Looking ahead: Possible Cap Space for 2018 Free Agency

[NoLayupRule]

The only free agent that whets my whistle is, Avery Bradley...alongside Frank Nkiltina which would give the Knicks one of the BEST defensive and passing back courts in the league.

i agree

im so much more interested in players like that at this stage

clearly we need a SF however and tinny tim is taking up a ton of cap at the 2

I kinda hate him but Jeff Green might work
Wilson Chandler would be great if he could stay healthy

All also unrestricted free agents:

Omar Caspi
Trevor Ariza
Thad Young
Jabari Parker

[Spree2Houston]

I don't see Lebron coming here by himself. He would want another player to tag along with him (Cousins?) to pair wit KP

[Jeff Van Gully]

If the goal is a championship then we'd need an elite 2 way player. There are 4-5 available this FA. With the way this team is playing we aren't a lottery team any longer, so to keep building through the draft is a tall task.

If we keep playing this way and KP looking all-world and then clear the space we may be able to sign one to two of the elite players.

not mutually exclusive concepts.

you can't draft doncic if you don't miss the playoffs and win the lottery.

but you can draft another cheap positive asset and possible add the right current player(s) through FA or trade. asset management becomes the name of the game. you create the right team and have the right FO relationships, you can get the right value players to do some winning.

Let's say this start is for real and KP proves himself to be a top 5 player in the NBA, Hornacek proves to be a legit coach with a good ball movement system,the Front office is harmonious (shares a unified vision), and subsequently The Mecca again is an attractive destination for a top FA.

Would this general team let's say (minus Kanter ,keeping OQuinn,waive/stretching Noah's contract) and adding LeBron legitimately vie for a championship?

Roughly speaking:

Oquinn/Henrnangomez
KP
Lebron/Hardaway
Lee/Hardaway/Dotson
Frank/Jack or FA

And a decent to deep bench?

With KP and LeBron both being two way top 5 players in the NBA and good role players around them+ a second year Frank running the point, I say yes.

-OR- let's say (minus Kanter ,keeping OQuinn,waive/stretching Noah's contract,trading or stretching Lee) and adding Cousins and George?

Roughly speaking:

Cousins/Oquinn/Henrnangomez
K.P.
Paul George/Hardaway
Hardaway/Dotson
Frank/Jack or FA

And a decent to deep bench?

sure. why not? go out and compete.

[KnixinSix]

I don't see Lebron coming here by himself. He would want another player to tag along with him (Cousins?) to pair wit KP

Cousins would be pretty darn good. 5.6 assists per game from a Center.

[TimRobbins]

Paul George will be a UFA this summer. That's the player the Knicks should target in FA. If you can trade Lee and Thomas, the cap space is there.

[Dr. Detfink]

Listen, Lebron James is the WORST FA that could possibly become a Knick after Carmelo Anthony. These A1 free agents come to a franchise and act like they're the one running things: Demanding a new coach. Demanding their friends get signed. Demanding trades of good teammates in exchange for "Yes" men. Then drive the Team President, GM, and owner crazy by addressing himself as a "business partner."

Then when it's on to the next hot spot, your franchise is devoid of draft picks, talent, and left with garbage.

The Knicks have GREAT character guys. It's time to build around them.

[DrKnick]

Forget the Man-Child. We need to get a serviceable SF this summer.

[KnixinSix]

Paul George will be a UFA this summer. That's the player the Knicks should target in FA. If you can trade Lee and Thomas, the cap space is there.

Paul George and Cousins would be incredible.

Some maneuvering to clear the space but I think it's doable.

Cousins/Hernangomez/O'Quinn
KP/O'Quinn/Cousins
George/Hardaway
Hardaway/Dotson
Nkitilina/?

*Kanter,Noah,Lee,McDermott,Thomas,Baker- traded or waived/stretched.

[TimRobbins]

Paul George will be a UFA this summer. That's the player the Knicks should target in FA. If you can trade Lee and Thomas, the cap space is there.

Paul George and Cousins would be incredible.

Some maneuvering to clear the space but I think it's doable.

Cousins/Hernangomez/O'Quinn
KP/O'Quinn/Cousins
George/Hardaway
Hardaway/Dotson
Nkitilina/?

*Kanter,Noah,Lee,McDermott,Thomas,Baker- traded or waived/stretched.

Noah can't be traded and stretching him would save $10M per season and handicap teh frachise until 2022. Knicks can't creat $60M of capspace no matter what they do. One max contract is probbaly the best case scenario.

[Spree2Houston]

We need to create one max slot along with resigning some of these guys. Cousins would be a great fit next to KP. Even if we were able to create 2 max slots, we would essentially be gutting out the team for a flashy starting 5 and no bench.

Best case scenario is drafting our SF from this draft and signing 1 max player (Cousins) and retaining some of these guys to fill out the roster.

[dakomish23]

Just be smart and wait a year, unless it's a big fish or a young stud who can be a part of the youth movement.

Would be smarter to wait two, but we've never been that smart.

