quickly, probably to Detroit, and as we reported a while back, the Blazers are hot for Hedo. You have to really wonder what offers come to Lee and Nate’s camp tonight because if they are not blow you out of the water huge, then those offers probably won’t come at all.

And Walsh will be justified for his play should he decide that the dynamic duo are really worth keeping at the right price. If it’s slow tonight, he may just get them under that number.

However, my thing with Nate has been the same stance since January. I like Nate and I don’t find him to be selfish off the court in terms of his asking price. He should want to get paid. He’s a good player and a great marketing mind.  On the court, I just don’t think that he’s a fit for what this group is building, but if Mike D’Antoni wants him back he could very well be back. The thing that I’ve learned in watching D’Antoni is that he REALLY wears his emotions on his sleeve. His enthusiasm for Nate was seriously curbed throughout the season when you consider how high he was on seeing Nate in his system when he first got here. Deal or no deal, it’s tough to imagine Nate being here, but will he even get an substantial offer is the ultimate question based on the current NBA situation. If the Knicks don’t land Kidd or Nash, expect them to let Nate walk and scoop up Ramon Sessions. To Beck’s point it would seem there won’t be a rush to judgment with Nate because the Knicks can offer the MLE to a guard and have the advantage with the most money over that second tier. They may get Sessions, a talented pass-first PG, by default.

It’s going to be intersting how teams rate the class. Those with high marks will be rewarded, but it seems more and more that the “B” students are going to get screwed. This is where the Knicks finacial strength can help them have a great off season.

But, when I asked Walsh the other day if he was confident he could make the right improvements, he told me, “I’m not confident until we do it.”

As being reported on ESPN:

“After looking at his options, Carlos Boozer decided not to go anywhere.

“The power forward picked up the option on his contract and will remain with the Utah Jazz next season. He will earn $12.7 million and will join the star-studded free agent class of 2010.”

This doesn’t come as much of a surprise to me…

Boozer isn’t signing a long term deal, he is just collecting his 12 million for a final season in Utah — with the economy in shambles, and teams less likely to overspend on big talent right now, Boozer is wise to wait it out, collect his check, and see what he can get come next year.

Even if he is competing for the FA spotlight with the likes of LeBron, Wade, and Bosh, Boozer is a stud and will get plenty of consideration next summer as well…

Via Alan Hahn:

“…The Knicks have yet to finalize the roster for the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, but one name that we did hear to be among the players expected to be there is Patrick Ewing, Jr.

The 6-6 forward was the final cut by the Knicks at the end of training camp and spent the season with Reno of the D-League. He injured his knee in March and did not finish the season. The hope is he will be ready to play in time for the first game, which is July 14 against Hasheem Thabeet and the Grizzlies…”

I’ve heard there is still some concern about the knee and let’s face it, Ewing’s athleticism is a huge part of his game. I was, and still am, a huge proponent of bringing in Ewing because it’s a great PR move and because the guy is a solid defender with offensive upside. But, should he prove healthy, play great over the summer and make the team, then where are the minutes?

Maybe I have missed something here.  Ric Bucher has Carlos Boozer as the #2 free agent in this year’s class.  There are reports that Boozer would not be the main target of the Detroit Pistons if he decided to opt out of his current deal.  To that effect, Boozer might not opt out of his current deal if he cannot get more than the $12+ million that he is scheduled to make this coming season.  Boozer is coming off an injury plagued season in which he made headlines for publicly saying that he was going to opt out of his deal.  During that time, Boozer’s backup, Paul Millsap played well enough to earn him more than a MLE deal from the Utah Jazz.

I have never really been rubbed the right way by Boozer’s attitude.  Saying that he would opt out of his deal was classless on his part.  While it was a good financial decision, what he did to Cavaliers when they let him go was also classless.  (As an aside, does anyone think the Cavs would have a title by now if Boozer never screwed them, but instead he played as LeBron’s sidekick?)  Boozer has always had a “me” attitude about him that I have never liked.

