Azubuike

[Worm Guts]

1)Azubuike can put the ball on the deck and drive, something Wes Johnson has yet to learn, Martell Webster is not a premium ballhandler either.
2) Is out GM immune to mistakes? about 80% of this website consider him a (Please Use More Appropriate Word) for christ's sake. I'm not saying they are right, but it doesn't mean Kahn can't do no wrong.

1)He can? We're not talking about a guy who gets to the line a ton. He's 27 and he was an undrafted free agent and he hasn't played in over a year.
2)Of course he can make mistakes, but if he put any research in before signing Ridnour he's not going to be so quick to give up on him, and he's not going to be surprised when he plays how Luke Ridnour is supposed to play.

[Worm Guts]

So was Ramon Sessions...

That was after a full season, and after we signed a replacement we liked better for the same price. We could trade Luke for something else we like better, or in the offseason if we decide we're going with Rubio and Flynn, but why would Kahn sign him just to trade him for capspace before the deadline. Our situation hasn't changed and Luke Ridnour is playing like Luke Ridnour.

[B Calrissian]

If NY wants Ridnour or Telfair how about we add a pick to get an actual prospect (Randolph) instead of a wing that would be competing with Brewer for the 4th wing scraps.

*I'd like to think this is more of a question/suggestion than backseat modding but why do we have this thread when there are a few threads about trading with the Knicks on the first page? Same with Iggy trades. Couldn't all the Telfair to Knicks trades go in that thread, all Ridnour to Knicks in the other, etc..

[shrink]

If there's a taker for Ridnour then he better go because not many teams want a backup pg at 16 mil for 4 years.

I agree. NYK has money.

As for Azubuike, his value is reduced because he's out for 2-4 more months, but more importantly, he's on an expiring contract. Perhaps owning his Bird Rights would be beneficial later, but he's wasted salary on no production right now.

I'm pretty sure insuarance must be paying his salary, as far as production goes, with Flynn back we have Telfair sitting on the bench not able to contribute and we still paying him.

Insurance started paying the salary after 41 missed games.

EDIT: I should have said "80%" of his salary

[eyeteeth]

I've said it before, but I don't think it's realistic to expect a Ridnour salary dump before the deadline.

If there's a taker for Ridnour then he better go because not many teams want a backup pg at 16 mil for 4 years.
As far as Azubuike vs Martell and Wes? Buike is a SG and has better handle than Martell and everbody knows abot Wes.

Ridnour is fairly paid at $4mil. He's actually a little under the median for backup PGs around the league, and is better as a player than many of them. This has been covered extensively here.

Martell looks like he can handle the ball in traffic pretty well, thank you. And Wes, everybody knows what, that he's a rookie?? Anyway, both of them are playing right now, and that's more than you can say for Azubuike.

I repeat, he is filler at best.

[shrink]

I'm not even trying to evaluate Ridnour as a player, I wouldn't have signed him, but he's here. Let's be realistic.

Sometimes that's the unspoken cause of disagreements. Some posters write about what they think Kahn should do, and others write about what they think Kahn will do.

[champalift]

So was Ramon Sessions...

That was after a full season, and after we signed a replacement we liked better for the same price. We could trade Luke for something else we like better, or in the offseason if we decide we're going with Rubio and Flynn, but why would Kahn sign him just to trade him for capspace before the deadline. Our situation hasn't changed and Luke Ridnour is playing like Luke Ridnour.

How do you know that we wouldn't like Azubuike better? We had cap space, Kahn saw a deal, locked it up and now we could use it to create Azubuike or in a package for Randolph. Why not?
Our situation has changed, Jonny is back and Luke has shown he doesn't work here (IMO). And we have Bassy now too. I don't think Luke is the vet presence that was expected, he tries to create too much for himself rather than facilitate our true future core . Yes he had plenty of assists last night, but is Ridnour really a long term option here? I pray to god no. Why not swap him for Azubuike. Save money long term and see if Azubuike with minutes (when he is healthy) can produce. He has in the past, why the hell not?

[shrink]

Ridnour is fairly paid at $4mil. He's actually a little under the median for backup PGs around the league, and is better as a player than many of them. This has been covered extensively here.

Yes, but he's not paid the median.

We identified only 5-6 back-up PG's out of 50-60 that are paid over $4 mil, and most of those 5-6 were paid that much under the thinking that they would be starters. There were many other choices Kahn could have chosen for the role of back-up PG.

Moreover, 4 years on a back-up's contract is exceedingly long, and certainly not the median.

[Worm Guts]

How do you know that we wouldn't like Azubuike better? We had cap space, Kahn saw a deal, locked it up and now we could use it to create Azubuike or in a package for Randolph. Why not?
Our situation has changed, Jonny is back and Luke has shown he doesn't work here (IMO). And we have Bassy now too. I don't think Luke is the vet presence that was expected, he tries to create too much for himself rather than facilitate our true future core . Yes he had plenty of assists last night, but is Ridnour really a long term option here? I pray to god no. Why not swap him for Azubuike. Save money long term and see if Azubuike with minutes (when he is healthy) can produce. He has in the past, why the hell not?

