It is no secret that trading Eddy Curry ranks pretty high on Donnie Walsh’s to do list. I respect Curry for
his hard work to make his way back, and while I think that he can help this team, Curry appears to strain the team’s flow when he is on the court. However, Curry is NOT a player that has to be moved at all costs. Let me explain…
Bill Simmons, the Sports Guy at ESPN.com, wrote a massive article today discussing hypothetical trade scenarios for various teams throughout the league. One of the first scenarios that he came up with was a swap of Eddy Curry and Danilo Gallinari for Brian Cardinal and Mark Blount.
Let me repeat that. Simmons feels that in order to rid ourselves of Curry, the Knicks will have to relinquish Gallo.
Huh? Are you kidding, Bill? Was that the best you could come up with?
Like I said above, trading Curry is important, but he is not a player that has to be dealt at all costs. Perhaps the last thing that Donnie Walsh would ever do is package Gallo with Curry for expiring contracts just for the possibility of signing a second max free agent.
Here are tidbits from Simmons:
“Fake Trade 1a: Gallinari, Curry and $3 million to Minnesota for the Mark Blount/Brian Cardinal ECs. Basically, Minnesota would be paying $10 million next year to get Gallinari for 2011, 2012 and 2013. Total financial commitment: $23 million. Isn’t a lottery pick and potential 50-40-90 percentage guy worth $23 million over three years (just $9 million for the last two), especially for a team stupidly playing the “we’re waiting for Ricky Rubio, so tuck yourself in and enjoy three years of losing and misery!” card? Of course.
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). The same offer could work for the Nets (Bobby Simmons), Zombie Sonics (Etan Thomas) and Blazers (Steve Blake/Travis Outlaw). Someone will bite.
If Gallinari and Hill have to be sacrificed to make it happen, you do it. You don’t even think twice.”
To be honest, I did not read the entire article. I was turned off by Simmons absolutely ludicrous idea of trading Gallo in a salary dump. I am horrified at the thought.
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Anyway, I had a random thought today. If the Nets win the John Wall lottery and if the Knicks manage to find a new power forward (Bosh / Amare / Boozer), how about a S&T of Lee for Devin Harris? Such a deal would be a bit more complicated than that and would likely require more pieces. Also, I am not so sure that the Nets and Knicks would make a swap of such high end players. But at its root, the deal makes some sense for both sides. The Nets are in dire need of a high end power forward to pair with Lopez. While Lee is not on the same level as Bosh / Amare / Gasol (who just received an enormous contract extension) / etc., he is definitely in the second tier of power forwards. Likewise, while Harris is not on par with Paul, Nash, Rose, Billups, and Williams, he is the second tier. The deal would allow the Nets to boast a lineup of John Wall / Lee / Lopez / free agent signing (maybe Joe Johnson?) / Courtney Lee. On the other hand, the Knicks could potentially run a lineup of Harris / Chandler / free agent (LeBron?) / Gallo / Jeffries (or another guy to fill in at center).
Just a random thought that I had. A lot of hypothetical events must happen, the biggest of which being the Nets receive the first overall pick in the draft, but again, just a thought that I had today.
I read it and I thought it was ridiculous as well. However, he’s there for entertainment. The majority of his trades also happened to involve HOU on the winning end of trades. I have no doubt that he’s a little impartial to Daryl Morey whom he feels is a modern day genius.
So, you have to take it with a grain of salt. Remember who the source is.
I don’t mind using Hill to move Eddy, at this point Jeffries has put himself as a trade-able player. Honestly tho i rather use Hill, Nate, or Future picks past 2012 to move Eddy.
IMO its Houston or bust and a big deal like
Eddy/Al/Mobley/Nate/1st rd pick 2013 for Mcgrady/Cook is something i rather see happen.
Gallo/Chandler/Douglas/Hill should be on this team in 2010.
Nate the NBA 6th man contender not Nate the bench warmer wanting out.