Okay, with all that being considered, Carlos Boozer is the best free agent in this year’s class.  Better than Turkoglu. Better than Ariza.  Better than David Lee.  Better than Millsap.  Better than Marvin Williams, Jason Kidd, Andre Miller, Charlie Villanueva, and Ben Gordon.  While Boozer might not be the class of the PF position in the NBA like Tim Duncan, Amare Stoudemire, Dirk Nowitzki and Kevin Garnett, he is at the very least on the next level with Pau Gasol, Chris Bosh, Elton Brand (when healthy).  Brand signed a mega-deal last summer.  What has Brand done to prove he is a better NBA player than Boozer?

Carlos Boozer is one of the best rebounding forwards in all of basketball.  He played on Team USA last summer (not like that is a big deal, but it shows that he was among the league’s best).  He has an ugly offensive game, but he is still a good scorer.  He competes hard and is effective in the pick’n'roll set.  His defense is a bit suspect though.

One of the problems that Boozer has is that he is an old 27.  While many players at 27 appear to be heading into their physical primes, Boozer, to me, looks older.  He has had injury plagued seasons before this past season.  That can scare away suitors.

Perhaps I cannot use numbers to necessarily show that he is head and shoulders above the rest of his class.  Perhaps it is just the perception I have of this guy.  I cannot really tell.  But when push comes to shove, Carlos Boozer is a definite top 10 PF in this league, and arguably a top 5 PF.  Who does he rank behind?  Duncan, Garnett, Amare, Dirk, Bosh (?), Gasol (?), West (?), Brand (?), and Josh Smith (?).  Boozer’s value might lie in the eye of the beholder, but I figured I would make a post about him because I do not even think it is close that he is the best free agent out there now.  He is not the sole piece to a championhsip team, but he is more than simply a role player, a third or fourth option.  He is a 1B type of player that can help a 1A type of player win a ring (if that makes any sense.  Think about Pau Gasol).

I wrote this a long time ago, but I think the Nets should aim for Boozer.  They need a bruiser in the paint to play alongside Lopez.  He is a better fit than a guy like Chris Bosh, who lacks Boozer’s grit.  The Nets cleared enough space to sign two players to max deals next summer.  If I was Kiki or Rod Thorn, I would consider dealing away Courtney Lee and Bobby Simmons in a S&T for Boozer at a slightly less than maximum deal (perhaps 14 per year for 5 years?).  Boozer worked well with Deron Williams.  Devin Harris can be the new Deron.  A starting lineup with Terrence Williams and Carlos Boozer could be a mean tandem.

So we’re getting close to the pumpkin hour, but I’d expect the off-court courting of free agents David Lee and Nate Robinson to take some time.

We’ll find out soon enough what the market is for both, but you’d think that Nate would be in a rush to leave if the money is right. The question becomes where is that coming from?

Is it possible that Nate will play for his Q offer and actually be in blue and orange in October? Sure, if there are no other suitors. But there is an addition to the rotation in Toney Douglas with the chances of another guard that would seem to make Nate’s minutes shrink. At the very least Douglas gives Mike D’Antoni some leverage against Nate’s antics.

But bringing him back is too risky because Donnie Walsh would be in the same situation next year with zero trade leverage.(Editor’s note- Nate cannot be traded next year if he’s playing on the Q offer) Nate could skate next year without restriction. What if he were to win 6th man of the year? Does Lebron REALLY think enough of Nate to demand he stays for huge money? And does Donnie give Nate a year to grow up, while risking driving his coach even more nuts?

Tough call.

Lee is a separate case and he’ll be interested to hear what the offers are tonight at 12:01.

As will we…

According to Marc Berman:

“If Lee departs or they can trade Jeffries’ pact, Walsh will wield the mid-level exception money at Orlando free agent center Marcin Gortat, whom the Knicks president covets.”

He also goes on tosay that:

“The Knicks will pursue Jason Kidd for the mid-level exception, hoping his yearning to be with his kids in New York will play a role. But it’s a longshot. Another favorite of the Knicks coaching staff is Milwaukee free agent PG Ramon Sessions.”

With Hill and Milicic now in the works, I’m curious to see how much Walsh still covets the Magic back-up big man.

That said, I am a big fan of Bucks PG Ramon Sessions and between him, Kidd and Gortat, is the only one I’d encourage the Knicks to pursue…

..when he apparently launched into a profane rant where he trashed the Knicks for passing on him at #8 during last week’s draft.

