Re: Felton traded to Knicks; Not matching Lin? (part 4)

[Sprewell4Three]

I'll be very surprised if the Knicks dont match..

[Stannis]

This deal is pretty much the same as Fields.

Teams are trying to save ourselves from ourselves.

Because Lin = Fields, amirite?

Lin can actually hit an open jumper.

[sinjz]

YES!!!!! 400+ pages bashing lin, melo, Amar'e, Woodson, Dantoni, Dolan, Isiah, Grunwald, Kidd, Felton, JR Smith, spike lee, chris rock, fred wilpon, charles smith, anthony bonner! etc etc

the life of a kinck fan!

Let's get it to 500 guys! Sad thing is, I think we actually will.

500? I'm sure we'll hit four digits!

[GONYK]

This deal is pretty much the same as Fields.

Teams are trying to save ourselves from ourselves.

Because Lin = Fields, amirite?

Both contracts are a joke.

Note I said "this deal".

Correct, but only one player is worth taking it on anyway

[Realmatic]

JR Smith ‏@TheRealJRSmith
Lmao y'all act like its my fault if he do or don't come back! Lol like its up to me or something! #nuts

[Synciere]

i'll repeat my sentiments again...I don't understand why, after a contract to be matched has been signed between the Rockets and Lin, they can - at the 11th hour, no less - replace that contract with a new one that is more impervious to being matched by the Knicks. Seems underhanded to me on the part of both the Rockets and Lin. Given that Lin is a Harvard graduate, I'm sure that he is smart enough to understand the disloyal, misleading, calculated aspects of his maneuvering in collaboration with the Rockets.

Do we really want to outlay that much money for a player who apparently doesn't want to be a NYK and who apparently behaved deceptively during the negotiations?

In any sport, if I'm a coach, manager or GM, I'd want players who have enthusiasm for playing for the team I coach or manage in some capacity. I also think that Lin has already undermined his camaraderie with his fellow Knicks. The Knicks are now an older team for the most part, but they have players who want to be Knicks.


I see no reason why Lin who agreed to the original Houston offer and was fully aware that it was in the best interest of the Knicks didn't insist on that original offer being honored. He had cash in hand either way. The original offer *for sure* kept him in NY.

For a guy from Harvard did he really think that the new contract that totally hoses the Knicks payroll going forward would somehow be way better than the love and respect he earned in NY? Did he think he wouldn't make up that money in the first few months of a NY contract?

Lin, no matter what the numbers say, was in NO danger of not making huge endorsement money that render the contract numbers quaint.

Larry Coon in one of his chats addressed how contracts can be changed or reneged on before the actual start of free agency. A poster asked whether the Raptors would pull their offer for Fields after Nash went to LA. There is nothing official before the start of free agency. Anything reported are just agreements, but nothing legal is signed. If both Lin and the Rockets wanted to rework the contract, that is entirely between them.

Where it gets tricky is in future relationships with the agents and front offices of rival teams. The Rockets did nothing illegal by changing the terms of the deal because no contract had been officially signed. The Knicks now definitely have some beef with Lin's agent though it is not his job to make sure the Knicks get the best deal. As long as both parties on the contract agree to rework the deal, it's okay, which is clearly what happened here. The Rockets wanted to make sure it was harder for the Knicks to match, and Lin wanted more money.

We even have seen similar cases with Derek Fisher and the Utah Jazz after his daughter got sick. He needed to move to a market which had the care his daughter needed, so he and the Jazz basically agreed to revoke a signed contract midway through. Usually on party or the other doesn't allow this, but if both parties agree.......

[Grinditout]

If NYK doesn't match Lin's contract.

If we do

[CU_NY09]

How is it that every damn summer, the Knicks have to be in the middle of some damn controversy. I was happy last year after Paul went to L.A, that the Knicks could just have a chill summer. Honestly don't see that happening any time soon, especially with all these "20 _ _ Free Agency" plans.

This really isnt a controversy. It's a simple process of matching a RFA. It happens every offseason, multiple times an offseason.

Then why are people so upset? The only thing I don't like is the media stirring sh*t up but i guess it comes with the territory.

[Stannis]

To be or not to be. That is the question.

[Knicks80_20]

I'll be very surprised if the Knicks dont match..

The time for surprise has already passed, pal.

[TrueWarrior]

So all of the sudden Dolan cares about money huh?

[Realmatic]

LOL JR smith has gone the melo route! haha

JR Smith ‏@TheRealJRSmith
Lmao y'all act like its my fault if he do or don't come back! Lol like its up to me or something! #nuts

[VirginiaKnickFan]

Carmelo Anthony, meanwhile, commented on the Knicks' point guard situation at Team USA practice on Sunday. Anthony is familiar with Kidd, who was part of the U.S.'s gold medal team at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.

“I am looking forward to playing with (Kidd),” Anthony said. “He is a guy who has won a championship, obviously, and is a veteran and knows how to run a team. That’s someone anyone would want to play with. We had to let Chauncey (Billups) go last year, and I think having that experience at point guard is something you need.”

Felton was sent out of New York last February as part of the deal that brought Anthony to the Knicks, so Anthony has not played with him.

