2018/2019 NBA Trade/Wishing Well Thread (Cont.)

[BLACKFEET 2010]

Lee and Baker/Dot for Jaymychal Green and Ben Mclemore makes too much sense.

[BLACKFEET 2010]

And both Steve and Scott said if a young player becomes available theyll look into it. Now Scott saying this would’ve just been theoretical. Steve saying it lets me know we are definitely in some level of discussions trying to move our vets for a young guy.
Lee has to go. Not enough minutes for him. And despite my prayers and candles it appears they’re in no hurry to move Tim. Lee has to go and even though I hate Lance I do think there’s something to his work ethic and leadership that can positively effect this team. And I don’t think he trips if he’s a benchwarmer. Lee is too good a player to just sit. We have to move him. And the FO has been extra careful with the names they’ve thrown around. Not one peep about Lee. At least Lance was at the Fiz presser. We need one more move to call it a summer.

[cgf]

Trading THJr's contract would take too many assets to be worth it. We've got one max spot opening up next summer if we can send Lee to Memphis (and/or stretch Noah), and wait to sign KP to his next contract until after we bring in that max cat. But opening a second max slot is gunna be prohibitively expensive unless the Kings come in asking 'what sorta assets it would take to turn Shump's expiring contract into Timmy's albatross', and even they (probably) aren't that dumb.

Plus Timmy isn't a bad guy to have around for our kids with KP out. He can take some of the scoring load off the kids but doesn't have such an ego that he won't let Knox & co get theirs too. If Fiz can get him to start putting some effort in on D, then he wouldn't even be the worst guy to keep around as a future bench scorer if we can snag a star lead guard to start with Frank in the backcourt...if he was making at least 6M less...

TL;DR: He's not a complete none entity that you need to keep far the **** away from the kids like Noah, so paying what it would take to dump that contract just isn't worth it.

[BLACKFEET 2010]

We need more beef up front.

[spree2kawhi]

With Houston losing Ariza and Luc maybe we should try to trade Lee and Thomas to them? Get it done FO!

Yes but they're saving money I believe..

They only have 2 years. They would be quality win now players for a contending team. I’m not a Lance fan but he’s an upgrade to Luc and Lee can hit 3’s better than Ariza.

No no, not sure you understand: they're in save money now mode. Now. Not in two years. They're low-balling Capella.

[Ray Williams]

in 2019, Hezonja has a cap hold of 9 million, Trey young's cap hold is 1.6 million. I hope we can keep both.
What moves would we have to make to sign a max free agent (Kyrie) and retain both those guys besides stretching Noah.


Mitchell Robinson
Kristaps Porzingis
Kevin Knox
Frank Ntilikina
Kyrie Irving

2019 #1
Mario Hezonja
Tim Hardaway Jr
Trey Burke

[BowlRips]

in 2019, Hezonja has a cap hold of 9 million, Trey young's cap hold is 1.6 million. I hope we can keep both.
What moves would we have to make to sign a max free agent (Kyrie) and retain both those guys besides stretching Noah.


Mitchell Robinson
Kristaps Porzingis
Kevin Knox
Frank Ntilikina
Kyrie Irving

2019 #1
Mario Hezonja
Tim Hardaway Jr
Trey Burke

Stretching Noah and trading Lee gives you $45mil of space sans Hezonja.
Figure max for Kyrie around $33mil, would leave you $12mil for Hezonja or anyone else.
Burkes cap hold is $1.6mil so it is not prohibitive into 2019 plans

[newyorker4ever]

Knicks should call Kings about Timmy trade.


https://t.co/qLe8QmsGG7


The New York Knicks Should Gauge The Sacramento Kings' Interest In Tim Hardaway Jr.



The Kings have a pair of young, promising shooting guards on their roster. Last season, Buddy Hield averaged 13.5 points per game as a sophomore and was one of only three NBA players to attempt over 400 3-pointers and shoot above 43% from downtown. Bogdan Bogdanovic, who played both two-guard and small forward, started 53 games for Sacramento and finished his rookie season ranked eighth among all rookies in scoring, and within the top-three in 3-point field goal and free throw percentage.

