Opinion: Donnie Trying to Seize the Opportunity

by Chris Alvino on July 3rd, 2009 at 1:12 pm

It is the simple idea of buy low, sell high.  While much is made of the 2010 free agent class, people seem to be overlooking the quality free agents that are right underneath their noses right now.  Players like Jason Kidd, Ron Artest (MLE), Rasheed Wallace, Lamar Odom, Mike Bibby, Ramon Sessions, and Allen Iverson are all expected to be signed to MLE deals, or if they are lucky, slightly higher than the MLE.  That is quite the list for the bargain prices being thrown around.

I am sure that everyone has had a point in their lives where they bought something because the value was just too good to pass up.  If you have, then you should understand the situation at hand in the NBA right now.  The financial atmosphere for this year’s free agency is unprecedented in the league (as far as I can remember).  This summer, there is a tough mix of teams not having cap space and teams looking to cut costs.  For free agents, that is a bad mix.

How much money would some of these free agents make next off-season, an off-season in which many teams will have cap space?  If the Lakers had cap space, do you realy think that Ron Artest would have signed for the MLE?  Artest realized that the MLE was the best he could do from teams other than Houston.  At that point, he simply picked his team, not his price.  The same will happen for Rasheed Wallace and a few other free agents.  It really is kind of crazy to see how this free agency is shaking out in favor of the NBA teams.  It is a strong buyers’ market.

This leads me to the Knicks.  There seems to be a split on whether or not to give Jason Kidd a contract.  Some think he is too old.  Some think he is shot.  Others think he has a couple of years left in his tank and that his leadership is something to consider.  For me, at the MLE, Jason Kidd is just simply too good to pass up.  Where else will the Knicks get a player like Kidd, who is coming off a solid year, for that kind of money?  To put his potential contract into perspective, remember that in the past, Isiah Thomas signed players like Jared Jeffries and Jerome James to the MLE.  Jason Kidd… Jerome James… Jared Jeffries… you tell me, which name does not fit with the other two?  Here is another question, if Kidd signs with the Knicks, what will all three have in common?

As for David Lee, some feel as though we should just let him go in order to preserve cap space for next year.  If you ask me, give me Jason Kidd, David Lee, some remaining cap space, and a playoff run in 2009 over a player like Amare, Joe Johnson, or Chris Bosh next summer.  Make no mistake, Amare and Bosh will receive max deals next summer.  Joe Johnson will get one that is close.  There will be too much available cap space and too much competition for them not to get those deals.  But if you ask me, aside from LeBron and Wade, no other free agent will come here and turn the entire franchise around.  No other free agent can lead this team to title contention on their own.  Because of that, Walsh should absolutely get a star free agent, such as Kidd, this summer.  For nearly 1/3 the price, Jason Kidd can help lead this team over the next three years as well as some of the max 2010 free agents not named Wade or LeBron.  For $8 million per season, Lee has too much value to let go.

Speaking of Jason Kidd being too old and speaking of the 2010 free agent crop, keep in mind what we are trying to do.  Right now, the Knicks are in a rebuilding process.  There is no mistaking that.  But, we all have to keep in mind when that rebuilding process is going to end.  If the Knicks land LeBron next summer (that’s the plan, right?), the rebuilding process is over.  If the Knicks land LeBron next summer, we will not see him as the first step towards greatness.  We will see it as the ultimate step towards greatness.  Rebuilding mode will transform very quickly into winning mode.

Donnie Walsh should seize the moment here.  This off-season is very unique.  Players will be forced to sign for deals that they would have never fathomed. I think Walsh understands this and is trying his best to capitalize.  It is simple math and it is simple logic.  While players like Joe Johnson will be signing for close to $16 million per season, players like Kidd (if he signs here) and Ron Artest will be making $6 million per season.  If you see that imbalance, then you see my point.

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 →
  • barnaby8787

    I might get hell for this one, but if we could get AI for the MLE, I don’t think that I would mind that one bit…

  • barnaby8787

    By the way, same with bibby…

  • Cheech

    This is great Chris. im with you 100%. ur point about Jerome Jame snad Jared Jeffries is a great one. its importatnto keep perspective of the situation. Jason Kidd is still a top ten point guard in the NBA. granted he is getting worse each year. but he can still run this team effectively for the next 2-3 years. I think it would be worth it to sign him for 3 years. my only issue with this is that if we can get nash for a similar deal, then i would rather have nash. I would just hate to sign kidd and then nash becomes available.

    But i agree. Being a competive playoff team this year will be just as important as luring a big free agent next year. If we have cap space and no players on the team, no one is coming here by themselves.

  • Qaspec

    Just remember also that the cap will most likely shrink next year, more teams will attempt to avoid the luxury tax, and cap space is not only about FA’s. Cap space allows you to make lopsided trades with teams desperate to save money. Next year will be an even more unprecedented offseason that could make the Knicks cap even more valuable.

    At the same time I think we should sign Kidd to the MLE. It is a great value, such a good value that we could include him in a package for trade when the team tries to make one of the lopsided trades in the future. A financially struggling team might say look we lost player “x” but we saved 30 million and got Jason Kidd!

