RealGM

Looks like the knicks are reaching an agreement with the Houston Rockets to acquire Tracy macgrady. In the deal, they would send Al Harrington, either Jordan Hill or Toney Douglas and (this is the biggest part) Jared Jeffries. The price is the right to exchange the draft picks and a future 1st and 2nd.
According to Yahoo:
"The New York Knicks are getting closer to reaching the Houston Rockets’ demands for Tracy McGrady and his $23 million expiring contract, league sources told Yahoo! Sports.

"The Knicks and Rockets have designed the framework of a deal that would unload New York’s Jared Jeffries, Jordan Hill and either Al Harrington or Larry Hughes for McGrady, Joey Dorsey and Brian Cook.

"As talks stood on Monday, the price of dumping the burdensome contract of Jeffries – who is owed $6.9 million next season – comes with the Knicks and Rockets exchanging 2011 first-round picks and the Knicks’ 2012 first-round choice going to Houston. New York also might include a 2010 second-round pick"
That really sucks for us, they will likely be getting two superstars now.
Thoughts?

And those superstars are?

A) I'll believe it when it happens. I don't hate the team, so if they pull it off, good for them. I hate some of their fans, though.
B) It doesn't matter, I kind of don't even want to sign anyone this summer--I want to save the cap space and trade for someone.
C) If the Knicks use their cap space to only sign two super stars, that team's going to have no bench...at all. They're not going to have a point guard, either, if they trade away Toney Douglas.

There really aren't any tier 1 free agents who would come to NJ because of how **** we've been this season.

Now if the Nets get ridiculously lucky and land John Wall that might change but at this point in time I'm penciling us in for the #3 or #4 pick...

Wow, they're about to sell their soul for the chance at two max FAs. Their recent lotto pick, an '11 pick swap, and their '12 pick just to get rid of Jared freaking Jeffries?

We'll see what the summer brings...

^Exactly what I was thinking...literally, they're throwing ALL of their eggs into the basket of two super stars, Wilson Chandler, Gallo, and Douglas or Hill...and no bench.

Yeah that means D. Lee is gone if they're looking to sign 2 big free agents. It'll probably be like JJ and Boozer and they'll go back to mediocrity becasue they will have no PG, no C, and no bench. Maybe they could get a few cheap vets to strengthen their bench but no point or Center is crutial. The no pick thing is huge too, because if they can't land anyone significant they lose out on 2 potential good picks. Huge risk for them but it could pay off huge if they land LBJ.

We have plenty of cap space, and if we land Wall and trade Harris then we can get right back up to the top of the list for 2 max guys so I'm not worried about whats going on over there. We have a ton of options, picks, and tradeable assets. I'm excited for this offseason to start already.

I've seen numbers floating around and after doing some quick checking if you're talking about a true max contract for Lebron or Wade the Knicks still don't have enough cap space to sign both of them.

A summary of what I found:

- If the Knicks renounce every single one of their free agents and the MLE, BAE, etc. and leave their second round draft picks unsigned they (could sign them later) they would have:

$31,428,263

In cap space.

- A max contract for Lebron or Wade is the greater of $11 million, 30% of the salary cap or 105% of their previous salary.

In this case their max contract starting amount will be 105% of their previous salary which for both of them = $16,568,907

$16,568,907 x 2 =

$33,137,815

---

Now I know some of you are probably thinking the difference between those two bolded numbers is about $1.7 million so to sign with the Knicks the paycut Lebron and Wade would need to take is only around $850,000 each.

But because of the way NBA raises are structured by accepting the reduced deal by the Knicks over a contract of 5 years (the maximum amount of years the Knicks could sign them for) Lebron and Wade would both earn:

$91,141,966

Conversely if they resigned with their current teams for 5 years (their current team can actually offer them a 6 year deal) they'd earn:

$100,241,893

---

$9 million is nothing to laugh at. Which is why I believe that if Wade or Lebron wants to leave they will push hard for a sign and trade something that the Knicks no longer have the ability to do given the few assets that they have.

I'm rambling now but if the Knicks were to land Lebron and Wade (or Bosh) at those discounted contracts (that is to say they aren't forced into doing a sign and trade) they would be capped out with 8 players under contract:

1. Lebron
2. Wade or Bosh
3. Gallinari
4. Chandler
5. Douglas
6. Curry
7. Knicks 2nd Round Pick 2010
8. Clippers 2nd Round Pick 2010

They'd still need to sign 5 more players to meet the roster minimum, and as previously mentioned they would have no trade, mid-level, or bi-annual exception to work with.

Signing 2 players worth a max contract to max contracts is still very much a pipedream if you're NY.

This guy breaks it down differently.

http://www.hoopdata.com/recent.aspx?aid=155

Where is the disconnect?

Haven't had the time to look at that in detail but his max contract number is wrong. A free agent's max contract amount is never less than 105% of their previous salary.

I thought I read somewhere about two weeks ago that the cap is projected to likely be about 55?

vincecarter4pres wrote:I thought I read somewhere about two weeks ago that the cap is projected to likely be about 55?

No clue but for some reason as I was typing that in class it didn't occur to me that if the cap is at $55 million instead of $53 million like I based my analysis on you can throw out most of my post above

edit:

Regardless of that slight variation in the cap though... The Knicks would still be forced to fill out their roster with players making the (veteran's) minimum.

And I think that is a major problem for them. If they could unload Eddy Curry things would certainly be different but if they're really throwing in a pick or two to get rid of Jared Jeffries I can only imagine what they would have to part with to get rid of Curry.

Agreed with what Netsforce is saying. The Knicks are making this deal hoping not only that two superstars want to come to NY, but also that the cap numbers are friendly to them.

NetsForce wrote:I'm rambling now but if the Knicks were to land Lebron and Wade (or Bosh) at those discounted contracts (that is to say they aren't forced into doing a sign and trade) they would be capped out with 8 players under contract:

1. Lebron
2. Wade or Bosh
3. Gallinari
4. Chandler
5. Douglas
6. Curry
7. Knicks 2nd Round Pick 2010
8. Clippers 2nd Round Pick 2010

They'd still need to sign 5 more players to meet the roster minimum, and as previously mentioned they would have no trade, mid-level, or bi-annual exception to work with.

Signing 2 players worth a max contract to max contracts is still very much a pipedream if you're NY.

I'm guessing Curry would be their way out of the mind-numbing thin roster. Considering he would be an expiring and NY's history of willing to take on contracts. I can easily see a scenario where they can turn him into 2 or 3 quality bench players. For example something like a Curry for Nocioni and Francisco Garcia. While that roster would be still very thin, the rotation looks a heck of a lot more viable in that scenario.

So if the Knicks don't trade Jordan Hill how long do you think it is before RealGM writes an article about how he's some super prospect just waiting to explode?

I've been saying this for a while now but if RealGM really wants to increase their credibility they need to write better articles on more than just the handful of teams they write about.