I just read that article before coming to this blog. You have to realize that Bill Simmons is the comedy relief of ESPN. His articles are not to be taken seriously.
Also he’s from Boston and resides in LA now so he has a “thing” agains anything NY.
I thinks he is funny but would never take him seriously.
I was about to post pretty much the same exact thing. I love reading Bill Simmons, but he isn’t a guy who works in the rumor mill, and despite knowing a lot about basketball I think everyone knows these are ridiculous examples
I do understand that, but I honestly think that trading Gallo with Curry for expiring deals is a no brainer.
Agreed.
and if any Gm in the league thinks getting gallo of the knicks if feasible then they don’t live in this planet.
Gallo is our “Untouchable” player especially now that he has shown a little bit of his potential.
if the knicks trade gallo without getting back a all star (Id still be mad cuz hes young cheap and has so much potential) i think that knicks fans would seriously boycott cuz that would be possibly the dumbest move in team history outside of signing jerome james (i just puked in my mouth a little)
Throwing up your hands and proclaiming “We need to include Gallinari to get rid of Curry” shows absolutely no creativity.
There are ways to do things. Walsh can try many different options:
- simply KEEP Curry. Next year, Curry will be an expirer and teams desperate for future relief could throw a talent our way. Who? Don’t know, but those options always pop up.
- buyout Curry for a lower amount
- throw in non essential 2010 talents into a deal….like current expirers
- trade short term cap relief for added future payroll. For example, would Bobcats take Curry for Diop? Curry for Udrih? Curry for Mavs Matt Carroll? See what I’m getting at….
- trade Jeffries instead
- include cash into a deal
In other words, a creative GM can somehow make the seemingly impossible happen. Just immediately saying “well, we need to give up Gallo” is beyond ridiculous…..
i dont think anyone is saying we need to give up Gallo but he has to be in the conversation.. If the plan is to get TWO max players this year.. either thru free agency, trades, or a combo..
Im not sure what the FA class is next year.. but if this is a 2011 plan then Walsh didnt really have to do anything from the day he got here as Zbo and Craw were set to expire in 2011 too..
Buying out Curry still means there is salary on 2011 books.. prorated for the amt of his buyout.. Curry taking less money is more far fetched than anything right now..
i think to get rid of Curry you have to inclide REAL talent.. not expirers or players that dont even get off the bench on this team.. even Houston is asking for real talent for T Mac.. though that price MAY come down they can still just buy him out and save money that way.. rather than taking back Curry..
trading short term cap relief for LT payroll really doesnt help the situation.. jus gets rid of Curry..
trading JJ doesnt really guarantee TWO max deals.. maybe it gets close but it will be a tight fit unless Curry is gone.. then it is more a sure thing..
cash — max that can go is 3 mil..
being creative means ANYTHING goes.. there are no Untouchables.. Danny Ainge was creative and got a ring. im just saying.
yes, but having zebo and craw would take us out of the conversation for lbj. under NO circumstances should we even think of trading Gallo.
I agree with everything you say except when you mentioned Ainge. He was NOT creative, he just got help from his buddy in Minny and that got McHale fired. Please remember that Ainge was hanging to his job by a threat. And if you come back with the Ray Allen trade then you know that it was more of a salary dump by Seattle than anything else plus that draft class wasn’t the strongest.
I meant he was create in colluding with McHale ..
Biggie,
Since you say that Gallo, as much as we love him, can’t be an untouchable, let me toss out a fantasy thought (note, I said fantasy) that I voiced back when the Knicks were winless.
Would Utah trade back out number one for Gallo?
Would it then be worth taking the hit in the loss column to play the rookies, to play Nate and make him buy into the system?
Just tossing something into the fantasy realm.
Agreed! We have to be honest about this team and the fact that it’s not going very far this year for sure.
That is why is beyond ridiculous to speak about moving Gallo and some of the younger players without getting a bonafide young star in return.
