If Healthy, Does Curry Make Lee Expendable?

for those who havn’t seen
the whole interview

http://www.nba.com/knicks/news/currynate091110.html

If Eddy Curry plays well, maybe. But that’s a big if.

I know it’s hypothetical, but If Donne can only get Bell & a 2nd round pick for Lee, then he failed in maximizing Lee’s trade value when he had the chance.

I love the ideas you’re flowing here Tommy. First here’s a shout out to Donnie for having a plan to get Curry back healthy and productive and to Curry for really stepping up to get back into shape. I know I’ve been calling him big fatty for a while, but his new shape is absolutely tremendous. Now I know he’s at least committed to this NY team and that can make me committed to him as a fan.

I always thought Eddy was a huge waste of mammoth potential. What you say is true, Curry finally playing meaningful starting minutes in our system would make Lee expendable. But I rather look at this from another viewpoint.

Curry producing and showing off as a solid starting big, could potentially mean that we can trade Curry on his own (which I honestly thought would be impossible for this season). Now people can look at him and hopefully if Curry takes the proper steps, can evaluate him on his own merit. We don’t have to talk about shipping assets like Lee or Chandler to trade him away.

Just looking at salaries, Curry is making the most at over 11 mil. Since Lee’s contract doesn’t extend past this year, it would be more beneficial for flexibility sake to just try to look to deal Curry for an expiring.

These are the salaries without Curry:

2010 salaries:
Gallo: 3.3 mil
Hill: 2.7 mil
Chandler: 2.1 mil
Douglas: 1.1 mil
Total: ~9.2 mil
with Jeffries: ~16.1 mil

With a projected cap of 53 mil, I think trading away Curry would be absolutely HUGE for us. If we trade Jeffries away too, this would give us close to $43 mil in cap space, easily allowing us to sign 2 max free agents and also a $8-10 mil/yr guy if we use part of our mid-level, and then we would still have 2 2nd rd picks and our bi-annual to fill out the rest of the roster.

EDDY, Im proud he has a LOT of flaws but after what he has been through you just want him to play good. They said he looks 5 pounds lighter just in the face.

WOW.. he looks chiseled. Big props to EC for getting it done. About 2 years too late but well done.

If EC can get on the court and show SOMETHING maybe we can REALLY move Lee and EC to Houston and get something of LT value back.. and open up over 35 mil on the cap.

Great post Tommy, I agree with your assessment of Lee. He can never really be more than a backup C for us. He just isn’t suited for MDA’s system, we only rely on him because he’s the only player who can score in the paint, balance our attack and keep us from chucking more 3′s than we already do.

But If Curry is doing well enough to supplement at least most of Lee’s paint production, then shouldn’t the priority be shopping Eddy, not Lee? Also, if we got rid of Lee, then I think we should try to grab a first rounder, first and foremost.

curry looks like he really lost weight this time
an he has been working on his 3pt game also.
can’t wait to see him get 20minutes

if u can get something good back for lee no prob..

I would trade the entire roster with exception of Gallo, Douglas, and Hill in order to get rid of curry and jj. IMO, come the deadline there will be a team on the verge of competing for a championship and would benefit from the addition of guys like lee, nate, al, and wilson. donnie says okay u want lee and nate just give me some expiring contracts and take on eddy. does anyone else think that if eddy comes back and plays well, that we realistically COULD have the chance to sign 2 max fa in 2010… season will be a HUGE success no matter the record if donnie can give us the chance.

So Wait now we want to keep Eddy??

I wouldn’t move Lee for Bell if we were in a situation to move Lee that would mean Curry is playing very well in which case I would trade both for TMac but if for some reason Eddy comes back and is awesome and wont be traded (cant believe I just wrote that) then I would move Lee and Jefferies and filler to Houston for Tmac.

PG – Chris Duhon

SG – Tracy McGrady

SF – Danilo Gallinari

PF – Wilson Chandler

C – Eddy Curry

If Curry is playing at a high level with McGrady we are a playoff team

Eddy Curry is like that ex girlfriend you keep coming back to after she cheats on you over and over again. I would not rely on Eddie Curry or stories about Eddie Curry anymore than I would rely a Pete Rose promise about gambling. I’m just waiting for the day Eddie has to sit out because of menstrual cramps. I for one will believe it when I see it . . .As for Curry making Lee expendable, from a basketball standpoint absolutely no way. Lee is the only player on our roster than can get more than 8 (make that seven) rebounds consistently per game. If things look bad now they would look 100x worse with aligator arms Curry getting outrebounded by Rajon Rando and running away scared from the mighty Tyrone Lue layup. Sorry for the rant but even though I hate Lee’s defense I respect his hustle ability to finish around the rim and most importantly his rebounding ability. You put Curry in there for long stretches without Lee and we may not win more than ten games. Can you imagine a front line of Gallo, Harrington and Curry. Other teams might average 200 pts per game.

