A Quick Follow Up

that first trade is horrible, we clear lots of cap…but all we get is Tracy McGrady

lets say we do that…and worst possible scenario, we dont land any of the major free agents…then our youth movement only consist of Douglas and Hill…..fail

Despite the fact that Harris has a poor outside game, and that a deal between the Knicks and Nets with these important pieces almost definitely would not happen, Harris would be a superstar in D’Antoni’s system. He’s the fastest player with the ball and while we forget this sometimes a key component of D’Antoni’s system is pushing the ball. He also has amazing quickness so despite the poor jumpshot he can penetrate at will. I’m just drooling at the thought of Harris in the system, too bad its pretty much a definite impossibility.

WHAT ABOUT THE BLAZERS SITUATION?!!! Pryzbilla is out for the season along with Oden. They are a playoff team and they need a center. Plus they have unhappy players with Fernandez and Bayless. Curry or JJ packaged with Nate and maybe Mobleys contract for Fernandez, Bayless and Outlaw? I think the Blazers is the best way for DW to get rid of JJ or Curry before the deadline. I hope DW is on the phone..

the salaries have to match up.. Portland has nothing to send back in terms of expiring money of any significance

Could not agree more on Jeffries. National writers clearly have not seen Jeffries play enough to warrant their criticism.

National writers, like Simmons, look at JJ’s stats and laugh. They neglect that JJ is a player whose value is not in his commonly viewed statitics, but moreso in his intangibles and his knowledge of the game.

It’s obvious ESPN is as far from reality as you can get. I’ve been saying it for years…as the game evolves…so should the analysts. These older guys have no idea what’s going on in the game nowadays.

Gallo isn’t getting traded for anybody!!

AHHHHH Tommy Dee is coming to the darkside lol as I said before J Hill should be traded with Curry or Jefferies to get them off the books.

D Miles’s contract is 9 mil expiring.

Only thing I see that could work with the Blazers is Jeffries and Hill for Miles expiring.

That would wipe 2 players off the books for next year which would equal out to more than 9 million in savings for next summer. That would bring us down to under 20 mill in guaranteed deals for next summer.

I doubt this happens though as nobody knows how high or low Walsh and Dantoni are on Hill.

I went on ESPN trade machine and the trade works with Nate and JJ for Blake, Outlaw, and Fernandez. Or even just JJ for Fernandez and Blake which they probably wouldnt do. Even Bayless, Outlaw and Blake for JJ and Nate would. Some scenarios even work with Curry. I guess the question is are they that desperate. I really hope so…

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine

Whatever works to get rid of JJ and or Curry is fine with anyone.

Most ESPN analysts suck. People shouldn’t be allowed to talk when they don’t know what they are talking about and it is so obvious these guys just look at the boxscores and believe that they are smart enough to draw valid conclusions.

Bill Simmons – just another Knicks hater. He’s garbage, period.

Yup. How much will they have to give up, and is DW willing? That’s the $64,000 question.

trading jordan hill is far more about moving curry’s contract than Hill…obviously.

I agree, welcome to the darkside

I agree Mucha…
These ESPN and Yahoo sports dudes are straight up trash! These wack scenarios coming from them of late shows them that they are inept as writers and their editor’s are on vacation. With them trying to portray these dumb scenarios like trading Gallo for more Du-Du and passing this as truth or “hey I know what I am talking about” Shows that they are just Richard Craniums….

I agree with your assesment of the article in the previous blog post. But to be fair with regards to Simmons neglecting JJ’s value from his intangibles and his knowledge of he game he said:

“Fake Trade No. 1b: Jeffries, Hill and $3 million to Sacramento for Kenny Thomas’ EC. Same principle, less money: You just bought a lottery pick for the price of Jeffries’ 2010-11 contract ($6.5 million, and by the way, he’s a valuable defender).“

that makes no sense.

I would consider trading Gallo and Curry for an EC. I like Gallo, but if you think about it, if we do sign another max because of this trade, then you get a Joe Johnson or Chris Bosh for Gallo. Johnson and Bosh are both in a class above Gallo. I dont think Gallo is a franchise player. Also, the back problems are a big deal. He’s only 21 now (i think), you really don’t know how long he will hold up, it’s too much of a gamble for me. This trade is basically under the assumption that we can land a max contract player, but I’m confident that we would, given the money. It’s NYC, not too hard to sell.

What if we don’t end up signing a legitimate superstar and Gallinari reaches his potential? (By the way – I’m not making a comparison – but didn’t Larry Bird have a bad back? I guess he had a terrible career though!)

Trading Gallo for financial reasons would be incredibly irresponsible.

Are we seriously talking about trading Gallo? Or is everyone being sarcastic?

We finally draft a talented player and we are trying to trade him.

