Some Clarity

by Tommy Dee on July 9th, 2009 at 9:12 am

The sensational story is the idea that the cap could drop again in 2010, and let’s reiterate “could.”

The cap has grown every year and it took a severe economic downturn to push the needle down. But let’s be honest, a Knicks jersey with 23 on it could do wonders for the NBA’s “BRI number”, as could the television numbers in this town as well as globally. So when people talk about the money a player would make in terms of supplemental income in New York, you also have to remember the positive dollar figure that’s attached to the league as well.

It’s significant.

But I’ve said that before, so we’ll leave it alone and talk about on the court stuff.

It’s hard to imagine this is the roster, Grant Hill or not simply based on minutes. Where are the minutes for all the big men should David Lee stay? That’s a good problem to have, but a problem nevertheless.

The Knicks could head into the season by throwing Toney Douglas some minutes to spell Chris Duhon, but I’d have to think before it’s all said and done they will have added a piece the the point. A young, cheap piece.

Hill or not, they have some real young cheap pieces here,  which is why they can’t be overly stressed about the cap number dipping. Two max free agents are ideal, and can still be attained for the simple fact that since the cap number is down, you’d have to think that max contracts will be too. If a player knew he was coming to play with another great one, they’d have to sign for slightly less and figure as the economy got better, the money would return. Plus, and this is important, NY’s cap space has always been advantageous because of the ad dollar amenities, so I’d think it would be more so now especially if we are talking about the Knicks at a championship level.

In other words, the Knicks haven’t sunk because of this cap news, but you’d have to think Walsh would like to have a Mulligan on that Jeffries-Nate to Sacramento deal, because we might be throwing him a parade today.

And shedding Eddy Curry is an absolute must. But in the end, there’s still plenty of time and I don’t believe that this will be the roster in October.
  • joetheknick

    At his point the only thing that is clear to me is that DW has a lot of work to do this coming season. I believe he will continue to make changes to improve the team. Milwaukee is in total rebuild. How about Michael Redd? Phoenix is in total rebuild. How about Amare Stoudemire and Steve Nash? I see DW patiently advancing in player selection by capitalizing on other teams problems. Meanwhile MD will put his best players on the floor to build a winning mentality. Should be an interesting season.

  • bmathews77

    I really do hope that this is not the roster we go into the 2009-2010 season with.

    Send Jeffries to Washington for Mike James, they love him there. We could do some kind of sign and trade with the Kings since they expressed that they like Nate.
    And hopefully Eddy Curry will go to the Houston Rockets for the McGrady deal we’ve all been talking about.

  • NYKat

    Tommy, love your optimism, but the odds of landing Lebron at this point have dwindled down to the lows 20′s percentagewise IMO, theres just too much working against the Knicks… primarily the Cavs can pay him significantly more, and the Cavs have a better team. Walsh had best clear out as many big contracts as he can and see if any unforeseen situations can be capitialized on in the next year… but hoping for Lebron is fruitless at this point…we gotta move on…

  • fracch209

    How come no one is getting on donnie walshs case for not trading for the 5th pick and getting rubio and curry along with hill, all because he didn’t wanna add 4 million to the cap in 2010, all the moves donnie is doing or players he missing out on because he thinks james is coming, what happens when he don’t?, if isiah made that mistake we would be killing him, and I think the curry for mcgrady has to happen, nothing new with rubio?

  • joetheknick

    Failed to include to my wish list Sacamento looks like a rebuild. How about Kevin Martin ? Of course we all want Lebron James in 2010 but what if?

  • knicksbro

    Donnie offered the 8th pick and Wilson Chandler for the 5th pick, but the Wolves turned it down…how do you figure we could have gotten Curry, Rubio AND Hill?

  • EQ1217

    I agree and I’ve said it previously, Donnie dropped the ball on the fifth pick in the name of 2010. But when he could have gotten rid of JJ he deviated from the 2010 plan.

    I had no problem with Donnie saying he was sticking to the 2010 plan, but once he deviated from it, he really messed up.

    So in hindsight by deviating from the plan we kept JJ and his 6.8 2010 cap hit and lost out on Rubio or Curry.

    I read recently (I think it was on Hahn’s blog) that the Knicks like JJ as a person and that they would like to keep him. IMO this is lip service because they are probably having a hard time trading him now.

  • EQ1217

    When the Wizard had the fifth pick, not the Wolves

  • josh h

    Were not getting Rubio, at all. I think a smart move would be to sign Iverson to a one year contract at the MLE. If he is desperate enough to go to Memphis for this, then why not NY? He is a veteran PG who can score/pass, and is an all around great player. He would excell under Coach D’s SSOL attack plan. I am lobbying for this because he is a better choice then an aging Grant Hill, and we desperately need a PG who can help Duhon out. Plus, Toney Douglas can learn a ton from Iverson.

  • knicksbro

    Iverson shouldn’t happen, and won’t happen.

  • knicksbro

    There’s a MUCH better chance we get Rubio than Iverson.