Despite the presence of these marksmen, the Kings are in the market for another shooting guard. Last week, Sacramento signed Chicago Bulls restricted free agent guard Zach LaVine to a four-year, $78 million offer sheet. On Sunday morning, the Bulls officially matched the Kings’ offer, keeping LaVine in the Windy City.

Early this week, it was reported that the Kings, after striking out on LaVine, were preparing an offer sheet for another restricted free-agent SG, Boston’s Marcus Smart. However, it’s unknown at this point if they plan to proceed.

Nonetheless, the LaVine situation alone should have grabbed the attention of the New York Knicks front office. Why, you ask? The Knicks have a young, promising shooting guard locked into a long-term contract, but their primary concern is future cap space. As a result, New York should find out if the Kings would be interested in dealing.



NEW YORK, NY - MARCH 23: Tim Hardaway Jr. #3 of the New York Knicks reacts to a call in the fourth quarter against the Minnesota Timberwolves during their game at Madison Square Garden on March 23, 2018 in New York City. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)

The Knicks are going big-game hunting next summer. They have made that abundantly clear. Yet, New York will have to make significant moves between now and then to clear out enough salary to be able to offer a max contract to prospective free agents. Ideally, the Knicks would want to keep their core intact and have the space required to reel in two max-level players.

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The free agent class of 2019 is incredible. Kevin Durant, Kawhi Leonard, Klay Thompson, Kemba Walker, Kyrie Irving, Jimmy Butler, Marc Gasol and DeMarcus Cousins are all expected to become unrestricted free agents.

Granted, the Knicks have not had success luring top-tier talent to New York; however, this is the first time they’ll have significant cap space in the Kristaps Porzingis era. Playing alongside KP in his prime would likely be appealing to fellow All-Stars. In addition, first-round pick Kevin Knox has looked phenomenal during summer league action. Porzingis, Knox and Frank Ntilikina form an intriguing young nucleus in New York. They also have promising young center Mitchell Robinson locked into a four-year deal in which he’ll account for less than 2% of the Knicks cap through 2022.

Surprisingly, a number of respected journalists have intimated they believe the Knicks will make a serious run at Kevin Durant. A player of Durant’s stature actually considering New York seems like a significant stretch. However, as I wrote last month, I do think that there’s a good chance KD decides to leave Golden State next summer if the Warriors cruise to another NBA championship. If he’s looking for a new mountain to climb, he’d be hard-pressed to find a more challenging situation than New York. Advancing to the second round, or even winning a single playoff game, in NYC might garner more adulation than winning another title and Finals MVP in Golden State.


CLEVELAND, OH - JUNE 08: Klay Thompson #11 and Kevin Durant #35 of the Golden State Warriors react after a play in the second half against the Cleveland Cavaliers during Game Four of the 2018 NBA Finals at Quicken Loans Arena on June 8, 2018 in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

A far more realistic target for the Knicks is point guard Kyrie Irving, who has let it be known that he has interest in returning home and playing in New York. As it turns out, Irving and fellow free agent Jimmy Butler may be a package deal. According to a report in the Chicago Sun-Times, Jimmy and Kyrie are “trying to figure out a way to play together.”

Kemba Walker, born and raised in the Bronx, has never been shy about showing love for his hometown. Might Klay Thompson, tired of being a bit player in Golden State, want to see if can succeed as a star elsewhere?

In order sign two veterans with 7-9 years worth of NBA experience to max contracts, the Knicks will need north of $65 million in cap space. To get there, New York will need to renounce the cap holds of all their non-essential players (Enes Kanter, Ron Baker, etc.), waive Lance Thomas, stretch Joakim Noah, and trade both Courtney Lee and Tim Hardaway Jr.

