Impossible to just retool the team

[seren]

I don't see how we actually keep our pick this offseason unless we trade Melo. Melo's not going to want to wait on Okafor/Towns or whoever else. You have to figure that Phil will try and move that pick for a number 1/2, then sign some FA's.

Lakers kept their pick. I don't think he has a say in it. I think we will trade the pick if we could pull what Cleveland did, ie sign a star player and trade the pick for another star. I don't think we are trading the pick for a role player or even just for the second star.

[nykballa2k4]

I don't see how we actually keep our pick this offseason unless we trade Melo. Melo's not going to want to wait on Okafor/Towns or whoever else. You have to figure that Phil will try and move that pick for a number 1/2, then sign some FA's.

Lakers kept their pick. I don't think he has a say in it. I think we will trade the pick if we could pull what Cleveland did, ie sign a star player and trade the pick for another star. I don't think we are trading the pick for a role player or even just for the second star.

Again to use the old lakers model:
Bynum (rookie)
Gasol(max)
George(something)
Kobe(Max)
Fisher(something)

Odom (10M)

Our comparison will be something like:
Monroe(lots)
Towns(Rookie)
Melo(MAX)
Shumpert(something)
Calderon(7)
JR (6)

ideally, we would be playing this game in a dif FA market and get an Al Horford or something, but not exactly in the cards.

Obvious best case:
Gasol(max20?)
Towns(6)
Melo(max23)
Shumpert(6)
Rondo(10)

Hardy (3)

obviously that requires the cap to move and some other stuff, but u get the idea.

I think Phil likes having 2 7-footers inside so I would fully expect us to draft a big man and sign a big man this summer.

Can anyone be mad at a front court of:
Asik, Dalembert*, Alderich*
Towns, Amare*, Acy*
Melo, Wear*, Thanisis*
* = near or at min

[melo mvp 15]

I don't see how we actually keep our pick this offseason unless we trade Melo. Melo's not going to want to wait on Okafor/Towns or whoever else. You have to figure that Phil will try and move that pick for a number 1/2, then sign some FA's.

Lakers kept their pick. I don't think he has a say in it. I think we will trade the pick if we could pull what Cleveland did, ie sign a star player and trade the pick for another star. I don't think we are trading the pick for a role player or even just for the second star.

Again to use the old lakers model:
Bynum (rookie)
Gasol(max)
George(something)
Kobe(Max)
Fisher(something)

Odom (10M)

Our comparison will be something like:
Monroe(lots)
Towns(Rookie)
Melo(MAX)
Shumpert(something)
Calderon(7)
JR (6)

ideally, we would be playing this game in a dif FA market and get an Al Horford or something, but not exactly in the cards.

Obvious best case:
Gasol(max20?)
Towns(6)
Melo(max23)
Shumpert(6)
Rondo(10)

Hardy (3)

obviously that requires the cap to move and some other stuff, but u get the idea.

I think Phil likes having 2 7-footers inside so I would fully expect us to draft a big man and sign a big man this summer.

Can anyone be mad at a front court of:
Asik, Dalembert*, Alderich*
Towns, Amare*, Acy*
Melo, Wear*, Thanisis*
* = near or at min

Melo, Asik, and Towns would be unbelievable. I'd also be completely comfortable with throwing Towns into the starting line up as a rookie.

Plus depending on what happens with JR and Jose, you could add Dragic or Rondo to that line up.

[Dr. Detfink]

The Melo era is done? That's premature.

People are not talking about retooling now, before the deadline -- they're saying there's no way to really improve the roster even this summer, which I think is wrong.

It's about as premature as I was when I was the FIRST to tell you, The Knicks ain't keeping Lin.

Melo has been in this league for a while now. Since the beginning, all the talk has been "Trying to find the players to compliment him..." Listen, you see Lebron expanding his skill set as his athleticism declines, what has the Money man done so far? I don't see him THAT much more dedicated to defense or other skill sets.

Don't get me wrong as the Knicks draft better and get younger, they'll make the playoffs but right now, the Knicks are going to get shut out in Free agency unless they submit a $20M per season contract.

Phil is in the same position as Donnie.

[R-DAWG]

On that I disagree lol. Chandler would have done nothing to stop the tank from moving forward and fast.

