A solution to the Mayo/Lopez question... get 'em both!

[TrentTuckerForever]

http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/baske ... draft.html

From Wiretap... the Knicks might be willing to use their pick (6th) overall to dump Eddy Curry or Zach Randolph. This has been discussed on this board before, but not with the picks in place... would you guys consider moving Walker's expiring for Curry/Randolph and #6?

I would think about it for Curry - I think Randolph is radioactive, whereas Curry is only lazy. But if the Wolves could get both Lopez and Mayo (probably Lopez at 3 to keep him away from Memphis) they'd address two needs while adding another center who, despite his medical and motivational concerns is only 25. He hasn't show that he could be what the Wolves need in the middle, but in this scenario the Wolves could get Curry AND Lopez and still upgrade the backcourt with Mayo.

The kicker for me is that Curry's deal is only 2 more years. If he doesn't improve (or his heart condition flares up) he doesn't bury your rebuilding process like a guy on 4 or 5 year deal would. I think it's worth considering.

[Devilzsidewalk]

of course, but thats such a horrible idea for the Knicks, they can't throw away top 10 picks when their best player is a hustle power forward

[shrink]

I agree Zach is radiocative, and he's a lot more expensive. He's a lesser Al Jefferson on offense, so he wouldn't be of as much use here as on other teams -- none of them though are going to recoup his #16 mil/year ave salary.

So that leaves Curry, who would be a huge risk for Glen Taylor. Curry's contract is one of only a couple in the NBA that don't have health insurance (though some knick fans believe it can be bought out ONLY if he has heart problems). As you will recall, the Bulls benched him for a month because they could not get his irregular heartbeat straightened out, and Curry refused to take a test to see whether he had a genetic predisposition for a coronary problem. After that, no insurer would guarantee his contract, which generally pay 75-85% of a player's salary if he gets injured.

A big fat lazy Curry is ripe to get injuries that go farther than just the heart. Taylor may also be gunshy about Curry's heart and his behavior, after he used the Allan Houston exception on Hoiberg when he had a chance of heart problems on the court. Finally, I can't remember any team besides the Knicks ever trading for a guy without insurance.

So if Taylor might not even play Curry, would Taylor risk spending Curry's salary ($10.5 mil for three years) plus the salary for the pick (let's say $2 mil) to have that pick for three years. $12.5 is a lot of money for a pick, so it'd better be somebody good, and Curry would HAVE to play to earn some of that money back.

I would do Jerome James ($6.4 mil for two years) + pick for expiring. That would only be one additional year of payment. The Knicks are well over the lux, so it'd save them $12 mil plus the guaranteed contract of the pick doubled. And a lot of Knick fans like Curry because he does have offensive skills from about 1-foot in, while Jerome James may never see the court again. However, Dolan has never been a guy to make a deal to save money .. maybe their new GM Walsh can exert some influence, but I doubt it.

Last point .. I don't think the #6 would help us get Lopez AND Mayo. I agree with you that if we don't take Lopez at #3, MEM surely will at #5. However, if we don't take Mayo, I think it unlikely SEA passes on him -- either to use themselves or trade down. MEM could pick Mayo as well for his trade value, or to play mroe as a SG. We;d have to have some other deals in place with one of these teams to get this to work out.

Very intrigueing idea! Best I've seen today! Nice work!

[Winter Wonder]

Read and posted almost the same thing TT. It is a very intriguing idea. Not sure what we can get from Curry, but it may be a better situation for him here and gives us more usable assets. I just worry he would take up space from Al to work down low and that he doesn't provide the defense we need. Same concerns everyone has, but for this price, may be too hard to pass up.

[shrink]

of course, but thats such a horrible idea for the Knicks, they can't throw away top 10 picks when their best player is a hustle power forward

Actually, I think the pick-to-price ratio is about right.

Ray Allen went to BOS for the #5
J Rich went to CHA for the #8

A team with an expiring can go for the pick, or can use that same amount of salary to pick up a comparable player in free agency.

[TrentTuckerForever]

^Also, I think New York values getting under the cap in time for LeBron/Wade's free agency more than anything else. That places a premium on large expirings, makes them slightly more valuable to the Knicks than they would be to teams like Seattle or GS, who were looking to shed salary but not necessarily on a hard timeline.

[TrentTuckerForever]

Read and posted almost the same thing TT. It is a very intriguing idea. Not sure what we can get from Curry, but it may be a better situation for him here and gives us more usable assets. I just worry he would take up space from Al to work down low and that he doesn't provide the defense we need. Same concerns everyone has, but for this price, may be too hard to pass up.

Then don't play Curry. Ask him to rebound, play defense, pass the ball... and if he won't do those things, sit his tubby butt down. Lopez would need to play anyway, and if Curry isn't willing to do what the team asks he shouldn't get the PT (which is the only currency coaches have with millionaire athletes on guaranteed contracts.)

[MN Die Hard]

I like the Curry deal (definitely not Zach though); however, its pretty easy for me to spend Glen Taylor's money.

taking it a step further....would the #3 and the #6 be enough to get us either Chicago or Miami's pick????

[the_bruce]

I'd do Curry + pick in an instant for buck + walker

The draft would fall as such

Rose
Beasly
Mayo
Bayless
Jordan\Love\Lopez
MN takes Whoever is left of jordan love lopez?

No brainer imo. Walker could prove useful in a suns style offense. Heck I'd probably be willing to take on both if NY takes Jaric, but I'd need to think about it more. Maybe send him to CLE for big ben?