The Knicks overpaid for Hardaway Jr. last summer, but Steve Mills, who was calling the shots at that time, was determined to add him and Mills shelled out $71 million to seal the deal. Hardaway played well for stretches during the 2017-18 season, but was frustratingly inconsistent. He was inefficient offensively, as he became just the ninth player in league history to attempt more than 400 3-pointers yet shoot below 32% from downtown. Still, he' still only 26 years old and he averaged a career-high 17.5 points per game last season, with little help once Porzingis went down. Assuming THJ's 3-point percentage creeps up closer to his career mark of 34.4%, Hardaway should be expected to bounce back with a better all-around season in 2018-19.

Mills obviously envisioned Hardaway as a key building block when he inked him to a four-year contract last July. However, top executives should never be afraid to admit a mistake and re-access evolving scenarios. It’s also notable that New York made that significant commitment to Hardaway Jr. before Scott Perry was hired as the team’s general manager.

Circling back to Sacramento, would they be interested in trading for Hardaway? The Kings situation is different from New York in that they have an abundance of cap space to play with. Sacramento has a total of only $46.5 million in salary committed for the 2019-20 season. Their highest paid player will be Bogdan Bogdanovic, who will earn just $8.5 million. The Kings’ challenge will be finding players willing to commit to Sacramento long-term. They will likely be required to overpay free agents to get them to sign on the dotted line.

It’s safe to assume they will have a tough time convincing a top-tier player to accept a max contract. Sacramento is in the early stages of a rebuild, and they’ve earned more than their fair share of ridicule and criticism for the way their organization has been run in recent years. Thus, the Kings may not value future cap space the same way the Knicks do and may be willing to roll the dice on the Hardaway’s upside, as THJ is already locked in for three more years.

From a Knicks perspective, there is minimal downside. Hardaway Jr. would help them win some games next season, but that’s not necessarily a positive. Even with Hardaway, the Knicks likely won’t compete for the playoffs, as Porzingis is expected to be sidelined until at least January. Remember, New York posted a putrid 12-38 record over the final 50 games of the 2017-18 season. The goal next year should be to lose the right way. Develop their rookies and sophomores, while also securing as many ping pong balls as possible. There is a substantial probability they will land a top pick in the 2019 draft.

Adding another high lottery selection locked into a rookie-scale contract would likely be far more appealing to potential free agents than keeping Hardaway, who is set to make $54.3 million over the next three seasons.

Furthermore, even if New York strikes out next summer and doesn’t land a top-tier free agent (which is undoubtedly a possibility, if not a probability), the Knicks will still have cleared Hardaway’s money off the books, enabling them to re-invest those resources elsewhere.


Over 200 free agents are expected to hit the open market next July. That’s nearly half the league’s players up for grabs. Also, the NBA's financial climate has shifted since the Knicks signed THJ. Even if Hardaway bounces back and plays far better in 2018-19, it’s highly unlikely he’d be able to secure a three-year, $54.3 million contract on the free agent market. Consider some of the deals comparable shooting guards have agreed to this summer. Tyreke Evans, J.J. Redick and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope all signed one-year, $12 million deals. This has a lot to do with the fact that both teams and players are looking forward to 2019, but you get the idea. Avery Bradley agreed to a two-year, $25 million pact with the Clippers. Marcus Smart remains unsigned as a restricted free agent.

If the Knicks clear Hardaway’s money off the books, they would likely have an opportunity to sign a player with a greater chance to provide a positive return on investment.

Or, if they don’t reel in a big fish, New York could also use their cap space to trade for players in the final year of their contracts. Teams will be desperate to unload bloated, one-year salaries to sign free agents or avoid the luxury tax, which would allow New York to take advantage by renting out their cap space for a season. Many GM's would be willing to attach attractive assets to dump dead contract weight on New York. We saw this last summer, when the Lakers traded D'Angelo Russell to the Nets to get off Timofey Mozgov’s money. Similarly, the Raptors, to avoid luxury tax payments, dealt DeMarre Carroll and 2018 first-round and second-round draft picks to Brooklyn in exchange for Justin Hamilton, whom they promptly waived.

