Post#517 » by TheDavinciCHODE » Wed Dec 20, 2017 5:20 am
I know there's a trade thread but I thought this deserved its own
Hypothetical: Charlotte comes calling on draft day and asks for
The 15th pick
A future first
Salary filler (so maybe Kanter's expiring deal)
In exchange for Kemba on a promise to re-sign with the team.
Would you do it?
I don't think it's as cut and dry as most would think, and of course, if Charlotte wanted Frank, we would have to seriously consider things.
Pros:
Fit: Kemba is a hand-in-glove fit for a team starved for good point guard play. He's dynamic off the bounce, a killer from midrange, and a sniper from deep. Pairing him with KP would create a devastating 1-2 punch and move THJ to his natural 3rd banana role. He fits well in that he'd make a great pick and roll partner for KP, can be a spot up threat for KP post ups, and can get his in isolation late in the clock to take the pressure off of KP.
Defense: He is undersized for the NBA at 6'1 170, but he plays tough and scrappy. The Knicks have been playing Calderon, Jack, and other cardboard cutouts at the PG in recent seasons, so Kemba would be a breath of fresh air.
Prime: He's 27 and we'd have him roughly from 28-32 under a max deal. Those are prime years. His final year at 32 or 33 might be a bad year, but for 3 star seasons, it's good for us.
He's Kemba Walker: Talent wins in the NBA and it's something we are sorely lacking. Kemba is a star PG capable of dropping 20 + on any night with ease on good efficiency. He'd open things up so much for THJ and McBuckets.
Cons:
Price: Signing Kemba to a max deal would strap us cap wise. We'd be locked in to a core of KP/Kemba/THJ/Frank. Not a bad thing...but maybe not the best moving forward.
Timing: Our best player is still budding and is still two years or so from his physical prime. Kemba would jump the rebuild and force us to compete for a title over the next 2-3 seasons while Kemba is in his prime. We'd probably have no chance at a title.
Frank: If we really want to groom Frank to be a PG, Kemba would be in his way. Of course, Kemba is already a star so we'd have to ride or die with him.
Our best lineup would probably be:
Kemba
THJ
Frank
Buckets
KP
Or
Kemba
Frank
Buckets
KP
defensive center
The Knicks would become really good....but is it worth it?
♂️