[Ray Williams]

The only free agent that whets my whistle is, Avery Bradley...alongside Frank Nkiltina which would give the Knicks one of the BEST defensive and passing back courts in the league.

i agree

im so much more interested in players like that at this stage

clearly we need a SF however and tinny tim is taking up a ton of cap at the 2

I kinda hate him but Jeff Green might work
Wilson Chandler would be great if he could stay healthy

All also unrestricted free agents:

Omar Caspi
Trevor Ariza
Thad Young
Jabari Parker

Avery Bradley would be a perfect fit on this team, A backcourt of him and Frank would be tremendous defensively, and he fits the age profile. A 3 guard rotation with Timmy coming off the bench would be nice. I wonder how much it would take to sign him and do we have the cap space?

[NoLayupRule]

The only free agent that whets my whistle is, Avery Bradley...alongside Frank Nkiltina which would give the Knicks one of the BEST defensive and passing back courts in the league.

i agree

im so much more interested in players like that at this stage

clearly we need a SF however and tinny tim is taking up a ton of cap at the 2

I kinda hate him but Jeff Green might work
Wilson Chandler would be great if he could stay healthy

All also unrestricted free agents:

Omar Caspi
Trevor Ariza
Thad Young
Jabari Parker

Avery Bradley would be a perfect fit on this team, A backcourt of him and Frank would be tremendous defensively, and he fits the age profile. A 3 guard rotation with Timmy coming off the bench would be nice. I wonder how much it would take to sign him and do we have the cap space?

Timmy is the problem
We've committed to much to him already at the two

It's almost impossible to imagine a signing another free-agent shooting guard at Meijer cash with Timmy on the roster

[Grinditout]

I’m down with cousins but other than that, the other option are not as enticing(KD is unrealistic)

[KnixinSix]

We need to create one max slot along with resigning some of these guys. Cousins would be a great fit next to KP. Even if we were able to create 2 max slots, we would essentially be gutting out the team for a flashy starting 5 and no bench.

Best case scenario is drafting our SF from this draft and signing 1 max player (Cousins) and retaining some of these guys to fill out the roster.

Bench : Hernangomez, Oquinn (who we can go over the cap to sign), Dotson, and a rookie draft pick or 2

Cousins/Hernangomez/O'Quinn
KP/O'Quinn/Cousins
George/Hardaway
Hardaway/Dotson
Nkitilina/?

*Kanter,Noah,Lee,McDermott,Thomas,Baker- traded or waived/stretched.

[JohnStarksTheDunk]

We need to create one max slot along with resigning some of these guys. Cousins would be a great fit next to KP. Even if we were able to create 2 max slots, we would essentially be gutting out the team for a flashy starting 5 and no bench.

Best case scenario is drafting our SF from this draft and signing 1 max player (Cousins) and retaining some of these guys to fill out the roster.

Bench : Hernangomez, Oquinn (who we can go over the cap to sign), Dotson, and a rookie draft pick or 2

Cousins/Hernangomez/O'Quinn
KP/O'Quinn/Cousins
George/Hardaway
Hardaway/Dotson
Nkitilina/?

*Kanter,Noah,Lee,McDermott,Thomas,Baker- traded or waived/stretched.

Even if you let McDermott expire, Kanter opts out (or you trade him), stretch Noah, and are somehow able to trade away Lee, Lance, and Baker without taking back any salary at all, you still only have about about $57-58 million in cap space, which is not enough for George and Cousins, who will get paid around $30 million each their first year. If you plan to retain KOQ it's even more unlikely, because bird rights players still have a cap hold that would further lower the amount of money we'd have to spend.

The Hardaway contract (and obviously Noah before him) really limited our options in free agency until the summer of 2020.

[BowlRips]

Forget 2018. 2019 is the year. Kanter off the books, Noah will have 1 year remaining and hopefully be medically retired by then. Lance's 7mil is not guaranteed. Lee will be a 13mil expiring. Could be looking at 60mil in cap space.

Jimmy Butler, Kyrie Irving and Kawhi Leonard will be UFA.

[JohnStarksTheDunk]

Forget 2018. 2019 is the year. Kanter off the books, Noah will have 1 year remaining and hopefully be medically retired by then. Lance's 7mil is not guaranteed. Lee will be a 13mil expiring. Could be looking at 60mil in cap space.

Jimmy Butler, Kyrie Irving and Kawhi Leonard will be UFA.

If KP extends this summer, doesn't his max kick in that year? So subtract $20 million from that cap space.

[Knicksfan20]

The only free agent that whets my whistle is, Avery Bradley...alongside Frank Nkiltina which would give the Knicks one of the BEST defensive and passing back courts in the league.

i agree

im so much more interested in players like that at this stage

clearly we need a SF however and tinny tim is taking up a ton of cap at the 2

I kinda hate him but Jeff Green might work
Wilson Chandler would be great if he could stay healthy

All also unrestricted free agents:

Omar Caspi
Trevor Ariza
Thad Young
Jabari Parker

Rather pay McDermott then bring in Jeff Green

[Spree2Houston]

Forget 2018. 2019 is the year. Kanter off the books, Noah will have 1 year remaining and hopefully be medically retired by then. Lance's 7mil is not guaranteed. Lee will be a 13mil expiring. Could be looking at 60mil in cap space.

Jimmy Butler, Kyrie Irving and Kawhi Leonard will be UFA.

Kawhi will most likely get the Super-Max so I don't see him leaving the Spurs