True

I do not mean to insult anyone but to suggest that Curry can somehow jump in and contribute immediately thus making Lee expendable is kinda laughable. Lee, despite his defensive flaws is a significantly better player who is clearly improving his game each year. Curry? Not so much. He hasn’t played significant ball in almost 2 seasons, he was fragile to begin with and while he has finally put forth some effort to get in some shape, there is literally nothing in his track record that says he can compete and help this team. He was a one dimensional player two years ago…guess what…I’m pretty sure that will still be true two weeks from now, but likely, even further diminished. One must assume, for sanity’s sake, he has nothing to offer this team unless he proves otherwise on the court. And I don’t mean a couple of good games…I mean PROVE IT, play for a few months without injury and at competent level…sound unlikely? It does to me too.

Oh yeah and Lee for Bell would be an absolutely positively horrible trade unless it included a first round pick. Just an awful, awful trade especially since it saves no salary in 2010 and we already have multiple 2nd rounders.

Man, Curry looks sick, almost unhealthy. I hope he put on some muscle along with losing so much weight. Good luck “E-City” lol

If the Knicks lose David Lee for nothing or a bag of french fries (Raja Bell I’m sorry) they WILL regret it.

your rite about people giving eddy chances.

but this time he really lost weight an from what ive seen he has worked on his shooting
i’m no curry fan but i want to see what he can do when he get’s 20mins..

LEE i think will be traded he will get better offers than what the knicks will offer so it’s best to trade him at his highest point of the season

I’d usually be with you furious, but just looking at live footage of Curry today and hearing him answer the reporters, he really seems to get it. I think he’s really going to take this season seriously, and showcase himself well. Hopefully in the worst case scenario we can’t trade him, but he becomes a positive contributor to our team, which I think everyone thought was impossible after his latest injury.

True that Curry has burned us a lot before. But also true that Curry made massive hustle and commitment to bring his weight down. He’s making himself relevant again, and I’m looking forward to seeing what he can do now.

Yea no way, Lee for Bell & a 2nd rounder is a bad deal. Any trade Lee is involved in we have to be getting either a 1st rounder back, or he’s being packaged with either Jeffries or Curry.

your rite
when i was watching some vids i was like he lost weight but where are the muscle
plus curry never lifted weight in his life i think.

but good to see him lose weight
kinda looks like fat bastard a little after the weight lost..lol

then he might look a little worse than ZEKE

A month ago I said here that Toney Douglas would become our starting PG this season and some wiseguys here said it was the stupidest thing they had read all year. Yeah well you were wrong. Sure Duhon stinks, but not only is Douglas going to take his place in the line up, he is showing the attitude and grit this team will be needing to build a better culture. TD is part of this team’s future. Get used to it you negatrons.

Hey, Bro. Wasn’t you saying yesterday in one of your posts that Donnie Walsh just can’t wave a magic wand and make trades? Why the sudden change today? Or do you have a ‘Bat Phone’ straight to DW?

Where are these videos of Eddy Curry working out?

that’s for u to answer TOMMY.

it’s an interview
but they show his shooting 3′s an mid range shots
go to nba.com an go to the knicks they got 3 set’s of interviews not all with curry
go check it out..i tried posting them here but i guess i can’t

i got the curry interview on here it’s the first post on this topic

ma bad an click on eddy curry when u get to the knicks

http://www.nba.com/playerfile/eddy_curry/career_stats.html

Only problem with that is that you cant use any of your exceptions if you are under the cap at all in that offseason. I didn’t believe it at first but its true.

But I love the rest of the plan!

O ok thanks.

Yeah Eddy looks like a completely different person. It is nuts.

As for Lee to Charlotte, any deal for me would have to include DJ Augustin, even though I am not so sure he is going to be a special lead guard in the NBA. But again, any deal would have to start with him. He is young, talented (though tremendously undersized), and fills a position of need.