I’ve been predicting this for like a year. David Lee will end up a NJ Net in 2010. Lee loves NY area, so doesn’t have to move. I can always predict what Rod Thorn likes to do, and I know he would love Lee. They need a PF next to Lopez. Money to spend and after they whiff on the biggest names, they’ll overpay DLee to join them.

David Lee does not care about being a Knick at all. It was obvious summer 2009 he would go anywhere to get paid.

Bye David Lee, it was fun while it lasted. Enjoy playing with “D. Lee” on your back rest of career, with Courtney on the team. “Lee…pass to Lee….back to Lee….rebound Lee……”

I think there are only 2 ways to go with Curry since it’s clear he can’t stay on the floor long enough for a real showcase:

-Trade him for 2 players whose salary totals his with the same contract length, basically trading your mistake (Curry) for another teams 2 mistakes. That would make it easier to try to trade both guys later since they would make about half of what Curry would make (and actually play) or at least trade one of them and have more cap space this summer.

or

-Trade Curry for an expiring and another player with more years than Curry’s deal, then let the expiring burn off the cap and keep the other player at less dollars than Curry. At least the player with more years than Curry would be in the rotation.

In both situations you hopefully get half of Curry’s contract off the cap for 2010.

this is ridiculous. we are not trading Gallinari. i will cry myself to sleep for the rest of my life if we trade him. the sky is the limit for this kid. under no circumstances should even the idea of trading gallo even come to our minds. let chris bosh and those knees sign somewhere else. KEEP DAVID LEE AT 9 MILLION PER RATHER THAN 15 MILLION FOR BOSH.

LEE AT 9 IS WAYYY BETTER THAN BOSH AT 15 IMO.

T-mac had a bad back too…anyway, i think its a moot point because i dont think danillo is even enough for a team to take on Eddy Curry. Curry might be the most untrade-able player in the league at this point. The only hope of trading Eddy Curry is Eddy Curry. He hasn’t played in two years, he needs to show something.

Or GMs could try and stick it to the Knicks and get Fd in 2011 when Melo, Durant, Paul, Williams, are all free agents when JJ and EC come off the books.

U think Lebron wants to play with Lee over Bosh.

NO IT ISN’T!

JJ has value which is increasing with each game that he plays. He’s a pesky defender, a shot blocker, takes charging fouls and consistantly does the little things that any serious playoff team can make use of.

Can you tell me a playoff team that can’t make use of a bench player who can disrupt an opponents offense whenever he enters the game?

As the playoffs get nearer and teams have a better picture of where they stand, as injures occur, Walsh will have takers. To give away a piece of the future to facilitate a trade for JJ makes no sense.

Jeffries salary is high, but what difference will that make to a team that will be over the cap next year with or without Jeffries anyway.

Curry, on the other hand, is a completely different story.

that 6 million or 7 million you can use on another piece…… also boshs knees scare me…. we all know how detrimental bad knees and a max deal can be to a franchise. i would stay away from chris bosh but thats my opinion

I would take Miles in a heartbeat. At least he’s a decent blogger.

I would trade Gallo for the right player. But I wouldn’t trade him just to rid ourselves of Curry’s contract. I would rather keep our youngs, get one max player, develop chemistry and make a good run at the playoffs. Then add the final piece when Curry’s contract expires.

There are three max players and a handful of other all star caliber players. There are 10 – 15 teams that have enough cap space and are targeting those three players. Some, like us, may have enough to sign two. What are the odds of getting two of them? Especially on a team that just traded away a signicant piece of its future. Do you like those odds?

If we trade JJ, we will have enough room to sign a max and a pretty good player, or two plus a mle. As Mucha pointed out, the risks of trading Gallo for a long shot that may never materialize, is way to great.

If we have a complete blank canvas in 2010 then Lebron can come and pick whomever the hell else he wants to play with him..

If that is what it takes to get Lebron here I dont care if Gallo becomes the next Dirk… What has Dirk won? and he has a better posse for Longer than Lebron.

Im talking myself into this.. Ive always said no one is untouchable. Now that Ive read the ENTIRE Simmons piece it makes a lot more sense than the snippet posted in the post..

I agree Jeff.. Ive been on that idea too..

If Lebron wants Tommy Dee to man the point Im down for giving him a deal.. WHy not let the Global Icon make that call with a blank slate..

No, just speculating.

Few people want to trade Gallo, but he’s not Paul or Howard. Nor ever likely to be. To remove him from the trading block altogether, eliminating the chance to get a significant established, young star, seems as irresponsible as trading Gallo merely for cap relief.

For example, if the relationship between Nellie and Monte Ellis were to deteriorate to the point of no return (not altogether out of the question with Nellie), would you refuse to include Gallo in discussions?