As far as the logistics of a trade between New York in Sacramento are concerned, it is necessary to note that the two sides can not discuss or complete a deal until July 15th. The Knicks hired GM Scott Perry away from the Kings last year on July 14th, and league rules stipulate that the two organizations cannot discuss deals for a full year. Thus, the two parties would have to wait until next week before beginning talks.

Regarding the players involved, the Kings currently have $19.5 million in cap space available. Thus, they could theoretically absorb the entirety of Hardaway’s Jr.’s contract ($17.4 million for 2018-19) without sending anyone back to New York. However, Sacramento would probably prefer to include Iman Shumpert, and the $11 million left on his contract, in such a deal. That wouldn’t be an issue for New York, as Shumpert’s deal has just one year left, and would be wiped off the books next summer. In fact, New York would likely be amenable to taking back any of the Kings’ veterans on expiring contracts (Zach Randolph at $11.7 million, Kosta Koufos at $8.7 million, Garrett Temple at $8 million).

If the Kings were looking for a more experienced, defensive-minded wing, New York could also offer Courtney Lee. Sacramento showed last season that they value veterans capable of providing mentorship when they signed Vince Carter and Zach Randolph as free agents. Lee could potentially fill that role, while also still providing value as a dependable 3-and-D contributor. Lee has only two years left on his deal. He’ll make $12.2 million next season and $12.8 million in 2019-20.

A trade between New York and Sacramento could potentially benefit both franchises. We shall see if the two teams decide to explore such possibilities.

[cgf]

It’s really not that hard to make this team contenders, all we need to do is:

-Trade Lee for an expiring by the deadline, so we don’t even have to stretch Noah
-Develop Knox, Frank & Mitch until Porzi gets back, then let them start gelling around the unicorn
-if he makes progress with his decision making in the GL, give Trier a look later in the year
-Draft Nassib Little after his jumper shows further improvement & he beasts in workouts
-Sign Kyrie or Kemba
-Crack the playoffs in 2019 & start making some noise with:

Porzi / Mitch
Knox / Mitch | Troy
Little / Knox | Troy / THJr
Frank / Little | THJr / Trier
Kyrie / Frank | Burke / Trier
—————————————-
Porzi / Mitch
Mitch / Knox | Troy
Knox / Little | Troy / THJr
Frank / Little | THJr / Trier
Kyrie / Frank | Burke / Trier

-Make the east our bitch in the 2020s after Noah & Timmy’s deals come off the books.

[newyorker4ever]

It’s really not that hard to make this team contenders, all we need to do is:

-Trade Lee for an expiring by the deadline, so we don’t even have to stretch Noah
-Develop Knox, Frank & Mitch until Porzi gets back, then let them start gelling around the unicorn
-if he makes progress with his decision making in the GL, give Trier a look later in the year
-Draft Nassib Little after his jumper shows further improvement & he beasts in workouts
-Sign Kyrie or Kemba
-Crack the playoffs in 2019 & start making some noise with:

Porzi / Mitch
Knox / Mitch | Troy
Little / Knox | Troy / THJr
Frank / Little | THJr / Trier
Kyrie / Frank | Burke / Trier
—————————————-
Porzi / Mitch
Mitch / Knox | Troy
Knox / Little | Troy / THJr
Frank / Little | THJr / Trier
Kyrie / Frank | Burke / Trier

-Make the east our bitch in the 2020s after Noah & Timmy’s deals come off the books.

What's really not that hard is making posts on a message board about how it's not hard to make this team a contender but actually doing the work to make it happen is much harder then just posting about it.

I have a feeling that Mills and Perry aren't even all about trading Timmy with the others to make enough space for two max guys next offseason and will be happy if they can create enough space for one max guy which is just stupid. It would always be much easier to get one max player to come here if that player knows he can get involved in bringing another max player with him then it will be to get just one to come by himself.

I'm not even sold on S.Perry as a GM yet because i haven't seen anything from him that makes me think he can be creative enough to make moves that would help this team. I'm watching S.Marks make good moves in Brooklyn to get extra picks and still creating cap space for two max players next offseason and asking why Perry wasn't involved in getting K.Farried or really involved in anything that's creative.

