Carmelo Wants Knicks To Keep Lottery Pick

[RealGM Wiretap]

Carmelo Anthony believes the New York Knicks should keep their high lottery pick.

The Knicks finished with the second worst record in the NBA.

Anthony explained that the Knicks have enough cap space to sign veterans in free agency.

Anthony also said he hasn't lost any faith in Phil Jackson.

Via Ian Begley/ESPN

[goldenbrandon]

That pick is good as gone. George Karl recently said everyone is tradeable. Leading me to this: our top pick for boogie cousins. Then sign Rondo and Monroe in free agency. Maybe we can get Eric Gordan for the right price.

Rondo
Gordan maybe
Melo
Monroe
Cousins

I'm assuming we don't give Rondo or Monroe max contracts leaving some cap room for a decent sg

[Notas A3]

That pick is good as gone. George Karl recently said everyone is tradeable. Leading me to this: our top pick for boogie cousins. Then sign Rondo and Monroe in free agency. Maybe we can get Eric Gordan for the right price.

Rondo
Gordan maybe
Melo
Monroe
Cousins

I'm assuming we don't give Rondo or Monroe max contracts leaving some cap room for a decent sg

Sure, the Kings would just want the pick for Cousins

[Raps Maniac]

That pick is good as gone. George Karl recently said everyone is tradeable. Leading me to this: our top pick for boogie cousins. Then sign Rondo and Monroe in free agency. Maybe we can get Eric Gordan for the right price.

Are people like you extremely delusional or just extremely stupid? I always have trouble deciding.

[Sam195]

That pick is good as gone. George Karl recently said everyone is tradeable. Leading me to this: our top pick for boogie cousins. Then sign Rondo and Monroe in free agency. Maybe we can get Eric Gordan for the right price.

Are people like you extremely delusional or just extremely stupid? I always have trouble deciding.

Even if cousins is a headcase, the kings are not even dumb enough to trade a proven commodity straight up for potential. The knicks pick regardless of how high it is has value based on potential. The minute a player is drafted with the pick and gets his first taste of league action - his value will either decrease or stagnate. Very few draft picks in the nba raise their value immediately like lebron james and kevin durant did when they entered the league right away. There is a reason why other assets are always included along with a high pick to acquire a superstar even if he is a free agent to be like kevin love. Cavs gave up another potential lottery pick and 2013 #1 pick along with wiggins just to get love who could bolt in a year. Cousins is under contract at a reasonable deal for another three years after this season so his asking price will be a lot higher. Even dragic fetched two future first rounders (one of which is unprotected) as a half season rental, yes he's favored to resign with heat but he really has no motivation except money so he could factually bolt to la or knicks. Maybe on a two year max with opt out and than re-up for 4 under the bloated 2016 cap with a new team.

[NashtyNas]

That pick is good as gone. George Karl recently said everyone is tradeable. Leading me to this: our top pick for boogie cousins. Then sign Rondo and Monroe in free agency. Maybe we can get Eric Gordan for the right price.

Rondo
Gordan maybe
Melo
Monroe
Cousins

I'm assuming we don't give Rondo or Monroe max contracts leaving some cap room for a decent sg

Sure, the Kings would just want the pick for Cousins

If Cousins is unhappy, a top 2 pick in a draft with viable replacement options available is not a bad idea.
Obviously they may ask for more, but it's not terrible in terms of value.
Have NY eat some salary like Thompson and it's something both sides should consider.

Keeping the pick makes just as much if not more sense though. If you can draft Towns and sign Monroe, you're already in a 10x better position than you were this year. Add another FA, preferably a guard, maybe Reggie Jackson and you're good to go.

Jackson
THJ
Melo
Monroe
Towns

Defense still sucks balls though.

[HotelVitale]

If Cousins is unhappy, a top 2 pick in a draft with viable replacement options available is not a bad idea.
Obviously they may ask for more, but it's not terrible in terms of value.

Cousins is under contract for 3 more years after this season, so there's no chance he goes for a big value discount now. Maybe in a season and a half when they start sweating his upcoming FA but not now. It would take a giant package to pry him away.

[DogWhistle]

Any team with Melo as the best player doesn't win a title, so whatever.

[blau08]

That pick is good as gone. George Karl recently said everyone is tradeable. Leading me to this: our top pick for boogie cousins. Then sign Rondo and Monroe in free agency. Maybe we can get Eric Gordan for the right price.

Rondo
Gordan maybe
Melo
Monroe
Cousins

I'm assuming we don't give Rondo or Monroe max contracts leaving some cap room for a decent sg

That seems to be a terribly constructed team. No floor spacing and no 3s. You would need to surround Melo and Cousins with 3 and D players.

[Pedro]

Rondo
Gordan maybe
Melo
Monroe
Cousins

That is an awful staring 5. Eric Gordon is overrated cuz hes not a great shooter and is a mediocre defender at best. Hes also incredibly injury prone. Melo & Cousins would kill each other cuz theyre too ball dominant. Melo needs a strong minded player to be an option above him while Cousins just needs help and a solid roster. Hes not a leader though. Rondo needs a team full of shooters and mobile players to help open his slashing lanes. Monroe & cousins would just get in their own way in or near the paint. That 5 lacks everything that each player needs to thrive.

[pdpkong]

That pick is good as gone. George Karl recently said everyone is tradeable. Leading me to this: our top pick for boogie cousins. Then sign Rondo and Monroe in free agency. Maybe we can get Eric Gordan for the right price.