  • slambam

    EXACTLY Bosh and Amare are great players, but if we sign them, we will get better, but if only if we get Lebron or Wade we become immediate title contenders. I would rather have Kidd now than wait a year for a guy that most likely wont put us over the top. Bosh hasn’t made a playoff run in Toronto, and last year, while Amare was healthy WITH Nash AND Shaq they still were in a position to just be a lower seed in the west.

  • Kid Tarheel

    Great post Chris! You relate the market demands very well to the Knicks situation.

    Just an aside to those who suggest we shouldn’t sign veterans if we are a rebuilding team. Rebuilding a team doesn’t mean that you just want to throw out a bunch of rookies and see what happens. You need some veterans to show the young kids how it is done, so that they can perpetuate that for the rest of their career. Who better to do that than Hill, Nash or Kidd? Hallowed vets who have played the game the right way with heart for their entire careers.

  • Qaspec

    Nash or Kidd yes since they help fill a need, Hill, not so much since the team has so many forwards

  • barnaby8787

    Thank you kidd tarheel. For the past day i’ve been arguing your point with people who say that we need rubio over kidd/nash. My point was exactly was you said including that we could trade for a draft pick next year and groom them under kidd/nash as opposed to taking on rubio and making our team out to be more of a project than anything. Why would a free agent want to come to a team ran by a raw 19-year-old point guard?

  • barnaby8787

    I agree with you. Unless donnie has plans on shipping chandler somewhere; then hill could be a role player for us.

  • Jon

    hey chris what about this scenario … with turkoglu closing in on a deal with Portland how about swinging DLee packaged with Al harrington in a S&T to toronto for Bosh … they are said to really like DLee … than heading into 2010 possibly having Kidd Chandler Gallo Bosh Jordan Hill to attract Lebron? … thats pretty nice team right there … plus we can then sign Lebron before re-upping Bosh this way if we have to go over the cap some we can….

    Just a thought….

    Kidd/Duhon
    Chandler/Douglas
    Lebron/Gallo
    Hill/Gallo
    Bosh/Darko

  • Qaspec

    To me ideal would be signing Kidd and then trading for Rubio. Letting Kidd mentor Rubio for a year and then handing over the reigns….

  • barnaby8787

    Lee + harrington=too much money for toronto to take on; plus they have bargnani who is a similar player to harrington hence they don’t need him. Plus, we can’t afford kidd/bosh/lebron and darko/duhon’s contract are both up next year so they wouldn’t be part of that.

  • darkseid

    Iverson would be like the second coming of Marbury. The size of their contract is not the reason teams don’t want them. It’s their horrible attitude.

    I think the odds we sign Iverson would be the same odds we take back Marbury

    0% and that is what it should be

    they both have another thing in common, zero championships and that includes the olympics

    I love watching both of them play(for other teams), but I never want anyone like that on the Knicks ever again

  • joetheknick

    Bosh is under contract for 15+ M this year and 17+ M next. If Bosh asks for a trade and Toronto wants to get something back, we could give up Lee and Curry or Lee and Jeffries and Mobley but we would vastly reduce cap space for next year. Is it worth it??

  • Cheech

    I think thats a situation we all hope for.

    And even tho we all know this, i just thought i would say it. Jason Kidd is the best passer in the NBA. he has the best vision. and that is something will not go away with age. His athleticiscm will. But i still would take him.

  • barnaby8787

    Yeah, but iverson has simmered down since he was younger. I wouldn’t object to an MLE for him for two years. Granted, there are better options, but as a last resort, i’d take him over duhon.

  • darkseid

    His presence in Detroit made the team worse.

    Remember, he skipped a practice. I know it was Thanksgiving. But his teammates showed up. How do you think he they felt about him that day? They all made a lot less $$ then him too. I had to work Thanksgiving and I was even a little upset with him that day. LOL

    What kind of an example does that set for young players that look up to him.

    Remember, we have a lot of young guys right now. Do you want them to model themselves after Iverson?

  • gilcher82

    im sorry … i have to disagree with the idea of building a team with a bunch of “good” players ….
    this is the Mecca… get us a savior and build around him
    since the year 2000 … every NBA champion aside from Detroit had a big star on the big stage …. and detroit had one of the clutchest players in history in and were one of the best defensive teams….

    but all that aside,,, if we give kidd a 3 yr deal for $ proposed … we can still land at least 1 big fish next summer no?
    or does it depend upon trading curry and jefferies?

  • Ftingue

    Great post Chris.

    FT

  • bob go knicks

    CHRIS, JASON KIDD is not an all-star free agent,he is an ex aging all star free agent.also suppose LEBRON doesnt sign with us next year? we are stuck with an overpaid 38 year old point guard.and nobody else.we have to sign young players who grow into great players.take a shot with SESSIONS. or give up the house for a shot at RICKY RUBIO. if we sign 2 old guys who maybe will last 1 -2 years ,what do we do after that? i think that the nets with young talent like HARRIS,LOPEZ,LEE,AND THE GUY THEY PICKED IN THE DRAFT this year(forgot his name in all this excitement) have a much better chance of comming together as a team and winning than we do

  • http://www.midwestsportsfans.com/2010/03/cavaliers-lakers-finals-think-again-part-1-the-l-a-story/ Lakers/Cavs Finals? Think Again!

    [...] – Jason Kidd photo credit: The Knicks Blog Email the author: Devonnba4193@aol.com Twitter: twitter.com/devonmsf Tags: dallas mavericks, [...]