According to Marc Berman:

“In a profanity-laced video with rapper Joe Budden, Jennings allegedly cursed out Rickey Rubio, among others. Bucks GM John Hammond reportedly has contacted Jennings, who was selected 10th in last week’s draft, about the video.

“A spokesman for his agent, Bill Duffy, said Jennings, who opted to play basketball with the Italian team Lottomatica Roma out of high school instead of playing college basketball, had no idea he was being taped.”

You can watch the clip here (although it’s not the highest quality).

Sucks for Jennings.  I’m not a fan of his game or his attitude, but it’s hard to really knock a guy when his phone conversations are secretly being recorded and plastered on the web…

Stay classy, Mr. Budden!

Via Daily News:

“…The Knicks plan to meet with free-agent point guard Jason Kidd on Wednesday.

Kidd is scheduled to meet with New York president Donnie Walsh and coach Mike D’Antoni early Wednesday, according to a league source.

He is expected to talk with the Mavericks before meeting with the Knicks in order to give them the first chance to re-sign him.

The Knicks could offer Kidd their mid-level exception, or work a sign-and-trade with Dallas…”

Not sure how I feel about the prospects of a Kidd/Duhon PG situation. I can’t say I’m all that pumped up about it. If you ask me if I’d rather have Kidd or Nash, to me it’s close, but the purpose of having one would be in a mentoring roll. I’d like to see them add a youngin’ to learn from one of the all-time best.

Point guard aside, the guy I’d love to see them snag, now that Darko and Jordan Hill are on board, is Mavericks’ forward Brandon Bass, who would cost the MLE.

Bass is everything the Knicks need, and is the type of player who is the perfect bench player for a playoff team. The type of guy who gives you fantastic 18-25 minutes.The only problem is that Jared Jefferies is in the way, but should the Knicks lose David Lee, Bass would make a ton of sense.  He’s 6’8, strong, can guard the post and can finish.

ESPN.com is reporting that David Kahn is fielding calls on his new star guard, Ricky Rubio. According to Kahn:

“The last thing we needed to do was be demanding and assertive. Not now,” Kahn said. “I don’t know how this is going to play out. There could be a lot of twists and turns. But I don’t feel any self-imposed pressure that this needs to be resolved or concluded in any short fashion.”

I have not talked to Kahn, but logic tells me a few things about this situation. The first thing is that he drafted two point guards, back-to-back in the top 10 despite holes at PG, SG, and SF. Kahn decided to be bold, and he realized that Rubio’s talent alone was not worth passing up at the 5 spot. At 6, he took Flynn with the intention of playing him next to Rubio. Now Kahn is a basketball man. He knows better than to think that pairing the two purest PGs in the draft as a starting backourt would be an ideal fit. Not with Stephen Curry left on the board.

So now he sits in a tough position, a position that he is going to have maintain control over. If Kahn loses control of this situation, his tenure in Minnesota will be tainted from the start. He has a key piece that nearly any team in the league would want. His problem is that Rubio will not go play for just any team. That is Minnesota’s problem in the first place.

No team will deal for Rubio unless they are positive (100% sure) that he will play for them next year. That eliminates… well… close to every team in the league. Rubio appears poised for a big market, a market that he will be able to market himself in, a market that he will feel comfortable in. Sure a small market team can offer a ton for him, but why would they if he would just create the same headache that he is destined to create in Minnesota? They would not.

So does that put the Knicks in the driver’s seat? Well, partially. If Kahn refuses to deal Rubio out of spite, no good will come out of it. Rubio will not be able to play in the NBA, and the Wolves would then have traded Foye and Miller for a few brutal contracts, a major headache, and burst hopes and expectations. Kahn cannot be spiteful here. He should have understood the situation at hand. If he did, then he simply rolled the dice. Who knows, perhaps this will all work out and Rubio and Flynn will be the starting back-court from day one. That is, and was, the plan, right?

If the Knicks offer a deal including Wilson Chandler, then the Wolves should be happy. They have a major hole at the 3, and at 22 years old, Chandler is exactly what they should be looking for. His tenacity should compliment the games of Jefferson and Love quite well. The only problem is that other teams (where Rubio would like to play) might be able to offer a better deal. The one team that comes to mind is the LA Clippers. What if they can deal away Baron Davis? It is doubtful, but let’s just say they can. Would they be interested in pairing Rubio with Blake Griffin? What about a deal involving either Al Thornton or Eric Gordon? How about either of them along with DeAndre Jordan in a package? What about Chris Kaman for a couple of Minny’s brutal contracts? Is Rubio worth that? Thorton and Kaman for Rubio, Cardinal and Smith?