I disagree, the one difference between the end of last season's team and this years team is that Tyson isn't here. were the same team we were last year when he was injured. I just want out of the Calderon deal because I know it will come back to haunt us.

How will the Calderon deal haunt us. Who will it prevent us from getting?

ties up cap space for a guy on the decline. If we max out a PG it hurts roster balance. Just not smart to say "were thinking about the future" and then tie up money in an older role player.

[Fat Kat]

I disagree, the one difference between the end of last season's team and this years team is that Tyson isn't here. were the same team we were last year when he was injured. I just want out of the Calderon deal because I know it will come back to haunt us.

How will the Calderon deal haunt us. Who will it prevent us from getting?

ties up cap space for a guy on the decline. If we max out a PG it hurts roster balance. Just not smart to say "were thinking about the future" and then tie up money in an older role player.

Who? What PG are we looking to "max out"?

[R-DAWG]

On that I disagree lol. Chandler would have done nothing to stop the tank from moving forward and fast.

I disagree, the one difference between the end of last season's team and this years team is that Tyson isn't here. were the same team we were last year when he was injured. I just want out of the Calderon deal because I know it will come back to haunt us.

He might be shipped out and then you can go to bed resting easy. If we wanted to package him with our 2014 draft assets and Larkin, it could get done, which means Phil would have erased Felton's contract without giving up anything of significant value. That'd be a magic act.

Okay Calderon looks bad mostly. But he was trying to give us a steady hand at point to help Melo this year. Entirely understandable. Maybe Calderon is done but the structure of that deal makes perfect sense. We badly needed a point to compete this year. Your imagination that there were better deals is not founded and could well be wrong.

All you can say is Phil didn't know Calderon is done but should've (arguable at least).

The structure is fine but the pieces/assets are not. We can debate what Early's potential is but a 2nd rd pick who can't crack the rotation and is currently injured has next to no value. Same with a 2nd year player who's 3rd year option was declined. Same with a dude picked in the 50's who's currently in the NBDL. So I'm not really sure these assets are enough to get a team to eat 2 years and $15 million. In fact, I'm pretty sure it's not. The cost to clear a contract is a 1st rd pick. And these assets don't come close to

There might have been a better deal, there might have not been a better deal. I would not have made this deal because worst case scenario Tyson walks, Felton is stretched and we move on. The current worst case scenario is that these assets we got don't turn it around and become valueless while Calderon's contract becomes a liability. The risk reward is not in our favor.

Also about needing a PG to compete this year - the loss of Chandler is huge. Look at where this team was at the end of last year to where they are today. Replacing an all-star with a role player doesn't really work. Just a bad trade all around. Tyson Chandler had significant value. He's one of the top centers in the league. And the Knicks just threw him away and brought back a potential liability. It's just not good business.

Also, if your making the moving a contract argument the Knicks couldn't even clear their worst contract and biggest locker room issue. This deal is a loss anyway you look at it.

[R-DAWG]

How will the Calderon deal haunt us. Who will it prevent us from getting?

ties up cap space for a guy on the decline. If we max out a PG it hurts roster balance. Just not smart to say "were thinking about the future" and then tie up money in an older role player.

Who? What PG are we looking to "max out"?

Either max out Rondo. Give Dragic a big deal (not max) or sign Reggie Jackson. All three would be huge upgrades over Jose. And if you sign them and have Jose that's $7+ million that could be spent elsewhere. There just wasn't a need to committ to Jose at that salary for that many years at that point in time. It was bad business.

[Fat Kat]

ties up cap space for a guy on the decline. If we max out a PG it hurts roster balance. Just not smart to say "were thinking about the future" and then tie up money in an older role player.

Who? What PG are we looking to "max out"?

Either max out Rondo. Give Dragic a big deal (not max) or sign Reggie Jackson. All three would be huge upgrades over Jose. And if you sign them and have Jose that's $7+ million that could be spent elsewhere. There just wasn't a need to committ to Jose at that salary for that many years at that point in time. It was bad business.

Bad business would be maxing out any of those guys. You think Jose is a bad contract? Any of those 3 on a max would be a huge blunder. Not that we could actually land those guys.