ESPN: Knicks Have Best Shot At Bosh Or Amare

by Myles A. Mills on August 31st, 2009 at 3:26 pm

ESPN.com contributors voted on where the top four free agents of 2010 (Lebron James, Dwyane Wade, Amare Stoudamire, and Chris Bosh) will land.  Just more speculation, really, but ESPN’s prognostications are obviously going to be more accurate than everybody else’s, right?Out of 52 voters, 35 said he would stay in Cleveland (how shocking?) and the Knicks came in second with 8 votes.  Miami got 3, New Jersey got 2, and Boston got 1.

“Despite the cards Cleveland holds, some still see New York as King James’ destiny. And they might have a leg to stand on, thanks to LeBron himself, as he has become the master of the mixed message. That was heard again most recently in his interview with ESPN’s Rachel Nichols, in which he avoided the opportunity to express loyalty to Cleveland and pointedly said his heart was in his hometown of Akron:

“My loyalty is to Akron. I’m looking forward to this upcoming season, but I’m looking forward to the summer of 2010, too, to see what may happen. No matter what happens that summer, I’m still here. I’ve got a nice big house here that I’m always coming back to. I love this city and I’ll always give back to this city no matter what my profession, if it takes me somewhere else.”

So if that leaves the door open for an exit to another team, how could Knicks president Donnie Walsh pull off his miracle play?

First, he’ll try to move Eddy Curry and Jared Jeffries to create enough cap space for LeBron and another free agent to leap directly to New York; that’s been Plan A since Walsh arrived. Short of that — and moving those two contracts will be exceedingly difficult — he’ll try to work out a sign-and-trade, perhaps involving David Lee, to bring in a second star such as Chris Bosh or Amare Stoudemire as a teammate for LeBron. And no matter what, he’ll tell LeBron all about the potential cap room the Knicks will have in 2011, at which time Walsh will be able to round out what could become a championship roster.

The other cards in Walsh’s deck are pretty obvious as he makes his pitch to LeBron: Come to so-called Basketball Mecca and we’ll build championship teams around you in the World’s Greatest Arena, paving the way to greater glory, riches and Global Icon status. And oh, by the way, you’ll be playing for Mike D’Antoni, the guy who won about 60 games a year in Phoenix, who helped mastermind the success of your Olympic gold medal-winning team and who will set you free in the open court to run up and down in the up-tempo offense you’ve always dreamed of.”

The Heat got 35 votes for Wade and the Knicks again came in second with 8 votes.

“The LeBron parallels resume with the forecast by six panelists who think Wade will end up in New York, either alongside LBJ (one vote) or without him (five votes).

Although the Knicks might be focused on James, Job No. 1 in New York is to clear cap space, and Wade, while three years older than LeBron, would be a heck of a consolation prize.”

The surprise for me came where 19 panelists predicted that Bosh lands in New York, with 19 votes, 7 more than Miami, and 15 more than Chicago.  Bosh is a great fit in this system, but he’s no superstar.  If the Knicks weren’t able to sign Lebron or Wade, putting all their money into Bosh would be one of the worst things they could do.  Although, the Knicks could still be players in the 2011 and 2012 free agent markets.  The point is, though, that the Knicks aren’t trying to build a team that wins 45 games every year, the goal is to land a superstar and compete for a championship.  That seems like a daunting task, but that’s where superstars come into play.


“The Big Apple appears to be our best guess as the default destination for any free agent seeking a new place to land, as about one-third of our panelists see Bosh heading to New York.

Of the 19 who put Bosh with the Knicks, only a half-dozen saw him heading there in a tandem with James (four votes for LeBron and Bosh joining forces in New York) or Wade (two votes), his 2003 draftmates and U.S. Olympic teammates. The other 13 saw him taking the Knicks’ bucks without James or Wade, presumably after they had decided to eschew New York. The reasoning there is fairly clear: Right now, the Knicks are not in a position to offer a max contract to two stars.”

The Knicks also led the Amare voting with 13 votes, 3 more than Phoenix.  I have always thought that Amare Stoudamire would land here, but with the Knicks drafting Jordan Hill, the question is will they pursue him.  I highly doubt Jordan Hill becomes the type of player Amare is, but they are both explosive, face-up, power forwards.  I really do think the Knicks sign Lebron, because he’s smart enough to realize that he’s young and the future is a major concern.  People say that the Cavs have the better chance to win now, but the Knicks actually have the better chance to win later, with Lebron obviously.  The Knicks young core is a lot better than the Cavs young core, if you want to call it that, and the trade for Shaq, a 37 year old center 10 years past his prime, demonstrates the desperation of Danny Ferry and the Cavs.  They realize they need to win now or Lebron will leave.