That is just me speculating, but there were rumors that LA would be interested in Rubio if they did not get Griffin. Would Rubio play in LA? Probably. I certainly would.

Anyway, those are my two cents on the latest Rubio chatter. I hope Walsh finds a way to get this done. But if this situation works out the way I think it will, this can be a long and tiring process that stretches out for quite some time.

Adrian Warjnarowski os Yahoo Sports is reporting that the Yao Ming’s broken foot is not healing and that he might miss next season, and perhaps beyond.

This would be a major blow to the Rockets organization, but it would not be something that they have not dealt with before.  Adrian recommends that the team starts over, but last season, the Rockets played well without Ming and McGrady.  Actually, for the last few years, the team has played well without its two biggest stars. 

The Rockets are an interesting squard because Rick Adelman has that team playing at a high level, even without its stars.  Can they win without Ming next season?  It is possible.  The Rockets will likely go get a big man to fill the void via free agency.  20 / 10 centers are not very common, and thus the Rockets will not be able to replace Ming in a pure sense of the word.  The Rockets will have to find a way to make it a team effort to fill the void.  It is doable in my opinion.  Whehter or not the Rockets decide to “blow it up” depends on how much they believe in their front office’s ability to find more unconventional talent.

Do I see the Rockets going after a player like Eddy Curry?  Probably not.  The Rockets, even if Ming does not opt out of his deal, can be major players in the 2010 market.  Why would they take on a guy like Curry to eat into that space? 

Tough blow for the Rockets and an even tougher set of future decisions to make for the franchise.

At the BET awards last night, LeBron James won the best male athlete award.  Apparently he brought a friend on stage to receive the award.  This friend was wearing an “I Love NY” t-shirt and a Yankee cap.

I did not watch (or even know about) the award show.  Does LeBron’s friend’s attire really matter to me?  Not really.  Does it say anything? Honestly, July 1, 2010 is too far away for me to start reading into what LBJ’s friends are wearing on TV.  But I am much more pessimistic about gimmicks like this.  So perhaps there is some meaning.  Not really for me though.

Check out the pictures here.  What do you think?

While the focus has been mostly on Jordan Hill — and maybe to an even bigger extent, new Timberwolf Ricky Rubio — over the past few days, the Knicks made another first round selection this past Thursday, combo-guard Toney Douglas out of Florida State.

The ex-Seminole was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year and was the runner up to UNC’s Ty Lawson for ACC Player Player of the Year honors as well.

As reported by Marc Berman, Donnie Walsh was in love with the kid:

“He’s good, really good,” Walsh said. “He can score. He’s a good defender. I think he can guard some 2′s. A lot of people thought he should have won [ACC Player of the Year]. . . . He’s got good credentials.”

Douglas had the following to say about himself as a player as well:

“Everytime I’m on the floor, you better bring it, because I’m going to bring my game,” Douglas said. “You rarely see a guard who can score and play the point who plays with as much passion on the defensive end as offense. I can guard.  It’s just the right way to play. Everyone loves the offensive end, but you win games on defense.”

Berman goes on to quote Pistons director of player personnel George David as saying:

“He’s one of the steals in the draft. I thought he’d be 18, 19, 20. That kid is not a 29th pick. He’s a big-time scorer and lockdown defender.”

I will admit that I did not see much (any?) of Hill’s play this past college season, so my positive opinion of the new PF is based exclusively on what I have read and heard from other sources.

That said, I am an ACC guy and am therefore considerably more familiar with Douglas having watched him play a nice amount last year.

I might not be gushing as much as Donnie, but I think he is a player, no doubt.  And I agree with Berman that, if nothing else, it is refreshing to hear a guy on this team talk defense. I don’t expect him to be a lock-down defender night in and night out right away, but I do expect him to contribute a decent amount.

With Nate halfway out the door, Douglas should step up nicely in his absence.  His scoring will surely be lower than what Nate was giving us last year, but he’ll play defense like he cares – something the Knicks were sorely missing from its backup combo-guard last year…