Donnie Walsh says he made call on Anthony trade

[mrKnickShot]

https://www.sny.tv/knicks/news/former-knicks-president-donnie-walsh-says-he-made-call-on-anthony-trade/209538768

Former Knicks president of basketball operations Donnie Walsh said despite opinions and reports of the contrary, he oversaw and made the call on the trade that brought Carmelo Anthony to the Knicks.

On The Vertical Podcast with Adrian Wojnarowski, Walsh discussed at length the process that got Anthony from the Denver Nuggets. Walsh admits that Knicks owner Jim Dolan and then-head coach Mike D'Antoni had reservations about the trade.

In other words, he [Jim Dolan] called me at a certain point... he was out there, and I was reading about it and all that… and he said 'Well here's what it's gonna take, and I don't think it'll get done if you don't do this.' And it was the deal kinda that got done. And he said - might've been the same or another phone call - and he said, 'Look Donnie, I'm not a basketball guy. I can't make this decision. So this is your decision.' And I said 'Ok, I wanna call Mike D'Antoni.' Mike didn't really wanna do it either. And I thought, "We're never gonna get a guy like Carmelo Anthony if we don't do this deal… and so I'm gonna do it." And I made up my mind. I kinda knew I'd have to give up Gallinari, who I loved, and Wilson Chandler who I loved too. I thought any deal we were gonna do to get Carmelo that was gonna happen. But I didn't like giving up Moz, and I didn't like giving up, uh… the little point guard.

[Hemispheres]

Very interesting, pretty much goes to prove all the media insiders are bullshitters who blatantly make **** up, but most already knew that.

That part about Dolan is the most revealing. Certainly doesn't follow the typical narrative.

[mrKnickShot]

Very interesting, pretty much goes to prove all the media insiders are **** who blatantly make **** up, but most already knew that.

That part about Dolan is the most revealing. Certainly doesn't follow the typical narrative.

Right, which is why I found this fascinating. People wanted to give Walsh a pass here and blame the whole thing on Dolan which looks like it was complete BS. And he clearly said that MDA did not sound thrilled about it.

Not judging the trade here but pairing Melo and Amre was pretty stupid and give them Tony Douglass as the PG was even stupider but that was not really on walsh. The amnesty debacle was the next dumb GM who we can thank for Bargs, but of course, that was on Dolan too.

[Capn'O]

Well damn.

Not surprised about Mike. The result wasn't a roster that fit him. I guess he and Donnie were never on the same page.

[Phish Tank]

The three real mistakes Donnie made were not making the team better in 2009-2010, botching the 1st round pick, and then waiting too long to make the Melo trade


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[Bill Pidto]

Dolan said he was gonna give Walsh full autonomy and he meant it. He's done the same with Phil. And God knows Isiah had virtually full control as well.

Moral of the story: Dolan is an underrated owner because his pockets are endless pits, he isn't afraid to spend any dollar amount, and from the sound of it, he hasn't made a basketball decision in his entire tenure as head honcho.

His flaw (albeit a major one) has been hiring the wrong guy to call the shots. I guess the jury is still out on Phil, although IMO, he's been Dolan's best hire just for drafting KP alone. Also for the fact that Phil has given Dolan the confidence to pretty much walk away from the team entirely. Remember the days of Dolan going on tirades in the locker room, or the interviews he did side by side with Isiah on MSG? With him being this much less visible but still willing to write the big checks, I'd actually be upset if he sold the team at this point..

[MP4LIFE]

Dolan said he was gonna give Walsh full autonomy and he meant it. He's done the same with Phil. And God knows Isiah had virtually full control as well.

Moral of the story: Dolan is an underrated owner because his pockets are endless pits, he isn't afraid to spend any dollar amount, and from the sound of it, he hasn't made a basketball decision in his entire tenure as head honcho.