Good points. If there is a team to take advantage of in a trade, it’s Golden State. Tons of talent there. Management is/has been imploding. It would nice to dupe them into trading Ellis or Anthony Randolph.

The only expiring contracts will be the 2011 contracts next summer you know. The Knicks won’t be able to clear more capspace in July and nothing will guarantee us before the summer that LeBron will sign here.

And we can’t trade Gallo just to get rid of Curry before the trade deadline, we can’t trade All-Star potential for a vague possibility (LeBron signs here).

I’d deal Gallinari if we’re 100% sure that it allows us to get LeBron, no doubt about that. But we’re not in a that position so what you’re saying is totally hypothetical…

Makes sense.

Yes that’s what I’m saying, if LeBron says “Adam Morrison deserves $10 mill, give him good money and I’ll sign with the Knicks” you give him $10 mill, period. Everything revolves around LeBron if he’s willing to come here.

I have a question… Would you trade Gallo and Curry for Amare or Bosh? If so then, trading Curry with Gallo isnt much different if you strongly believe Lebron would come here to play with either player… Knick fans have been saying that if we dont get Lebron, the 2010 plan would be a FAIL…. But If you traded Curry and Gallo you would have an extra 15mil… Thats about 40mil to reconstruct this team… And you still have solid players to place around James (Chandler, Hill, Douglas, Jared, and maybe Bender)… No team is going to give the Knicks a chance of putting together a championship team without fleecing us… It aint happening…. I would miss Gallo but If you want to win a championship, you arent building around him… 40mil would allow you to re-sign Lee, add Bosh or Amare, and Lebron… Or if you really want to imagine something crazy… Add Lebron and Wade and Lee… You can put any stumble bums around those guys… It is something to think about, It isnt ridiculous… It’s an interesting dilemma…

Are you expecting to get LeBron, DWade, Bosh, Amare and Johnson to come here for 10M each for the enjoyment of playing with each other. Then add 7 minimum wagers to fill out the roster? Whose playing point, LeBron or Wade?

I would go tabula rasa for a guarantee that LeBron, and all the players we target, will be here next year. It seems like fools gold to do it for a slight chance at heaven.

Why would LeBron entertain the idea of coming here with nothing but your favorite coach and a dream to offer him? What makes you think that if none of the big three find a black hole and the bright lights of broadway attractive enough to commit their prime years to, that we can fill out a roster that is any better than the one we now have, with the players that will be left?

One month your telling me that we need to make the playoffs to attract LeBron, another month your telling me that we should blow up our foundation completely in order to attract The Man.

I need consistancy my friend.

and something tangible.

Either scenario would work for me, Marzak.

One question though. Can you find two players on any roster with combined salaries equal to Curry’s , that are worthless enough to tempt a gm to take on Eddy and his contract?

Dino, under no circumstance?

Even Dwight Howard straight up wouldn’t give give you pause for thought?

I’m a big Lee fan and think he’s well worth $9M per, but I would take Bosh for 15M, bad knees and all. Lee is very good but Bosh is an elite big man.

You’re OK with Gallo’s back yet Bosh’s knee terrifies you?

I’m comfortable with LeBron and Tommy Dee manning the point. But I thought we were trading JJ for Miles.

Two bloggers in the same backcourt may get a little awkward!

We need to get Lebron here.. That is the goal..

There may be a few ways to get there..

1. is make the playoffs and show him that we have some pieces here that are more attractive than he has — or could have — in Cleveland.

2. Give him a blank slate, a yuk it up coach he SUPPOSEDLY likes on the biggest stage in teh world..

the way NOT to get him there is to play a bunch of aging vets on one year deals into the ground (6 man rotation) and come up lame by winning 35 games .

he doesnt know what Hill is going to be, or Douglas, ..Chandler looks like a dime a dozen small forward … JJ is just coming around but has been maybe the worst player in the league the past 3 plus years and Curry is a lead weight anchor

Is the presence of Danillo gallinari with his balky back at 21 years old gonna be the only piece to attract maybe the best player since Jordan? I dont know i make that bet..

Lebron could easily accept the player option.. play one more year in Cleveland and check out the landscape in 2011

I co-sign this comment.

wow.. here I thought i was going out on a limb as devils advocate on this thread..

was expecting to pull arrows out of my back all nite..

I know I’m about to get murdered on here for that post ha… But hell, I dont think Lebron refuses to come to NY if Gallo isnt here…

YES, YES,YES!
I would trade Gallo and Curry for Amare or Bosh in a NY minute. You have your first max player and about $27M to spend. Bosh, Will, Hill, TD and Coach D would make an attractive starting point to launch LeBron’s championship aspirations. Especially with $10M and an MLE to spend.

NO, NO, NO!
It’s not remotely the same. It’s like saying that having $15M in the bank is like having a $15M lottery ticket.