If this organization really had a plan in mind, we would be playing our young players to help them develop and see what we truly have in them.
We know Gallo can shoot the light out but can he play better defense and rebound is still in questioned. Yet we might not ever know with this one dimensional coach!
We have wanted for years for our Knicks to finally admit that they needed to rebuild and now we are still playing players that are not in our future over young players that MAY be.
We might never have a moment in NY like now to allow younger players to play without a revolt in this town.
As for playing the young guys, D’Antoni is playing Gallo about 35 minutes/game and is playing Chandler significant minutes. Douglas gets minutes sporadically but Duhon and Hughes have been playing much better in December, so there are less minutes there. And Hill just doesn’t deserve to play yet. No big deal there. Big men take longer to develop.
Gallo showed last night what he can do when he’s not shooting the ball well (2-13 FGs). He got 7 rebounds and had 3 blocks. He may never be a stud rebounder like David Lee, but he’ll probably be around 7-8/game.
As for the Lee / Harris trade, I don’t think it can actually happen. In order to trade lee, we can’t renounce his rights. In order to sign two max players, we have to do that. Sorry, not sure if that really works. Ebb if it could, Harris is t what we need. With Lebron dominating the ball, we need a good shooting PG and Harris does not qualify as that.
ROTFL
Are you kidding me?
First Wojnarzsztkkotzxy (whatever his name is), now Bill Simmons… These guys are just trolling. Seriously Danny Ferry must be behind it. EPSN & Co. just like to talk sh*t about the Knicks, and obviously they just don’t know what’s happening within this organization.
You don’t trade All-Star potential for somehing that might never happen (2 max FA’s), you just don’t. If Donnie Walsh believes that the Knicks will have to resign David Lee next summer, then he might trade Jordan Hill and Eddy Curry but I don’t think he’s willing to do it. I would hate that move, that’s for sure.
http://www.nba.com/knicks/video/2009/12/23/gallinariplayeroke-1162362
ROTFL
Untradable.
Wojnarzsztkkotzxy LMAO
lol my Grandfather was polish… the polish dictionary’s a mess though, no vowels lol
I hear you on the shooting argument, but I still believe that Harris would be a good fit on this team, LeBron or not, great deep shooting or not. Derrick Rose would also be a great fit, but he is not a good deep shooter either. Not saying that Harris is on the same level as Rose, but in terms of deep shooting, neither is a great 3 point shooter.
Ill play devils advocate..
I understand that Gallo is perceived as untouchable by fans and management.
But Donnie’s plan was to get far enough under the cap to bring in TWO max players and totally restrucutre the team.. In orderto do that he has to get rid of Curry.. Period.. end of story..
Curry is virtually untradeable right now.. its not even close. In order to get rid of Curry you would HAVE TO package him woth someone like Gallo .. Forget this Jordan Hill talk.. He doesnt even play on OUR TEAM..
Now we know Gallo has a history of a bad back and I know he fires up a lot of “homerism” aumung the fan base but would anyone object — objectively — to trading Gallo for a MAX supestar player today?
If you could guarantee that dumping Curry with Gallo meant you can keep Lee and bring in Bron and say Bosh — or whoever the other MAX Guy is — and fill in with our young guys (even tho they dont play now and are complete question marks) and some grizzled vets.. you do it?
There was a time in Boston when they had a young player on the verge of “getting it” and they dealt him as part of a plan to win it all.. that worked out OK..
If you trade Gallinari it doesn’t mean that you’ll sign 2 max FA’s. It just means that you’ll have enough space to do it.
It is WAAAY to risky.
Obviously I trade Gallinari if I’m 100% SURE that LeBron and Bosh sign with the Knicks.
Mucha — read Simmon’s piece His last par on the Knicks is compelling
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Look, I change my mind on this topic almost every month. I have no idea how it will play out. None. I just know the Knicks have a chance to offer LeBron James something that nobody else has ever been offered in sports history: A blank canvas and unlimited resources for a potential top-10 player of all time who is just hitting his prime to build his own All-Star team. It’s unprecedented. If Gallinari and Hill have to be sacrificed to make it happen, you do it. You don’t even think twice.