[cgf]

It’s really not that hard to make this team contenders, all we need to do is:

-Trade Lee for an expiring by the deadline, so we don’t even have to stretch Noah
-Develop Knox, Frank & Mitch until Porzi gets back, then let them start gelling around the unicorn
-if he makes progress with his decision making in the GL, give Trier a look later in the year
-Draft Nassib Little after his jumper shows further improvement & he beasts in workouts
-Sign Kyrie or Kemba
-Crack the playoffs in 2019 & start making some noise with:

Porzi / Mitch
Knox / Mitch | Troy
Little / Knox | Troy / THJr
Frank / Little | THJr / Trier
Kyrie / Frank | Burke / Trier
—————————————-
Porzi / Mitch
Mitch / Knox | Troy
Knox / Little | Troy / THJr
Frank / Little | THJr / Trier
Kyrie / Frank | Burke / Trier

-Make the east our bitch in the 2020s after Noah & Timmy’s deals come off the books.

What's really not that hard is making posts on a message board about how it's not hard to make this team a contender but actually doing the work to make it happen is much harder then just posting about it.

I have a feeling that Mills and Perry aren't even all about trading Timmy with the others to make enough space for two max guys next offseason and will be happy if they can create enough space for one max guy which is just stupid. It would always be much easier to get one max player to come here if that player knows he can get involved in bringing another max player with him then it will be to get just one to come by himself.

I'm not even sold on S.Perry as a GM yet because i haven't seen anything from him that makes me think he can be creative enough to make moves that would help this team. I'm watching S.Marks make good moves in Brooklyn to get extra picks and still creating cap space for two max players next offseason and asking why Perry wasn't involved in getting K.Farried or really involved in anything that's creative.

I thought it was clear that my post was very tongue in cheek after I started by saying "it's not that hard" and then proceeded to list a bunch of things that need to happen lol.

That said we don't actually need to dump TImmy, even if all of us want to. Move Lee for an expiring or stretch Noah & space for one maxcat is there if someone like Kyrie actually wants to team up with KP & the Fizkids.

And frankly, if we get one of those great young wings in the 2019 draft like Little, I won't even care if we strike out & "have" to just keep developing our kids. All I care about is the team not making any more dumb & shortsighted moves, while sticking to a draft-&-develop strategy.

[newyorker4ever]

It’s really not that hard to make this team contenders, all we need to do is:

-Trade Lee for an expiring by the deadline, so we don’t even have to stretch Noah
-Develop Knox, Frank & Mitch until Porzi gets back, then let them start gelling around the unicorn
-if he makes progress with his decision making in the GL, give Trier a look later in the year
-Draft Nassib Little after his jumper shows further improvement & he beasts in workouts
-Sign Kyrie or Kemba
-Crack the playoffs in 2019 & start making some noise with:

Porzi / Mitch
Knox / Mitch | Troy
Little / Knox | Troy / THJr
Frank / Little | THJr / Trier
Kyrie / Frank | Burke / Trier
—————————————-
Porzi / Mitch
Mitch / Knox | Troy
Knox / Little | Troy / THJr
Frank / Little | THJr / Trier
Kyrie / Frank | Burke / Trier

-Make the east our bitch in the 2020s after Noah & Timmy’s deals come off the books.

What's really not that hard is making posts on a message board about how it's not hard to make this team a contender but actually doing the work to make it happen is much harder then just posting about it.

I have a feeling that Mills and Perry aren't even all about trading Timmy with the others to make enough space for two max guys next offseason and will be happy if they can create enough space for one max guy which is just stupid. It would always be much easier to get one max player to come here if that player knows he can get involved in bringing another max player with him then it will be to get just one to come by himself.

I'm not even sold on S.Perry as a GM yet because i haven't seen anything from him that makes me think he can be creative enough to make moves that would help this team. I'm watching S.Marks make good moves in Brooklyn to get extra picks and still creating cap space for two max players next offseason and asking why Perry wasn't involved in getting K.Farried or really involved in anything that's creative.

