another Lin thread filled with no useful information #6

[VirginiaKnickFan]

Knicks weighing pros, cons of matching Lin offer sheet
By Ken Berger | NBA Insider

July 16, 2012 7:27 pm ET

WASHINGTON -- On the eve of their deadline to match the Rockets' three-year, $25.1 million offer sheet for Jeremy Lin, the Knicks have yet to tip their hand. Multiple people involved in the process told CBSSports.com Monday that New York has not communicated its intentions to Houston or to Lin's camp.

But there was a school of thought in league circles Monday that the Knicks matching the massively back-loaded offer for Lin should not be ruled out as a possibility. Doing so would require that one of the Knicks' big salaries would have to be moved in the next two years or the team would face a potentially massive luxury-tax bill in 2014-15.

If they matched Lin's offer sheet, which calls for him to be paid $5 million next season, $5.225 million in 2013-14 and $14.9 million in '14-'15, the Knicks would have $80 million committed to five players in the balloon-payment year of Lin's deal. Viewed another way, if the Knicks added the necessary players between now and then through the draft and other means, Lin's nearly $15 million salary in '14-'15 would cost them a whopping $43 million, including $28 million in luxury tax under the new tax rates that take effect with the '13-'14 season.

That's a massive poison pill, likely too big even for the Knicks to swallow.

But what Knicks management is said to be weighing, according to league sources, is Lin's enormous marketing value and whether enough players currently under contract could be traded before the third-year spike in Lin's contract hits. Although Carmelo Anthony, Amar'e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler are on the books for a combined $62.4 million in '14-'15, all three would be on expiring contracts -- and thus possibly tradeable to a team eager to clear massive amounts of cap space. More realistically, Raymond Felton and/or Jason Kidd also would be on expiring contracts and would have trade value, although their relatively meager salaries would barely make a dent in the room New York would need to clear to avoid huge tax penalties.

There also is a belief among league sources that the Knicks' acquisition of Felton was partially for insurance in case they let Lin walk, but also simply a matter of time running out to convert free agent Jared Jeffries and non-guaranteed Dan Gadzuric into an asset -- both on the court and in future trades. The Knicks' surrendering a second-round pick and the draft rights to two Greek prospects, however, signaled that there was more urgency behind the Felton trade -- an urgency for the Knicks to protect themselves in the event they let Lin walk.

If nothing else, at least this is clear about Lin's role in all of this: Rival executives view him as virtually untradeable with $15 million next to his name on the '14-'15 salary books. So whether Lin is a Knick or a Rocket at 11:59 p.m. ET Tuesday -- New York's deadline for matching the offer sheet -- his team will have to be prepared to move other pieces or face enormous tax consequences.

In the days since Lin signed the offer sheet and it was presented to the Knicks, the balloon contract has been called "ridiculous" by Knicks teammate Carmelo Anthony. Another teammate, J.R. Smith, told SI.com that Lin's $15 million salary in the third year of the deal would be a problem in the locker room.

Nobody knows for sure what the Knicks will do, and these are just some of the issues the New York front office is wrestling with as the matching decision looms. The only sure thing seems to be that, as with all deadlines, this one will go down to the wire.

[Anotha Knicks fan]

The last time I felt like this was September 11, 2001 when I woke up and turned on the TV.

Wow, you took that way too far. Your comparing losing a sports player to thousands of people losing their lives. That's a little disappointing coming from a site admin. Idk what should be done, but you should definitely be relieved of your duties for a while
He apologized.
Move on.

Apologies don't cut it, he might think it ok to mention that because he didn't lose anybody in that tragedy but there were thousands of people that were affected by that.

Yay! I've been waiting to post this gif...

[Christophersp10]

I honestly believe the Knicks haven't made their minds up yet if they are keeping him or not. They are probably over analyzing every stat, his trends, his sales, his impact on tickets, his body. It will literally come down to the last second. Knicks are doing their homework right now.

[boomann21]

Do you think we find our before normal business hours close tomorrow or are we gonna have to wait til midnight?

[Synciere]

So the great christopher10 put KG on blast on the GB.

Which was completely unnecessary.

