CAMBY question....

[truth serum]

Hey guys. I've seen a couple of threads on this board already asking about players available in trades and what not, so I'm sorry if this is redundant/annoying.

I just wanna know what you guys would realistically expect in return for Marcus Camby via trade.

There are a lot of teams around the league who can use him, and with Blake's return on the horizon, Kaman playing well and not much use for an old, expiring Camby in a year you're hoping to squeak into the playoffs...I'm assuming trading the big fella is far from out of the question.

Now when I say "not much use", I don't mean to say that he can't help you win. The reason I ask this is because I believe he still has a lot left to give defensively and on the boards, which is why I think you guys are better off trading him to a team willing to give you something valuable for your future as opposed to letting him expire and walk at season's end. If Kaman wasn't playing so well and you thought a Blake/Camby front court could propel you into the playoffs, it'd be a different story.

So what would you want? I'm assuming teams like the Suns and Mavericks would give up a late first rounder for a player like that. A guy who can give them defense at center and really round out their rosters.

As a Knicks fan, I'd love to bring back Camby just to shake this team up and see what we look like with an actual shot blocker. We don't have our pick this year, so if we could give up an expiring to bring him in and breathe new life into our team, it'd be perfect, even if he improves us marginally and walks this summer. Would David Lee and filler get the job done? Mobley's insured, expiring contract? Mobley and a pair of 2nd rounders? Is there a chance you take back Eddy Curry if we throw in a future first or a guy like Wilson Chandler? Just throwing out feelers....appreciate any opinions here.

[truth serum]

Keep in mind that the Knicks wouldn't include Gallinari in a Camby deal. We also wouldn't throw in any other young players if Curry or Jeffries weren't included in the deal either. And remember that the Knicks won't add salary, so no adding a guy like Baron Davis to the trade. We're basically working with just expiring contracts here, unless we start adding guys like Curry/Jeffries in which case the Knicks would obviously have to sweeten the deal.

[Det the Threat]

The Knicks don't have the pieces to trade for Camby.

They won't trade Gallinari, who's the only talent that would interest the Clippers, and David Lee just makes no sense at all.
First of all, he plays the same position as our #1 pick and is a free agent at the end of the season, who'd be way too expensive to keep as a back up. On top of it, he would never decline his no trade option and give up his bird rights to come here, because of Griffin and his possible playing time.

And as Camby's an expiring by himself and 2nd rounders aren't that attractive, i doubt there's anything that could make it work.

If Camby's traded, we'll either look for an upgrade at the sf position, or we'll trade him for talent and/or picks(not 2nd rounders) and that's not happening, cause i doubt the Knicks would trade one of their future 1st rounders(cause they could easily suck in two years as well) and even if so, i doubt that's what the Clippers are looking for.

[truth serum]

^But you do realize that Camby being an expiring contract at 10 million dollars kills his value quite a bit? He's most likely not going to resign with you guys, so why not get back a little value while you can? You only got him for a 2nd rounder. Teams are not going to give up 1st round picks or quality players unless they are playoff teams desperate for an upgrade. Even then it's questionable.

You don't think your owner would be interested in Mobley's contract which virtually eliminates the remaining amount of Camby's contract this year through insurance? Add a couple of early second rounders and you've actually gained a second round pick and saved millions of dollars to boot for nothing.

What about Al Harrington and an early second rounder? Al is a huge scoring punch from the SF position and can play PF as well. No?

[Det the Threat]

1) 2nd rounderes mean nothing and can easily be bought for some money.

2) Camby being an expiring does not, at all, kill his value as their surely will be some playoff teams or teams trying to shed some salary will be interested in his services.

3) What we got him for doesn't mean a thing, because we're not desperate to get under the cap like the Nuggets were, when they gave him to us. He's still one of the better help side defenders and rebounders in this league and that's why teams will be interested in him. And if even Kurt Thomas on his last leg could net a team a 1st round pick, then Camby should do so as well.

4) No, our owner is not interested or desperate to save some money and dump him. Also, him being an expiring makes dumping him and his contract even less of a possibility. And, like i've said, 2nd round picks hardly mean anything, especially if you downgrade from Camby, who helps you and your young players, to Mobley, who's not even going to play for you.

5) Al "I shoot everytime i touch the ball" Harrington and an early second round pick won't net you Camby. We've already got a scoring sf in Al Thornton and he's way cheaper and under contract another year. Therefore downgrading our big men rotation for Harrington and a 2nd rounder makes no sense at all.


All things said, you're probably still under the impression that Sterling does not want to pay guys and wants to save as much money as he possibly can. The bad news, for you, is that this isn't the case anymore and that's why such low ball offers won't net you someone like Marcus Camby.

[DangerCurtis]

I see where you're coming from Truth Serum, but I have to agree with Det the Threat. While I'm not too familiar with the Knicks roster let alone their contracts, I can't see any potential trades unless if it's for key pieces, and second rounders are way too big of question marks to let a guy like Camby go. Aside from that, we already have a key line up of young players in Thornton, Gordon, Jordan and Griffin.

Camby's a huge expiring contract that we might want to hold on to for the remainder of the season, so that we have that 10million in the offseason to shop around for a quality free agent. Even if that doesn't work out, Camby is still a huge contributor to our team whose stock is way up.

I just don't see the Knicks having the players we want to give a guy like Camby up.

[PerkinsFor3]

i dont think the knicks would be interested if they'd had to throw in chandler, hill, darko to get thornton and camby, but i'd like it.

basically the only interesting pieces they have are galli and to a lesser extend chandler and hill. do they even have picks left? next years 1st went to utah.

[kombayn]

I think the only way Marcus Camby is traded is by adding Baron Davis to the deal to get expirings, picks and young talent back in the deal. I can't really see Camby being traded for no more than an expiring contract and future draft picks.

[clippermitch]

With the team close to .500 and Blake coming back in a month, the Clippers will not trade any of their core players. IF we are nowhere near the playoff hunt by the trade deadline, I can see Camby and other expiring contracts get traded.

I would love to see Kaman go for a legit SF or an expiring contract. I brought up Kaman for Kevin Martin or maybe Kaman/Ricky Davis/Collins for TMAC.

[Det the Threat]

Kevin Martin is a shooting guard, paid lots of money and not able to stay healthy for a full season.

Putting him at sf is like playing Austin Daye(who's 6'11) at center, just because he's tall enough.

BTW: Trading Kaman for just expirings is not what we should be looking for, as he's worth way more to us and around the league.