>>>>>>>>
What if LeBron wins the title in Cleveland and wants to stay there?
The Knicks have little to no control over his decision, what they can do is try to offer the best ressources and keep assets if he’s not willing to come here.
It’s useless to have “a blank canvas and unlimited ressources” to offer if the player turns down the offer.
But, aside from LeBron / Wade / and maybe (maybe!!!!) Bosh, there is not another free agent that I would be willing to give up Gallo in order to sign. That is too narrow of a window to play with if you ask me.
If I was guaranteed all three of those players, I would trade Chandller / Gallo / and Hill.
With Bosh, Wade, and LeBron out there, you can fill the rest of the roster with minimum salary players and still win. But that seems too far fetched to ever even consider.
I agree it is far fetched..
Now are all talking about the value of cap space and providing an attractive base to bring in a MAX player PLUS another super star.. Would you do it if you could swindle Chris Paul away from the Hornets as the second superstar?
You cant do that with Curry on the roster..
Im just saying.. the plan was TWO MAX superstars.. you dont win without TWO..
If you think Gallo is the second coming of Larry Bird you shut down all discussions and end the story.. But in our situation (even with this fools gold 10 game stretch) NO ONE on this roster should be marked as untradeable..
If you could move Curry you could theoretically (I cant believe I am going to write this) keep Jeffries as your defensive glue guy on a championship team..
That’s the only way you trade Gallo – for Chris Paul. Just about any other scenario is insane.
Agreed. I have said this before. Gallo is not untouchable. For Chris Paul, he most certainly is tradeable.
good idea on Lee for Devin Harris.. Given our glut in the front court.. and the impending signing of a max front court player.. this is the type of deal you have to consider…
I would prefer Lee for John Wall though.. Harris would be a good trade.. young, signed, all star level player..
of course that they play less than 10 miles from us makes this all nonsense talk ..
No way the Nets would give up Wall for Lee though. Even though Wall has never played an NBA minute, he will come into the league and be under team control for a reasonable price for at least 4 years. No way you allow a potential superstar at a bargain price slip away.
right.. but please remember that Wall will be making over 5 mil a year in his first yeart.. Harris makes what? 8.5? or 9> and he is a relative proven commodity..
its not happening either way..
ALSO why cant gallo be that 2nd “max” player with Lebron anyway…if he continues to improve in a year or 2 he could be an all star hes got the potential and so then why not have Lee Lebron gallo and maybe pick up a close to max player …i wouldnt mind seeing Camby back in NY for a couple seasons …and then maybe work a trade for a pg from jordan hill …maybe rubio ???? Rubio , Lebron, Gallo , Lee, Camby lol…and im not one of those rubio lovers im just saying he could be available …..i just think gallo could be a dirk type player when he fills out and keeps getting more and more confidence…..and for all the negative talk in D Gallo has been playin pretty good D the last 10 games hes had some clutch blocked shots too
whens and ifs never won anything.. gallo COULD BE a max type player.. But he isnt today… or next year..
Trade Gallo for financial reasons and you end up with a bigger “if” : A 2nd max free agent.
We know what Gallinari could be capable of if he reaches his potential. We don’t know what’s going on is LeBron, Bosh or Wade’s mind.
*in
agreed. also, would anyone here give bosh a max deal? is chris bosh or joe johnson worth a max deal… imo they are not. bosh, with those knees scare me….. we all know how detrimental bad knees can be to a franchise. stay away from a max deal wit bosh…. keep the italian stallion.
The “italian stallion” has a bad back.
I read the SImmons article and laughed as well. Although Gallo isnt untouchable he isnt going with Curry for cap space, I dont even think Chandler would. It seems one of the reasons they drafter Gallo was with Lebron in mind, he is the perfect shooting teammate for Lebron.