Going back to February, when Lin had his run of high-scoring games and led the Knicks to eight wins in nine games, most of which came with Anthony out, there have been questions about whether Lin’s pick-and-roll, ball-distributing style would mesh with Anthony’s isolation approach. Lin closed the year out with a knee injury, so the debate never had time to get too heated, but it may have been an issue heading into training camp, even after coach Mike Woodson declared that Lin would be the team’s starter.

Anthony said Saturday that he wanted Lin to remain his teammate. But he followed that up with this remark on Sunday: "It's up to the organization to say that they want to match that ridiculous contract.”

Evidently, they do not.

[NOOB77]

I still don't get what Melo's comments have to do with the Knicks matching or not....

He didn't say the Knicks shouldn't match
He did say he wanted Lin back
He said the contract is ridiculous which it is...

If you agree with what Melo said or not it has no barring on if the Knicks will sign Lin or not. Should he have not made the comments?? SURE But again they have no barring on if the FO matches or not. So I do not understand the blame Melo for the Knicks not matching comes from?

[boomann21]

I'm going Mad!! This anticipation is making me Crazy!!

[GONYK]

How is it that every damn summer, the Knicks have to be in the middle of some damn controversy. I was happy last year after Paul went to L.A, that the Knicks could just have a chill summer. Honestly don't see that happening any time soon, especially with all these "20 _ _ Free Agency" plans.

This really isnt a controversy. It's a simple process of matching a RFA. It happens every offseason, multiple times an offseason.

Then why are people so upset? The only thing I don't like is the media stirring sh*t up but i guess it comes with the territory.

Because they get caught up in the media frenzy, and it gives them a chance to spew their agendas.

Wasn't Dwight supposed to be a Net a week ago?

[Knicker23]

Unless the Knicks are using Felton as a pawn, I'd say it's pretty clear Lin isn't returning..

I'd say they should sign him and then try to trade him after a year or two if they don't want to pay the price of third year.. But his value is at a likely all time high right now.. And that'd be taking a pretty big risk. Though at least you'd probably get something back for him..

[Christophersp10]

I'll be very surprised if the Knicks dont match..

The time for surprise has already passed, pal.

Can you blame them? Destination X has been a better ppv than this.

[Nono]

So guys where is Amare while all this hoopla is happening?

Trying to take his game to the next level.

[stevieg987]

Lin's contract would be in the top 80% if it's signed by the Rockets. If it's signed by the Knicks, that 15 million in one year totally degrades the value of that contract. Sure, it'd be an expiring, but we'd still have to take back 15 million in salary, so the tax hit would be the same.

Jeremy has no ELITE skills. He's not an elite playmaker, passer, defender, shooter, or finisher. He is a good basketball player, but the majority of your comparisons are totally arbitrary. Perkins is an ELITE post defender. Wilson Chandler is a better scorer and defender than Lin, and his contract won't cause his owner to have to pay any additional amount in the dozens of millions. Millsap, Conley, Thorton, Gortat, Varejao and Afflalo are all better basketball players at this stage. You stated they do not have Conley and Millsap do not have Lin's upside. Whaaaa? I say Conley for sure has just as high an upside as Lin. He is better in almost all departments except for hype. And again, his contract contains no poison pill.

You can say that keeping Lin makes us better. You can say the Knicks' organization and Cablevision will be more valuable with Lin on board. Hell, you can even say Lin is better than Felton or Kidd or Priogini (sp?). What you can't say is that bringing Lin backs guarantees the Knicks advance in the playoffs. You can't say Lin guarantees us 10 more wins next year. And if not matching him allows us to still sign and trade or gives us additional flexibility, you can't say yet if that is in the best interest of the Knicks. Again I have to ask: Does bringing Lin back SUBSTANTIALLY improve this team as currently constructed? That means you have to include alternate solutions at his position, fit with current personnel, and ability to improve.

I think the answer to that question is clearly that he doesn't improve us much at all now. He may down the line, but by then will Dolan be paying out his a**. If the tax had no impact, why is Fields not a Knickerbocker any longer?

Once again, you're creating a separate argument. I posted the list in reference to posters/players/experts who claim Lin is undeserving of the money (which any way you slice it is 25 over three years).

You say they're all better basketball players at this stage-- I'd disagree (it's uncertain). Lin over the course of 25 games played at an All-Star level, a level none of the players referenced have reached (Millsap, maybe). We don't know what we're getting with Lin. That's why we're having this debate. And, even then, the entire debate is premature because we're arguing about something so inexact and unquantifiable: Lin's ability. All of those players are what they are: solid to good NBA players. None of them will ever be a top option on a contender, none of them will ever be perennial All-Stars. Jeremy's a mystery. We don't know if he's a fluke or not. But we know he "could" be the real deal.

Because one thing is for sure: Lin showed he had the ability to, as the focus of the opposing teams entire defense, create his own shot and score at an efficient clip. Any perimeter player that can do that, especially during their first run of games, has the potential to be dynamic and game-changing talent (you need those talents to win a title). That's the trait every star backcourt player has. That's what seperates the good from the great. The role players from the stars. A playoff win from a playoff loss (you can get away with it in the regular season). And you simply can't let that go. Especially a team as top heavy talent starved and cap restrained as the Knicks.

Bottom line: Bringing back Lin may not guarantee we "advance" in the playoffs, but we all know, if we don't, we're guaranteed not to.