His flaw (albeit a major one) has been hiring the wrong guy to call the shots. I guess the jury is still out on Phil, although IMO, he's been Dolan's best hire just for drafting KP alone. Also for the fact that Phil has given Dolan the confidence to pretty much walk away from the team entirely. Remember the days of Dolan going on tirades in the locker room, or the interviews he did side by side with Isiah on MSG? With him being this much less visible but still willing to write the big checks, I'd actually be upset if he sold the team at this point..

If there's one thing I hate is when people try to make Dolan seem competent.

Go make your Melo arguments and go insult 'haters' but please for the love of God do not insult my intelligence by praising James L Dolan.

[ChilledAlex]

Dolan said he was gonna give Walsh full autonomy and he meant it. He's done the same with Phil. And God knows Isiah had virtually full control as well.

Moral of the story: Dolan is an underrated owner because his pockets are endless pits, he isn't afraid to spend any dollar amount, and from the sound of it, he hasn't made a basketball decision in his entire tenure as head honcho.

His flaw (albeit a major one) has been hiring the wrong guy to call the shots. I guess the jury is still out on Phil, although IMO, he's been Dolan's best hire just for drafting KP alone. Also for the fact that Phil has given Dolan the confidence to pretty much walk away from the team entirely. Remember the days of Dolan going on tirades in the locker room, or the interviews he did side by side with Isiah on MSG? With him being this much less visible but still willing to write the big checks, I'd actually be upset if he sold the team at this point..

If there's one thing I hate is when people try to make Dolan seem competent.

Go make your Melo arguments and go insult 'haters' but please for the love of God do not insult my intelligence by praising James L Dolan.

Well you can thank to god that he isn't too influencial with basketball operations as I would be if I was a billionaire and owned an NBA franchise.

Besides if you had to pick between Prokhorov and Dolan .. who would you pick as an owner?

[AmazingJason]

I swear we're the only franchise that goddamn drudges up sh*t that happened 7 years ago.

We've had our spirit broken so many goddamn times that all we can do is goddamn ruminate about the goddamn past.

[Curuch13]

Donnie Walsh trained David Kahn. Enough said.

[Greenie]

Thank you Donnie

[dakomish23]

[Greenie]

Donnie really is Da Gawdfatha for bending Masai over.

We got Melo and they got a steadily injured poor mans Kawhi, Denny's 3 Stacks and the biggest injury walking the face of the NBA.

I always knew deep down Donnie was the only one with some sense during that deal.

Yasssss Donnie Yassssss


I am thankful

[dakomish23]

I swear we're the only franchise that goddamn drudges up sh*t that happened 7 years ago.

We've had our spirit broken so many goddamn times that all we can do is goddamn ruminate about the goddamn past.

this week alone, I think you've brought up Lin 10x

[god shammgod]

i said many times, the difference in the deal that donnie had and the one dolan made was moz. that's it. moz. i just won a decade's worth of arguments and i want reparations in the form of everyone being banned. make it happen capn'o. goodbye and i hate you all.

[Thugger HBC]

It was well known D'antoni didn't want it, he liked the roster he had that just went out there, with no tone on their voice.

Nothing really new in this info, but I said way back then, the deal that happened never had to. The deal was originally just Melo as the centerpiece and that didn't cost nearly as much as it blew up into with Billups salary nearly as high as Melo's at the time.

When Denver called, he should have forked over the two youngins and one pick immediately.

[PeoplesChamp]

Further proof that you just can't trust what these beat writers say. They create the drama, tell the story they want, then the fans eat it up. They would have you believe Walsh was helpless as Dolan gutted the team.

I believe whoever works for Dolan has a win-now mandate, but that's because the Knicks have to be profitable. And the pressure is on every year from shortsighted fans & media to make the playoffs.

Turns out Dolan not only opens his checkbook to no end for this team, but, he also actually lets his basketball guys make the basketball decisions. You know what that makes him? A good owner.

[duetta]

Wake up, Donnie. Actually, go back to sleep, Donnie.

[Greenie]

Wake up, Donnie. Actually, go back to sleep, Donnie.

It's Thanksgiving. Let him get a slice of sweet potato pie first.

[King of Canada]

They must have caught Donnie at 2pm, right before dinner