Offseason Thread Continued - Atlanta Got Crabbes and We're Panicking

[god shammgod]

Knicks could always have gone two max cats and kept most (not all) kids, if no trade for AD

Knicks could have gone (longer stretch) two max cats (signed first) and trade for AD later - three max cats and a young guy or two left over

Knicks fans on RealGM just YESTERDAY got news that AD was coming, via trade BEFORE FA/the draft, which while nice, was a "Two max cats, lots of youth gone", but were pleased that this scenario seemed to maintain Mitch, DSJr and Trier.

That specific dream is dead.
Obviously, the initial "KD & Kryie" which morphed into "KD & ?" which briefly turned into "KD & Kawhi" are dead as well.

Signing two max cats and keeping all (most) of the youth is still technically possible.
It just won't be KD. And probably not AD. If it ever was.

It's disappointing. It went from an offseason with some real (albeit speculative) hope, to being just another team with cap space.

However, the Knicks at least HAVE the cap space, all their picks moving forward and two Mav's picks.

That's not to say the Knicks young guys are suddenly good or anything more than a 25-30 win team, which sucks in the new lottery scheme on the one hand, but also has a shot on the other hand.

It's a gut punch, but Knicks have been worse off, by a lot, many times before.

without kd or kawhi it doesn't really make much sense. do you want to give up all the youth for ad & jmmy butler let's say ? or just sign kyrie & tobias ? it's pointless. the nets are gonna do this. they gave 2 1sts and are gonna max out guys and end up as a 2nd round team. it's not where you want to be.

[MaseInYourFace]

Kawhi ain’t coming here.

[Stannis]

Sign KD, tank one more year. Championship in 2021 #BookIt

haha. I can't say I didn't think of this. But it's too risky since players don't recover from Achilles injuries well.

[robillionaire]

if KD really wants to come to New York and already moved his stuff here, he should be willing to be reasonable recognize he's damaged goods and listen to whatever offer the knicks make him even if it's not fully guaranteed or a 1+1 or whatever. Or just let the Nets blow it up to sign him or go play in Indiana. We can just rebuild. He needs us more than we need him imo

[god shammgod]

Kawhi ain’t coming here.

he really aint. even that chris carter was claiming that the knicks would use durant to convince kawhi. and he still said it was a long shot.

[Handledatruth]

So none of ya’ll are excited that we will actually draft and keep our 3rd pick? The only unfortunate part of this is that Barrett’s game would have meshed well with KP. Oh well...hindsight

[MaseInYourFace]

Karma is a biatch. Too many people were making this KD knicks thing a certainty.

[TheGreenArrow]

Its too far down the rabbit hole folks. Too many pieces are already in play/place.

Knicks are still going to sign kd even if he's out a year+.

What this does is it allows the knicks not to get caught up in the 2nd max fa.

Keep the assets devlope the youth and culture with kd in tow and strike again in 2020.

Too many things are in motion for this to not go down.

[Knicksfan1992]

Question for the RealMDs here, but once Durant went down the first time, was this an only a matter of time thing? Or with months of rest, would have healed completely?

Achilles injuries are very often not a freak thing.... If he healed correctly this wouldn't have been an issue to this magnitude. He rushed back before he was ready and the achilles couldn't take the stress and popped.

[Wonderllama]

James Dolan will offer Kevin Durant a fully guaranteed contract and he will be hobbling for us in MSG. And y'all are gonna have to deal with it.

[KnixinSix]

Knicks could always have gone two max cats and kept most (not all) kids, if no trade for AD

Knicks could have gone (longer stretch) two max cats (signed first) and trade for AD later - three max cats and a young guy or two left over

Knicks fans on RealGM just YESTERDAY got news that AD was coming, via trade BEFORE FA/the draft, which while nice, was a "Two max cats, lots of youth gone", but were pleased that this scenario seemed to maintain Mitch, DSJr and Trier.

That specific dream is dead.
Obviously, the initial "KD & Kryie" which morphed into "KD & ?" which briefly turned into "KD & Kawhi" are dead as well.

Signing two max cats and keeping all (most) of the youth is still technically possible.
It just won't be KD. And probably not AD. If it ever was.

It's disappointing. It went from an offseason with some real (albeit speculative) hope, to being just another team with cap space.