Only some Knick fans are saying that it’s LeBron or failure, so your wrong there. Most GMs and many fans would be satisfied with Bosh and Johnson, for example, as a consolation prize.

Trading Gallo and Curry for cap space with no guarantees is not only rediculous; it’s foolhardy!

No, he may refuse to come to NY for many other reasons. Then you have no Gallo and a fist full of money.

I don’t believe in capital punishment, so your safe for the moment. No guarantees though.

Biggie,

I’m too drunk to hit my target. Your safe too.

Perhaps Dick Chaney can take a shot next.

Jedi Mind Trick Tommy…don’t fall for it!

I like Simmons, he’s funny. That being said he is obviously biased against New York. He did a colum and blog post laughing about how the Giants had Zero chance against his beloved Patriots in 2007. He didn’t want to give Eli credit by saying Asante Samuel blew an interception. He still can’t get over it….The Yankees, Bill Buckner and Eli Manning!!! Thats right Simmons!

Pryzbilla and Outlaw in Portland
Nick Collison and Etan Thomas in OKC
Mo Peterson and James Posey in N.O.
marko jaric???

I’d even send a player (Chandler) in a deal to dump Curry and get someone useful.

The goal is to build championship teams. LeBron is merely the best vehicle to get there, not the only one.

I’m not convinced that LeBron won’t take the $17+ M and wait until 2011, when money will likely be more plentiful. If that’s the case, I would get the best players I could, develop the team chemistry with the youngs and new additions, keep the expiring contracts until expiration, then go after the best player since Jordan in 2011. It’s easier to add one dynamic player to an already establish mix, than it is to introduce 12 players to each other during preseason (no matter how good they are).

I wouldn’t like to see 6 players run into the ground and aging vets manning all positions. Hughes is coming back, so that makes 7 for most, but not all, of the minutes. I don’t think D will go through the whole season playing only 7, but it is working for now so run the string out, then make changes. I still believe that this team will win 40 or 41 games not 35, though at the beginning of the season I was willing to throw in the towel and admit that I miscalculated. I was guilty of prematurely judging this team. I won’t let that happen again.

Meanwhile, a 21 and a 22 year old are getting big minutes and valuable experience playing with seasoned vets. JH and TD will have their moments in time. Besides, it’s not like they are sitting around reading SSOS every day. They practice daily with the team and get coaching from the coaches. They pay attention to what is going on around them and hopefully learn what they need to do to earn those minutes. When they are finally thrown into the fire, they will be ready to compete and not just floundering.

Did you really refer to 26 – 29 year olds as aging vets? Makes me feel like Methuselah.

Pryzbilla and Outlaw are the only pair that might have a small chance, Outlaw is an expiring with some trade value and pryzbilla is more valuable on one leg than Eddy is on two. I think that Portland would prefer a 7 ft. D leaguer on the cheap than taking on Eddie. Still, if Pryzbilla’s injury is career threatening they might make the move. Not likely though.

New Orleans is over the luxary tax threshold and is desperate to shed salary, not replace it. They have Okefor and Armstrong at center, both superior to Curry. Posey is actually playing 20+ minutes. They would rather package West with one of those guys for cap relief than take on Curry’s contract.

Collison, while nothing special, is better than Eddie. Thomas is sufficiently worthless but he’s an expiring and OKC wants to be in the free agent sweepstakes. Thomas’ contract gives them a better shot at it. They are a team on the rise with a smart gm. Not the kind who would be fooled into taking on Eddie.

It’s not that I think that your idea is a bad one. It’s not. It’s just that I think Eddie has one of the most untradable contracts in the league. In all of your pairings, there is at least one player who has more value to there team than Curry would. Sad.

F-LEBRON…LET THAT BIG HEADED DELROY LINDO LOOK ALIKE STAY IN CLEVELAND.I DONT WANT LEBROB…I WANT TO BEAT LEBRON

YOU ARE NUTZ

I didn’t read the post from the top so as I was reading it I was saying…….What the heck!!!. The I read the comments and I am seeing that people actually wantt o trade Gallo. ARE YOU GUYS SERIOUS!!!!! Why would you want to trade Gallo?? I don’t care for who it is. We should keep Gallo!!!

I agree, sad indeed. I definitely think he’s the most untradable player in the NBA. He’s very young but he makes 10-11 mil per and plays for a coach who doesn’t have a post up play in his playbook. What a killer.

I wouldn’t trade Gallo for Monte Ellis or Randolph.
In my opinion, a player with Gallo’s assets and attitude are more unique than the G.S. players.
I may be wrong, but he also seems a little more emotionally mature, although perhaps that is just a perception perpetuated by the media/internet.

But one never knows, only time will tell………….