  • Its The Kid

    I have to disagree with you there, Donnie was just outbid… The Wolves just had a better deal on the table and were willing to take back the contract of Darius Songalia which takes up cap space in 2010-2011… When Kahn swooped in and made that offer, the Wiz couldnt refuse…

  • fracch209

    I meant to say curry OR rubio and hill, if the knicks agreed to take what the wizards were offering we would have rubio, I think DW has to try everything to get rubio, jerry west helped his old team get gasol for nothing kevin mchale got the celtics garnet, but the timberwolves gm work under walsh, he can’t help him out for rubio, he don’t wanna play in minnasota! No because nothing works out for the knicks this decade, and again that curry for tmac has to happen

  • EQ1217

    my point is that Donnie didn’t want to take Songalia’s 4 mil contract because of 2010. But when he had the opportunity to trade JJ 6.8 mil (w/ Nate) he deviated from the 2010 plan.

    All I’m saying is that Donnie has not stuck to the plan and were probably stuck with JJ immovable contract.

    Also, Songalia’s 4 mil is easier to move because he can actually score and is healthy

  • knicksbro

    After the Grant Hill deal is settled, Walsh will shift his focus on Rubio…

  • BiggieSmalls

    Sounds like Omar Speak..

    MULTI TASK DONNIE!!! MULTI TASK

  • BiggieSmalls

    good point.. I made it at the time that taking on Songalia for 4 mil in 2010 was a small price ..

    You HAVE TO Assume he had a more than 90% shot at Curry at 5 but it wasn’t assured so that’s why he probably balked.

  • jingo

    I’m sure Donnie has enough room in his brain to focus on both deals at the same time :)

    Just kidding. I see your point. And I agree. I think Grant Hill offers the flexibility to help get Rubio (or another PG prospect). Just Douglas hedges Nate and Jordan Hill hedges Lee.

  • jingo

    Heh. You beat me to it.

    Donnie is the anti Omar/Isiah Thomas. The one time DW let his emotions get the better of him was his failure to pull the trigger on Nate/JJ to Sac. The casual fan would have been absolutely stunned.

  • bob go knicks

    im holding my tongue for now,but if we go into this season with the roster we have now,DONNIE WALSH has failed, and everone who is following blindly ,saying “i dont care what he does ,i believe in DONNIE” should be ashamed.All authority should be questioned, whether its president of the united states or just president of the NEW YORK KNICKS.MR.WALSH has been given such free reign,ive actually had people on this site,call me names for questioning his moves(NON-MOVES) as if he were a close relative

  • Bart

    As far as Hill making it easier to trade for Wilson lets look at it:

    SF – Wilson

    SF – Gallinari

    SF – Harrington

    We can trade Chandler today and still be fine bringing in J. Hill allows Harrington to be a full time SF (starter or off the bench) unless Mike wants to stretch the floor with him at the 4 for a few mins. Amare never shot 3s so J.Hill doesn’t have to worry about that and he already has a better jumper so he should do well at the 4/5. I’d rather bring in Delfino to play the 2G he has legit 3pt range and is explosive and a great defender and high IQ and hes 10 YRS YOUNGER. I can understand why 36 year old Grant Hill would want to sign with the Knicks rather than try and win a ring.

    And I saw the Rubio commerical he was on screen for all of 1 second at the free throw line.

  • gilcher82

    everyone can praise donnie walsh all you like … im sticking with the Lupica take ..
    hes done nothing to improve this roster … knicks would have been under the cap in 2010 anyway …all he has done was move away a few bad contracts that most Gm’s probably could have done anyway … he’s done an average job.
    If he fails to lure one of the big guns to come here next summer its a complete failure … now am i saying theres a guy who could have done a better job?
    no, of course not… but lets not give praise where praise is not due

  • bmathews77

    If Isiah was here, he’d probably have added more bad contracts =)

  • harlem heat

    I am glad to see you have read my post on the kings & Kevin Martin (you could of at least given me some credit for the idea lol) but yes IMO Kevin Martin is something we can get done! I posted my trade idea on another subject blog (grading the off season thus far) but in a nutshell I have been saying a back court of Martin & sessions would be very exciting! If you go to my last post on this issue you will see that lee nate & chandler for martin & maybe a pick. This IMO is thinking outside of the box & making us better @ the same time, if done the 09 starting 5 would be…

    Pg) sessions
    Sg) martin
    Sf) tmac
    Pf) harrington
    C) darko

    I would be excited to see that! & I believe it would give us a legit playoff run

  • harlem heat

    I’m sick of the Zek bashing!! The guy got us david lee nate balkman and mad the very best out of very bad draft selections. It was the GM before him that destroyed our cap!! As well as an owner who was forcing him to make moves now rather then blow up the damn team. So why is it nobody bashs that GM just the one that just happens to be the first black one!?! And please point out which reporter or blog or even anyone who blogs here that was not excited as hell when we first got steph!!! So enough with the bias bashing of Zek yea he was not the best GM but he was not the worst & spread the blame to the owner & the screw up who was the GM before & the main reason the knicks where screwed