[Devilzsidewalk]

I'd totally celebrate with some sweet nuggy nugs if the Wolves pulled off that trade

[HowlinTwolf]

I'd do the Curry deal I think. But only after trying to swap spots with Miami. Would they do it for one of the seconds? or would giving them their future first be too much?

[the_bruce]

What I suggested can be done in 2 trades

Trade 1:
Jaric + Buck + walker for Randolph + Curry + #5 works

Trade 2:
Ben for Randolph

MN's books are only screwed up for 1 additional year. Next year they are screwed up.

The year after we add to the screw up.

The final year we have 2 giant exp contracts.

[Winter Wonder]

Only been posting about a month and already a thread locked, sigh, sad days. (I realize why, don't want three threads of the same thing, no worries mods.)

The 6th pick would hopefully be Gallinari though unless Lopez fell (I believe Memphis does not pass on him), then I would debate who I would want. This also works with the thread on McHale liking Gallinari.

[PeeDee]

http://games.espn.go.com/nba/features/t ... &te=&cash=

Plus NY gives us #6 and we give them one or both of BOS/MIA

NY gets a young cheap scorer that I think would thrive under D'Antoni, sheds cap, and gets more picks.

The Wolves could go a variety of ways...

Lopez @ 3 Gallinari/Randolph/Love/Jordan @ 6

Mayo @ 3 Lopez/Jordan/Love/Gallinari/Randolph @6

[TrentTuckerForever]

Only been posting about a month and already a thread locked, sigh, sad days. (I realize why, don't want three threads of the same thing, no worries mods.)

The 6th pick would hopefully be Gallinari though unless Lopez fell (I believe Memphis does not pass on him), then I would debate who I would want. This also works with the thread on McHale liking Gallinari.

Don't get discouraged, Winter. Remember it's supposed to be fun.

I'd be okay with Gallinari if somebody else took Mayo between 3-6. He seems to be a solid 3rd option kind of guy at worst, a Peja type with better ball handling skills. Not a bad 6th pick.

[karch34]

No worries. I've been on other sites where there's 12 of the same topic. It happens as people sometimes have the same idea but title it differently. Got to give rev props for keeping it streamlined.

It's an interesting idea. If we could somehow deal Jaric for a shorter deal like Malik Rose as well that could be very interesting.

PG: Foye, Telfair, Mayo
SG: Mayo, McCants, Brewer
SF: Gomes, Brewer, Gallarni/Randolph
PF: Jefferson, Gomes, Rose
C: Curry, Richard, 2nd rounder

Or put Lopez at C instead of the 2nd rounder and put Bill Waker at SF in place of Gallarni/Randolph.

[shrink]

According to many NYK posters, they won't take back any contracts that run past 2010, so Jaric is a year too long. They fully expect to win the LeBron sweepstakes, because of all the endorsement deals he can get from Madison Avenue.

However, I think a Curry deal is dead-on-arrival. If Taylor wouldn't play Hoiberg because of heart risks, he certainly wouldn't play Curry.

If you want this to fly and get the #6, you need to move Curry to a third team, and take back THEIR trash. We have the expirings though to make NYK happy though, if we want to punt getting a max deal free agent next summer.

[Winter Wonder]

Oh, not frusterated at all fellows, was trying to be funny, I can see that didn't translate at all well, guess I will stick with my day job.

Anyhow, so looking for a 3rd team for Curry. May be tough, not sure who would have interest.

Milwuakee to get rid of Gadzuric + ?
Houston for another big with B Jax and L Head?
Toronto like Curry more than Rasho? (would probably cut us out if this were the case)
Indiana to get rid of Murphy?
Orlando like him more than Battie + (Reddick?, would probably work directly with NY).

Indy and Milw seem to have most legs maybe, unless Houston really needs a back up big for hurt Yao and 84 yr old Mutumbo...

[LA_33]

If you want this to fly and get the #6, you need to move Curry to a third team, and take back THEIR trash. We have the expirings though to make NYK happy though, if we want to punt getting a max deal free agent next summer.

That's what I'd look to do. There has to be a team out there with $8-9M in long-term contracts attached to role players that would want to swap them for Curry. The Bucks, maybe? I'd take Bobby Simmons to play SF in a heartbeat (even if the Wolves were looking at Gallinari at 6).

(Heck, if the Bucks wanted to swap McCants for Charlie V, I'd do that, too, and even throw in one of those high 2nds, especially if the Wolves took Mayo at 3. Villanueva doesn't pay as hard as you'd like on D, but he's very skilled offensively, a good shooter and passer at 6'10".)

I'd also be willing to swap Jaric for Jared Jeffries, very similar contracts, Jaric a better fit in D'Antoni's system, and Jeffries able to provide some D at both froward spots. That's especially appealing if if had to be Curry to MN, which I'd still do to get #6 and a shot at Mayo+Gallinari or Lopez. Curry would be tradable again in a year, even if the Wolves literally put him on the DL for all of the 2008-09 season.

[TrentTuckerForever]

Trade 1:
Jaric + Buck + walker for Randolph + Curry + #5 works

Trade 2:
Ben for Randolph

Wait... Ben Wallace? A three-way trade with Cleveland that doesn't put any long contracts in New York might work.

Randolph may fall in line playing with LeBron, and there would still be enough defensive frontline players there (Varejao, Joe Smith.) I wonder if Cleveland would bite?