@ Tommy Dee – Come on Tommy, that’s a horrible trade for the Knicks. Wasn’t Raja Bell contemplating wrist surgery 2 weeks ago? How much does a guy like that have left anyway? David Lee is just entering his prime, while Bell is way past his. No way the Knicks should make this trade.

Plus, what makes you think David Lee wants to be reunited with Larry Brown? Or play in a market like Charlotte? Remember he has veto power, since he signed a 1 yr deal.

I think the Knicks will be forced to wait till the off season where they can do a sign and trade, and send Lee to the team of his choice in return for fair market value. No team’s going to trade for Lee right now if they don’t think he’s re-signing next summer.

And I gotta disagree, Eddy Curry doesn’t make Lee expendable. Eddy Curry is a 5 who can’t rebound or defend, but can score. Lee is a 4 being played out of position at the 5, who can rebound with the best in the league, but can’t defend. Completely different players, but Lee could help you win alot more games than Curry.

I think the plan should be to play Eddy Curry as much as possible and inflate his value. Trade him to a team that needs low post scoring, in return for an expiring deal. I don’t think anyone’s giving up draft picks for Eddy Curry. I think the league is on to him by now, and history has shown that the dude doesn’t love the game, doesn’t work hard, and hasn’t really improved much since he’s been in the league.

The Knicks should consider themselves lucky if they can get an expiring for him.

Come on Bobbybro-

You were talking about bayless and never mentioned lee and obviously that was before I realized Curry near-broke 300 lbs.

miracles change things…

It’s clear to me that Lee, now, is not in the future plans.

A first round pick in return? It’s possible, but lee had so few suitors it’s hard for me to imagine that he has great value, even last year as some people have mentioned.

Remember about lee. Not one team put walsh in a postion to match even knowing that he wouldn’t stretch into 2010.

and he’s probably going to be renounced anyway. No way the Bobcats are ready to give up on Augustin, that’s why i didn’t mention him. I think Bell and a 2nd rounder, which gives us 3 next year where we have no 1st rounders…is a fair place to start, then try to build from there. I didn’t say DO IT. I said have a conversation…

maybe a 1 can be in play, but i’m not seeing it now….

Woooo Eddy. How did he lose soo much weight?

Eddie Curry does not know how to play basketball or act like an adult. He’ll be rusty on top of that. $10 says he gets injured within a week.

“Remember he has veto power, since he signed a 1 yr deal. ”

lol…Of course I rememeber.. I wrote it up there. didn’t you read this part?

“Now we know what this entails, Lee has veto power, wants to be in NY, etc, etc. “

Just curious ..

when did it become clear to you that Lee wasnt n the plans/? you were a big proponent of Lee being a Donnie and Mike kind of guy this off season..

no shots bro.. just curious what triggered the transformation. was it the Zags piece?

yeah .. I wanna see him play a game or two before getting my hopes up..

But if he looks good I would move Him and Lee and anyone else on this roster. Including the Italian in the right deal.

totally agree with both of you…great posts.

TD

Keep doing what you are doing. Don’t worry about anyone else….

TD

No, Been on this for months, part of it was the suspicion you gave me from a media end actually. Looked a little deeper and realized there was something to it.

But it was more about getting closer to the team and understanding the role of the 4 in the system in terms of needing the space for drives and kick outs.

He can’t shoot and isn’t a 5.

I had heard a ton of stuff about the coaches really riding him last year, but I thought that it would be bad PR from the team following zeke if they dealt him.

again no one offered and the sign and trades didn’t amount to much.

TD

you’d deal Gallo?

If the right deal was out there, no one on this team is untouchable in my mind. That includes Gallo. If Chris Paul was available this summer and Gallo and Curry’s all-of-a-sudden expiring deal are the pieces that can make it work, then I would ship out Gallo.

However, this franchise will not trade Gallo unless it is for LBJ himself.

Is there a remote possibility that Lee could get our pick back from Utah?

Ok, I’m going to play devil’s advocate here so bear with me.

Suppose Eddy Curry comes back and tears up the league? He’s still relatively young and he has great hands, quick feet and now that he’s in shape, suppose he at least gets the boards in his general area (I always felt he didn’t have the energy/endurance to purse those 50/50 balls) I think he could average 9-10 boards if he gets starter’s (30+) mins. His jump-shot never looked bad to me in practice, I never understood why he didn’t use it a couple times in games to open up his face up & drive game on slower big men (when he was in shape).

He has all the tools if he puts it all together in what is essentially his contract year (I think this and next yr are contract yrs because he has to prove he can stay healthy and contribute long term) do you settle for moving just Jeffries alone and maybe renegotiating Curry’s deal for more years less per?