[god shammgod]

legit lol

'Oh sh-t it's Isiah!' lol

they should walk out to darth vader's theme.

[iLLSonChandla]

You Lin nuthuggers really make me sick , how are you gonna put this guy over the team ? He doubled back with Houston trying to get more money from us not caring about the luxury tax or us losing our exceptions . This guy is a me first player and not someone I would want on this team at 15 mill in his third year.

[Marty McFly]

You Lin nuthuggers really make me sick , how are you gonna put this guy over the team ? He doubled back with Houston trying to get more money from us not caring about the luxury tax or us losing our exceptions . This guy is a me first player and not someone I would want on this team at 15 mill in his third year.

[K_ick_God]

legit lol

'Oh sh-t it's Isiah!' lol

they should walk out to darth vader's theme.

And somehow JR should be involved, dressed as a fat white woman maybe.

It would be a good way for Melo to rehabilitate his image. He can be there and give Lin a big hug to send him off to Houston.

[towelie]

You Lin nuthuggers really make me sick , how are you gonna put this guy over the team ? He doubled back with Houston trying to get more money from us not caring about the luxury tax or us losing our exceptions . This guy is a me first player and not someone I would want on this team at 15 mill in his third year.

Cause we're not women and don't make decisions based on emotions.

Knicks w/ Lin > Kincks w/out Lin. Even if you feel like he's backstabbed us, you still match his contract. Even with the poison pill, it's tradable. You don't let an asset like that go for nothing cause you feel he double-crossed us by getting a larger offer.

[swb]

Seriously, why have the Knicks not matched yet? I just listened to a great Jalen Rose podcast and he said they should match it. I heard Clyde say they should match too.

[Knicks_Fan2]

Seriously, why have the Knicks not matched yet? I just listened to a great Jalen Rose podcast and he said they should match it. I heard Clyde say they should match too.

Knicks won't say anything until late tomorrow.

[Marty McFly]

Seriously, why have the Knicks not matched yet? I just listened to a great Jalen Rose podcast and he said they should match it. I heard Clyde say they should match too.

why because **** the rockets.

[aggo]

this is going to test how badly Dolan wants to win a title.


We have a 3 year window. Signing Lin will cost us 100 million, and clearly it's out of Grunwald's hands. This is a Dolan decision, and he is the guy who makes the final call. Shame on him if Tuesday rolls around and he trots out Grunwald to absorb the abuse if they decide to not match his offer sheet.

Lin is the best PG we can get on this team, and he so happens to cost us 100 million.

How much Lin improves us over Kidd/Felton/Prigioni is debateable, but what's not is that he's the best of the three moving forward.

This is going to test Dolan's mettle, and we'll see what it is made of. We only have a 3 year window with this team. This isn't another 4/80 max deal being tossed around.

[Anotha Knicks fan]

You Lin nuthuggers really make me sick , how are you gonna put this guy over the team ? He doubled back with Houston trying to get more money from us not caring about the luxury tax or us losing our exceptions . This guy is a me first player and not someone I would want on this team at 15 mill in his third year.

Dammit posted my gif too early

[K_ick_God]

I can really picture Isiah with the soft spoken slow speech, "Jeremy, I want to tell you where your career will continue Jeremy ...."

Zeke is made for a TV gameshow type vehicle.

[ibraheim718]

You Lin nuthuggers really make me sick , how are you gonna put this guy over the team ? He doubled back with Houston trying to get more money from us not caring about the luxury tax or us losing our exceptions . This guy is a me first player and not someone I would want on this team at 15 mill in his third year.

This coming from a guy with an avatar of a player who's recklessness cost his own friend his life...awesome.

[god shammgod]

i'm starting to think they are gonna match. although i keep changing my mind.

[ag3]

Seriously, why have the Knicks not matched yet? I just listened to a great Jalen Rose podcast and he said they should match it. I heard Clyde say they should match too.

I still find it shocking that the Knicks are most likely not matching. Like a bad dream.
Just **** match and end this already. It doesn't hurt the team at all. Our cap station is screwed over the next 3 years no matter what.

[howe070523]

so is ny gonna take the whole 3 days?

Only way to slightly punish the Rockets for their offer is to wait full 3 days.