If we get rid of JJ and and freed up enough space for 2 max (?). I would love a starting 5 of Lebron, Bosh, Gallo, Chandler and Douglas /(Lebron could run the point and Douglas could just score). You have Hill coming off the bench with some Vets, and then you can trade Curry’s expiring for another piece.
Wait til Santa find out we’re asking for Lebron and Bosh or maybe Wade!
I’m truly trying to be realistic and ask Santa for a new better coach! Hopefully one that can makes the team accountable on both ends of the floor.
One thing for sure is that Gallo would surely benefit with a Lebron on the team.
Gallo could plant himself in cement outside the 3 pt line and Lebron would have a field day finding him when they try to pack it in in the paint when he gets into the lane.
There I go again! Now Santa is gonna think I’m crazy too! lol
The chances of getting two “max” players is very slim, even IF you dump Curry’s contract.
Gallinari is a potential future All Star. Why would you give up a cheap potential All Star to get a 2nd max player that will cost us $16 million?
Look, here’s a Curry deal that makes sense:
Mavs get Eddy Curry and Marcus Landry
Knicks get Shawne Williams, Matt Carroll, and Drew Gooden: Knicks immediately waive Gooden and he returns to Mavs within 30 days.
Mavericks are competing for a title and could use another big man in Curry to battle against Bynum/Gasol/Odom trifecta. Gooden returns to Mavs after 30 days, making even more money so he’s happy. Gets rid of Carroll’s useless 3 more years of contract on books. In addition, for 2010, Curry gives Mavericks another big man option since both Dampier and/or Gooden could be gone. Mavericks are not 2010 free agent players, so they’ll have MLE either way to spend.
For Knicks, opens up another $7 million in cap space for 2010, which could be difference in keeping Lee or getting 2nd franchise player. Carroll’s uselessness and future payroll is well worth 2010 cap space. And who knows, maybe Carroll remembers how to hit 3′s in D’Antoni’s system.
I’m sure there are 1/2 dozen scenarios like this just sitting there. Walsh needs to get creative.
Excuse me, Drew Gooden has to WAIT 30 days, then returns to Mavs…..
Curry cant get on the floor with us.. what makes anyone think he can get on the floor with another team?
He hasnt shown that he can play more than a few minutes for more than a few games before getting reinjured..
That is an interesting proposal and one I have made mention of before. Trading Curry does not require an expiring contract IMO. If you can trade him for a player that will make less money next season, such as a Carroll, that is a good way to free up a lot of cap space, even if it is not 11 million. The idea behind trading Curry is finding a more useful way to spend 11 million towards next season’s roster. We have to remember that.
Yup, it’s about trying to manage $11 million better, not necessarily having to clear the contract off completely. Having Carroll for 4 million and 7 million free is a better use of 2010 money.
All you guys make interesting points, but to reiterate my point from a few days ago we have other players who will become very valuable at the dead line (Lee,Harrington, N8 and yes even JJ) when teams have a feel if there really going to make a push in the playoffs. They will already have there core guys say for example orlando or the jazz or the mavs or the lakers,celtics so on and so forth you know the upper crust teams. There mid to low first rd pics and or taking on some money to there books would be worth it! That ! scoring guy off the bench or defense to extend the bench does things matter when your going for it and I know we can get some picks that can help fill out our roster next year on the cheap to mix in with the rooks we have and the FA we target and hope to land.
That’s a good thing Biggie, otherwise Curry wouldn’t be able to retain his value if he played! lol
Chicago and Utah seem to have been source of our trade woes of the last decade. There should be lemon clause when dealing with these two teams by us.
I agree with Alvino about trading Curry. I’d be happy if we could get any cheaper body for Curry to free up cap space. After all, we paid Marbury many more millions to sit for a couple years basically.
It’s time to put in motion a realistic plan for next year and so on. Play the young players and let them develop and see what we truly have to add to what we would like to or may get.