aq_ua wrote:BBALLER4FR wrote:Are We Ther Yet wrote:
Schroeder wants 4/100
Fournier wants 4/80
Lowry wants 3/90?
DeRozan?
Lonzo 4/80?
None of that looks very appealing to me. We will be cap locked and in a treadmill with any combo of those players. How much better will we actually be?
I just don't see anything that gets me excited about next week at all. I don't see anything that makes us any better than what we were this season with other teams improving. We most likely slip to the play in round. Then what? Run it back next year paying Randle and Mitch even more money?
Rooting for wins was fun but...was it worth it?
Slip into the play in round with new multi year contracts of Dennis Schroeder and Evan Fornier swallowing much of the $50mil cap space. Joy.
The tricky thing is, do we have a core yet? Is Julius and RJ a core we know we can build around? I’m not sure there’s an answer on that yet, and it’s going to take another season or two to figure that out.
I guess we can play the eternal kick the cap space can down the road each season, but to what end? We miraculously hit on a combination of one year mercenary contracts that are all keepers? I’m not sure we could ever outperform what Burks, Bullock and Noel brought as one year deals. At some point, we’re going to have to start giving out meaningful contracts to meaningful players. If that means tying up this years cap space with 3 year deals, so be it. If it doesn’t work, we change course, but at least we’ll know whether we had the right foundation to begin with.
Maybe this isn't "the way" , but I think there is a middle ground.
IF getting Sexton is possible, and then they add 1 year guys, it's an upgrade at PG - and let's pretend they replace Burks/Bullocks/Rose and Noel with equal ability players.
Team gets somewhat better, but still has ability to cut bait with both Randle and even Sexton.
Or continue to build around them and RJ. I didn't forget about IQ/Mitch/Grimes etc etc. They could stay or be used in trades.
The next possibilities are a little harder. If the Knicks try to add Ball or Fournier or Trent Jr, Powell etc in ADDITION to Sexton, then they are cutting into the ability to add a "big time player"
But, if the contracts are fair, all of those players SHOULD be tradeable, but that raises the degree of difficulty of getting to the next level. I think it's fair to think that Sexton and one of those guys more legitimately improves the team, but it carries some risk of getting stuck there. Still, young players, some upside, team is better, but bit of risk getting stuck with one of them, timing wise.
Or Knicks "spend their way there" where they cap out with Schroeder & Fournier - as an example. Or Lowry & DeRozan. Whatever. Assets, get maintained (and only really go out for Sexton anyway) but that is probably on a kind of a treadmill for 3 years.
Knicks made it to 4th seed, but in no way do I consider them that level of team, even if they brought everyone back. Too much had to go right and it did, basically. I think they are an 8th seed/play in last year that got fortunate. I think they have to make some moves just to stay around 7th/8th. Is that wrong for them to try? I don't think so. I can see being against going all in to stay in that spot though.
Seems like there is a way to mostly guarantee being a playoff team but maintaining some space and flexibility.
Sexton & someone young.