However, the Knicks at least HAVE the cap space, all their picks moving forward and two Mav's picks.

That's not to say the Knicks young guys are suddenly good or anything more than a 25-30 win team, which sucks in the new lottery scheme on the one hand, but also has a shot on the other hand.

It's a gut punch, but Knicks have been worse off, by a lot, many times before.

Now this becomes long shots but it all depends if guys want to still come here without KD playing here next year.

We have the cap flexibility to bring in AD via trade and another max and then KD taking a lower year 1 deal.

Would someone (his current team even) sign him outright to a max off that injury? If so then we likely aren't players. But if no one will I could see us still signing him for 1 year (or multiple with year 2 being a club option) to have his rights and then deciding at end of year depending on rehab what we'd do next.

[Stannis]

KD was the only guy to go after in free agency, imo. Kawhi was never going to happen. Who knows what he is thinking.

With KD likely crossed out, there's no other FA to go after. These are all 2nd option players that you wanted to pair with KD.

And I don't see the point of trading for AD now. It was worth it before, because it might have convinced KD and someone else to sign with the Knicks. But now, you'd trade your 17 win team basically for one guy who will likely walk to the Lakers next season.

[god shammgod]

Karma is a biatch. Too many people were making this KD knicks thing a certainty.

i don't buy that but even if so, what did kd do to deserve it ? sh*t just happens sometimes

[Stannis]

James Dolan will offer Kevin Durant a fully guaranteed contract and he will be hobbling for us in MSG. And y'all are gonna have to deal with it.

Sadly, this is what I am afraid of...

[Knicksfan1992]

KD was the only guy to go after in free agency, imo. Kawhi was never going to happen. Who knows what he is thinking.

With KD likely crossed out, there's no other FA to go after. These are all 2nd option players that you wanted to pair with KD.

And I don't see the point of trading for AD now. It was worth it before, because it might have convinced KD and someone else to sign with the Knicks. But now, you'd trade your 17 win team basically for one guy who will likely walk to the Lakers next season.

I think honesty an AD trade is the only thing I consider now. That may change as I think more about it. But that trade guarantees you a top 5-10 player. I'd rather have one of those than not even if we can't build a contender for next year.

[Mr Rabbit]

Unless you’re supremely confident in signing Kawhi, shut down the AD talks, sell off your cap space for future assets, and play the kids. It’s depressing and disappointing, but it’s the only path that makes sense after last night.

[BeagleBoss]

I feel bad for KD. He took a risk and it didn't end well. And **** those Toronto fans for cheering when he got hurt! If there are basketball Gods, they will make sure that city and those fans never experience a championship!!!

But back to KD, I never for a second thought he was coming here. I think the media was trolling us the entire time. And now with this injury, we simply cannot sign him even if he wanted to come here. He's not a young guy and an achilles is the worst injury for a basketball player. Look what it did to Billups and Kobe. Heck, Ewing was never the same after his achilles either. KD is now Amare in 2010 and we need to pass on him. To sign him to see him in a suit for a year, only to come back and not be the same player would be repeating history.

Kawhi isn't coming here either and I don't to sign Kyrie by himself. So I hope Perry and Mills give it another year with the tank. Take RJB or Culver, sign players to one year contracts and try to sign AD next summer.

[Fat Kat]

if KD really wants to come to New York and already moved his stuff here, he should be willing to be reasonable recognize he's damaged goods and listen to whatever offer the knicks make him even if it's not fully guaranteed or a 1+1 or whatever. Or just let the Nets blow it up to sign him or go play in Indiana. We can just rebuild. He needs us more than we need him imo

He really doesn’t. He should just opt in and rehab on the Warriors’ dime. 1+1 doesn’t make sense either because he’s already gonna miss next year. In any event, he can get the max from a number of teams.

[god shammgod]

Unless you’re supremely confident in signing Kawhi, shut down the AD talks, sell off your cap space for future assets, and play the kids. It’s depressing and disappointing, but it’s the only path that makes sense after last night.

yeah, you gotta know when to fold em

[robillionaire]

But back to KD, I never for a second thought he was coming here. I think the media was trolling us the entire time.

I haven't ruled this out. Of course they'd never admit that now that he's injured, they'll act like it was a done deal to rub salt in our wounds like the media does with everything, but nobody knows if he was actually planning on coming here and I won't believe that unless one day KD says it