He and LeBron share the same agent I believe and if his agent wants him here or if his agent needs a little incentive to nudge his client into NY’s direction, this could be another factor.

If he could just scratch the surface of his potential and be consistent (He said a lot of good things in his interview, “enough is enough” comes to mind, maybe he is maturing as a man. We sometimes forget how young these guys are.) meaning 15-18 pts 10 boards, 1-1.5 blocks a game and just be a decent TEAM, if not a one on one, defender. I wouldn’t mind him being here. The team obviously does not have a center and there aren’t any falling out of the sky (Brook Lopez) any time soon.

in the right deal? why not?

He has to go to get a Chris Paul type player. Would you put him in a trade for Melo? you’d have to think about it seriously.

At this point how can anyone be untouchable? DW made that mistake last year at the deadline.

Chris you don’t mean that. If Paul became available, there is no way we would trade Gallo. They wouldn’t even trade him for Lebron because ot makes no sense to since Lebron is available in free agency so soon. Gallo is officially the only untouchable on our team. Kid hasn’t even played half an NBA season yet. He’s a keeper and I’m glad we drafted him.
Also…there’s a better chance of Kobe being traded than the Jazz trading our pick.

HA! Not with the Knicks playing the way they are. That would be the dumbest move ever. Remember Lee wasn’t a lottery pick and if team’s had that draft to do over he still wouldn’t be.

No shots.

I am happy for Eddy and the knicks after all that he’s been through I think he finally gets it and understands he’s getting maybe his last chance to save his career. If he stays healthy he can really help us on the court and hopefully through a trade to a contender. I just want to see some good basketball on the court. Its been brutal to watch so far. And I really hope they don’t even consider trading Gallo right now Gallo, Douglas and Hill are the only reasons to watch.

[...] If Healthy, Does Curry Make Lee Expendable? [...]

Yea I would definitely deal Galinari for Chris Paul, the 2 hardest positions to fill in the NBA are center and point guard. The Knicks are still paying for that since they moved Mark Jackson after having Ewing in the fold. This team would have lifted a couple banners if they held onto him.

how about this one.. what if Miami wants to do Jermain ONeal for Gallo, JJ and Eddy Curry?

Do you pass up a shot to have enough room to legitimately bring in TWO max superstars next year?

that would leave u with 6 mil on the books for next year before you address Lee or Nate.

Crazy but you dont hang up the phone on Riley do you?

i also said by the break he would be starting
let’s see

not a chance.. On top of HaS’ reason Utah just paid their Lee (Millsapp)

Have you ever seen Chris Paul play? He is perhaps a top 5 player in the league right now and he just so happens to play the position that is most vital in the system that our coach employs. If the Hornets want Gallo for Paul, then you give them Gallo for Paul.

However, you can wait the few years until Paul becomes a free agent, but with a player of his ability, opportunities do not always present themselves, and when opportunities are presented, they do not remain open forever.

Whoa Idk man, but with that deal I think Miami instantly goes to number 2 in the East talent wise, behind Orlando (I’d say maybe behind the Celtics too, but by next year those guys will be pretty long in the tooth.)

For some reason I think Riley would be a good coach for Curry. Not sure why, just a hunch.

LOL!

Paul can’t even get his team right this year. Isn’t his team the only team we beat this year? I would rather wait till he’s free than trade Gallo for him. Anybody else on our roster is fair game.

Well, this would be predicated on Utah going through with a Boozer trade, which may or may not happen.

GALLO MUST STAY!

I’m not rooting against the guy…I just don’t think it’s anything more than wishful thinking that he will actually play well. Additionally, it seems like we’re jumping from A-Z to suggest that a slim Curry can now be safely projected to replace or make Lee expendable. That’s nonsense until Curry can prove he can do anything. The only thing the NY Knicks should be doing with Curry is preparing him to be traded IF he can show he can still play.

As an Italian American I absolutely forbid the trading of Gallinari…i mean i won’t be able to stand up in my living room with a lame eye-talian accent a yell GAAAALLINAAAAAAAREEEEEEEEE…. every time he hits a shot. That’s seriously depressing because its on of the few things that entertains me watching the Knicks these days.

What if EC does work out in this system, then what?. A mobile 6’11 guy. Like they always say you can’t teach height. An actual low post player maybe D’antoni can tweak the system. let’s just see what we have before we start with all the trade rumors.