Rondo
Gordan maybe
Melo
Monroe
Cousins

I'm assuming we don't give Rondo or Monroe max contracts leaving some cap room for a decent sg

That seems to be a terribly constructed team. No floor spacing and no 3s. You would need to surround Melo and Cousins with 3 and D players.

Not to mention there's no way this works under a salary cap. Even with generous projection of salary cap of 65m those salaries won't fit.

[Blanky53]

If I were Melo, I'd want some young blood too.

[DarthDiggler69]

Maybe The Knicks can put a contender around him by 2025

[NashtyNas]

If Cousins is unhappy, a top 2 pick in a draft with viable replacement options available is not a bad idea.
Obviously they may ask for more, but it's not terrible in terms of value.

Cousins is under contract for 3 more years after this season, so there's no chance he goes for a big value discount now. Maybe in a season and a half when they start sweating his upcoming FA but not now. It would take a giant package to pry him away.

And a top 2 pick is probably the most valuable piece they can get in any such package. Like I said, they may ask for more, but NY can give it to them. NY can eat salary, either from SAC or another team, and send assets from the 3rd team SAC's way. They can include some of their young guys like THJ.

However, your assumption that the contract has much to do with Cousins' value is just wrong.
Contract stuff only matters to a certain extent. Yes, it's great that he's locked in, but if he comes out and demands a trade or says he is no longer happy in SAC (even privately to ownership/management), they are no longer in the position of power. SAC has to win, and they have to do it soon. They can't play the "we'll let you rot for 3 years and then walk" card.

I'm not saying he's unhappy, or that he wants out, or that SAC should move him for peanuts because that might be the case.
All I'm suggesting is that a top 2 pick in this years draft is about as good a main piece as SAC can expect in a Cousins deal.
They might get a better "package" with lesser assets, but this is the NBA and star power is important. They will have a very tough time finding a single better piece in return for Cousins.

[DarthDiggler69]

That pick is good as gone. George Karl recently said everyone is tradeable. Leading me to this: our top pick for boogie cousins. Then sign Rondo and Monroe in free agency. Maybe we can get Eric Gordan for the right price.

Rondo
Gordan maybe
Melo
Monroe
Cousins

I'm assuming we don't give Rondo or Monroe max contracts leaving some cap room for a decent sg

A couple problems with that
1. Knicks cant afford nowhere close to that, plus they would need a decent bench
2. No way those guys can play with Melo's ball stopping offense. Only guys he can play with is maybe Monroe and a bunch of shooters

[MitchB3]

That pick is good as gone. George Karl recently said everyone is tradeable. Leading me to this: our top pick for boogie cousins. Then sign Rondo and Monroe in free agency. Maybe we can get Eric Gordan for the right price.

Rondo
Gordan maybe
Melo
Monroe
Cousins

I'm assuming we don't give Rondo or Monroe max contracts leaving some cap room for a decent sg

You my friend needs medical help. Cousins isn't leaving the Kings and the Kings won't trade him either. Do you mean Goran or Eric Gordon? Because, Goran is most likely to re-sign with the Heat; Eric Gordon no one is going to want to sign him since he is always missing at least 10+ games a season. He could make a go bench player. Monroe, I'll give him a shot to want to sign with the Knicks. Kobe is mostly likely going to go after Rondo. The Knicks need to really rebuild for the future and actually should be looking to move Melo. I don't care what anyone say Melo doesn't belong on Knicks; Phil Jackson needs a player who can run the triangle, since he is going to try the triangle again.

[Pickled Prunes]

I love that Melo is offering input on player personnel. Maybe he should focus on figuring out the triangle and the value of ball movement.

[HotelVitale]

However, your assumption that the contract has much to do with Cousins' value is just wrong. Contract stuff only matters to a certain extent. Yes, it's great that he's locked in, but if he comes out and demands a trade or says he is no longer happy in SAC (even privately to ownership/management), they are no longer in the position of power. SAC has to win, and they have to do it soon. They can't play the "we'll let you rot for 3 years and then walk" card.

Sure, it's possible that he would flat out refuse to play or something, but that's basically never happened. Every star-level player that's been traded over the past 20 years was traded explicitly because he said he wouldn't be resigning with the current team over the next year or so. Carmelo, Dwight, Deron, Love, Garnett, etc. No star has been traded because of 'dissatisfaction' while they were young, at the top of their game, and under contract for many years.

Besides, there's nothing to suggest DMC's close to that level of dissatisfied. I'm not a Kings fan, but it seems pretty clear that people who are trying to suggest the Kings need to make a deal soon are bored or want DMC for their own team.

Also, if there was some trade demand, I don't think the NYK #1 and THJ would be the best offer out there. The Wolves, for one, would likely offer their first plus Shabazz, Dieng, and salary relief. ORL could offer their first and Vucevic and some other youngins. Maybe if the Knicks got the #1 overall and the other competitors fell out of the top 4 or 5, but that's not likely.

[josh_terrey]

Is it too crazy to think that there is a chance at Lamarcus if portland goes straight out of the playoffs first round?

I do agree that it needs to be three and D guys surrounding melo.
Guys who could be picked up for cheaper contracts like danny green or even wesley mathews with the injury now.

[shadrock]

Like it matters what he thinks, the guy is a born loser. Keep working on your 'brand' Melo.