About Myles A. Mills

Myles is a sophomore at The Browning School, an all-boys private school on the Upper East Side of Manhattan. He's been a Knick fan as long as he can remember, and 02-03 was the last season he could remember in entirety. He hopes to one day see the Knicks in the playoffs. Myles is also fond of the Mets, and follows them vehemently, but his the bulk of his time goes to the Knicks. Myles wants to be a radio hosts on WFAN or ESPN 1050 radio, and he hopes to write for theknicksblog.com for years to come. View all posts by Myles A. Mills →
  • bob go knicks

    if LEBRON doesnt sign with us ,i take CHRIS BOSH in a heartbeat,then go get a point guard.i wouldnt even talk AMARE unnless his eye is completely better

  • SilentJay

    Lebron is the first choice, always was and always will. I think Bosh is a great player but has a bit to go to get that superstar status, that’s why I think there’s a chance that he’d be willing to take a less than a max offer because of everything else that would come the contract: endorsements, the possibility to play with LBJ and a real shot at a ring. Besides, you can’t forget the fact that he wants to flee Toronto as fast as possible. Wade would be a great consolation prize, but you got to go with age and size for your second choice.
    I’ve read from some bloggers that Bosh has bad knees and what not. The guy’s a beast, and if he’s got bad knees, where does that leave the injury- craving Amare?. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a great player, but I’d take Bosh over him any day. If Walsh plays his cards right, meaning: getting rid of Curry and JJ, and the cap doesn’t take that heavy drop (it’s still a question mark), the picture might be a lot brighter than everyone seems to be thinking, because from what I’ve inferred reading this blog is that the general consensus around is that NY will only be able to get one of the three top FA’s of 2010. You gotta always look at the possibilities, pros and cons. Who says Bosh will only come with a max offer? He’ll have a lot of incentives…

  • Magik_Trick

    Bosh and Amare wouldnt be worth max contracts, imo..

  • ScottD

    If LeBron or Wade are not an option, wait till 2011!

  • Dave the Rave

    LBJ would not come to the Knicks unless he already won a championship with the Cavs and if the Knicks had another superstar like Wade and a better supporting cast. We can only dream on. Maybe when his next contract with the Cavs is up the Knicks will be better able to get him.

    I don’t think that Bosh or Amare would take the Knicks far, and Wade is too injury prone. Knicks have to keep building with young players and hope for a great lottery pick.

    DTR

  • KBT1615

    our supporting cast is already better than the Cavs….

  • NYK Orange and Blue

    At this point, I think the idea of us getting 2 FA’s should be put to rest. Nobody in the league would put their job on the line by taking Eddy Curry off our hands. Perhaps JJ gets moved because he plays D, and on a playoff team would fill a key role. Unless he gets in shape(which we have no reason to foresee happening) nobody will even look at Curry as a viable big man. I also don’t want Bosh, he is soft and not athletic enough for 7 seconds or less.

  • Moody Rush

    Judging solely on past statements and suggestions, the only two FAs I can see NY having a legit chance at acquiring are LBJ and Stoudemire. Due to cap space, it will most likely be one or the other in that particular order of priority.

    Wade never expressed a real affinity for NY. I can see him going to Chicago (his home town) before coming here. I’ve just never heard much of Wade to think he’d appreciate the team, location, or history of the Garden like some of his prominent peers. As for Bosh, NYC would eat him up. He’s shown a time or two that he doesnt respond well to criticism, be it media or crowd. The money may look good, but I think Bosh could do without the pressure of NYC.

    As for Lebron heading to Miami, I don’t see it. If anything I see the fact that NYC doesnt have a clear cut star as some what appealing to Lebron. He’ll come here with a young supporting cast with potential star flare (Gallo, Wilson) but there will be no doubt as to who’s TEAM this is. I dont see him heading into another stars stomping ground as a reinforcement of sorts. Just isnt sexy enough for his budding resume. Now if Lebron comes here and a second star follows suit, now that’s a different story.

  • brownhornet

    Ok everyone my dream team for my knick. Reality base

    1) Duhon is a keeper. Shut up!!!!
    2) Nate if he was 6 inches taller
    3) Galanari
    4) boozier.. He is a beast
    5) Bosh
    just think Abt this squad…is not bad it’s wining 50 + package eddy or jefferies I don’t know what Isaiah was thinking.. I like the kid from Washington who played and carried that team. He got heart.. You don’t need lebron he Aint coming