I'm not sure what Azubuike brings us that we don't already have. He's the same type of player as Webster and Johnson without the upside. He also hasn't played in over a year.
I also think it's premature to say Luke doesn't work here.

[NewWolvesOrder]

How do you know that we wouldn't like Azubuike better? We had cap space, Kahn saw a deal, locked it up and now we could use it to create Azubuike or in a package for Randolph. Why not?
Our situation has changed, Jonny is back and Luke has shown he doesn't work here (IMO). And we have Bassy now too. I don't think Luke is the vet presence that was expected, he tries to create too much for himself rather than facilitate our true future core . Yes he had plenty of assists last night, but is Ridnour really a long term option here? I pray to god no. Why not swap him for Azubuike. Save money long term and see if Azubuike with minutes (when he is healthy) can produce. He has in the past, why the hell not?

I'm not sure what Azubuike brings us that we don't already have. He's the same type of player as Webster and Johnson without the upside. He also hasn't played in over a year.
I also think it's premature to say Luke doesn't work here.

Yeah, when we have Rubio and Flynn then Luke will work just fine here warming that bench at 4 mil per year. Or can you imagine Rambis stubbornly playing Luke infront of Ricky and Jonny to show them the ropes.

[Worm Guts]

One of them will be gone in the summer (or Rubio won't be here), but the investment in Luke is more to the level a backup than either Jonny or Ricky. Either Jonny or Ricky could used in a move to bring a core player at a different position.

[horaceworthy]

I liked Buike's game before he got hurt, good rebounder, solid defender, can knock down open looks, finish at the rim and drive seams if the opportunity presents itself. Have to see how he comes back from the injury before I'd get too interested.

It is fun to read the arguments proffered by those who have decided that Ridnour is a disease that must be purged from the roster posthaste, though. There are reasons he's better off as a backup, and right now some are using those as reasons why he's utter trash as a player. There's a middle ground between awesome and awful, Ridnour resides there.

[shangrila]

I always thought the Buike was overrated. He wasn't that athletic to start with and he's probably less now, he's not a great defender and his handles are being overrated a lot here. I'd take a flier on him as salary filler in a Ridnour and first for Randolph trade, but not straight up.

[revprodeji]

We need to stop adding role players. Build the core.

So hold onto what we have until when? Wait for who?
I am just curious which "core" guys you have in mind? Of course I would love to build a stronger core, but I am not sure which direction we go. In my opinion, our future core at point is Jonny and Rubio, the wings I see as future core guys are Beasley, Wes and Webster, and down low Darko and Love (to some degree Pek if he pans out). From what I see, we have core needs at wing and down low. Ideas?

You keep the asset to package later or to be a replacement to another asset (Flynn) that could be packaged later. You do not sign guys and then dump them.

If we are going to move Luke then wait and do it in a package. Perhaps Wayne/Luke/Pek for a vet defensive center type. Who knows. A transaction is either used to clear space to hit bottom and reload, or to add talent/fit to move on. Kenny does not fit either of those situations.

[champalift]

We need to stop adding role players. Build the core.

So hold onto what we have until when? Wait for who?
I am just curious which "core" guys you have in mind? Of course I would love to build a stronger core, but I am not sure which direction we go. In my opinion, our future core at point is Jonny and Rubio, the wings I see as future core guys are Beasley, Wes and Webster, and down low Darko and Love (to some degree Pek if he pans out). From what I see, we have core needs at wing and down low. Ideas?

You keep the asset to package later or to be a replacement to another asset (Flynn) that could be packaged later. You do not sign guys and then dump them.

If we are going to move Luke then wait and do it in a package. Perhaps Wayne/Luke/Pek for a vet defensive center type. Who knows. A transaction is either used to clear space to hit bottom and reload, or to add talent/fit to move on. Kenny does not fit either of those situations.

Couldn't this same argument be made about Azubuike?
Couldn't he be used or a replacement (Brewer, Webster etc) to package later? I guess I don't know trade time frame rules for sure.
I just don't like Ridnour on our team. I am sure that is clear based on my posts. He has a place in the league for sure, but I would totally opt for more Flynn and Bassy at point and less Brewer and Wayne at wing any day. Also, get rid of Luke's contract before it becomes a potential burden.
In reality, considering we signed him this off-season, I agree, he is likely going no where. But what happens next year when (cross fingers) Rubio comes over and we have Flynn, Ridnour, and Ricky all looking for minutes and money? Then a team can undersell us or we are stuck with Luke's 3 years and can't use that money for Love/Beas/who ever else we need some cash for.