I thought it was clear that my post was very tongue in cheek after I started by saying "it's not that hard" and then proceeded to list a bunch of things that need to happen lol.

That said we don't actually need to dump TImmy, even if all of us want to. Move Lee for an expiring or stretch Noah & space for one maxcat is there if someone like Kyrie actually wants to team up with KP & the Fizkids.

And frankly, if we get one of those great young wings in the 2019 draft like Little, I won't even care if we strike out & "have" to just keep developing our kids. All I care about is the team not making any more dumb & shortsighted moves, while sticking to a draft-&-develop strategy.

I guess you had trouble reading my post cause i clearly said that if we wanted to get TWO max players then we'd need to trade Timmy.

[cgf]

What's really not that hard is making posts on a message board about how it's not hard to make this team a contender but actually doing the work to make it happen is much harder then just posting about it.

I have a feeling that Mills and Perry aren't even all about trading Timmy with the others to make enough space for two max guys next offseason and will be happy if they can create enough space for one max guy which is just stupid. It would always be much easier to get one max player to come here if that player knows he can get involved in bringing another max player with him then it will be to get just one to come by himself.

I'm not even sold on S.Perry as a GM yet because i haven't seen anything from him that makes me think he can be creative enough to make moves that would help this team. I'm watching S.Marks make good moves in Brooklyn to get extra picks and still creating cap space for two max players next offseason and asking why Perry wasn't involved in getting K.Farried or really involved in anything that's creative.

I thought it was clear that my post was very tongue in cheek after I started by saying "it's not that hard" and then proceeded to list a bunch of things that need to happen lol.

That said we don't actually need to dump TImmy, even if all of us want to. Move Lee for an expiring or stretch Noah & space for one maxcat is there if someone like Kyrie actually wants to team up with KP & the Fizkids.

And frankly, if we get one of those great young wings in the 2019 draft like Little, I won't even care if we strike out & "have" to just keep developing our kids. All I care about is the team not making any more dumb & shortsighted moves, while sticking to a draft-&-develop strategy.

I guess you had trouble reading my post cause i clearly said that if we wanted to get TWO max players then we'd need to trade Timmy.

I caught that, which is where I was going with the last part of my post saying that it wouldn't be the end of the world if we didn't get any max cats & had to draft-n-develop our way out of the ****. I get why some folks really want to open that second slot, hell I was in that camp in 2010 that we needed to be able to potentially offer a 2nd slot to get even 1 max guy. But we're in a different place now than we were then and I just can't see any way we're moving Timmy without paying a heavy price, like we did with the Ared Effries trade.

This time around the prize max cat we're chasing is reported to actually be interested in the Knicks, not just potentially enticed by playing with a 2nd max cat in the city of NY...and a big part of that is that we have a homegrown budding superstar who's already on the team this time around. Porzi is our 2nd max slot only we've actually secured someone to take it...unlike Brooklyn who offer nothing but cap space...so there's not the need to leverage our future to find a taker for Timmy like some of us felt there was in the preparation for 2010.

Add a gifted young core forming around Porzi...with Knox, Frank, Mitch & a likely high 2019 1st, I'm crossing my fingers for Nassir Little...and that is going to be the basketball side of our pitch this time around: Come play with Porzi & these exciting Fizkids. Not: Come to NY so we can start building a team around you & maybe get one of your buddies to join up. That's why I don't stress about opening up a second max slot this time around.

Also, if that pitch is good enough to bring Kyrie aboard, but he insists that we get Jimmy to join him, we'll still have Noah's expiring contract to make the money work in a trade & all of our picks to attach to it to compensate Minny if Irving & Butler force a unification in New York.

Nevermind that Kyrie is a weird cat. So if he's enticed by our kids & the prospect of bringing his hometown Knicks back to relevance, then I'm not sure having to wait a year or two to add a 2nd max cat, will really matter all that much to him. These guys know that their joining a team turns that team into a lot more of a destination for other stars...especially if they are joining a young core on the rise. So even if we can't get him Jimmy that same summer, taking the kids to the playoffs before adding KD or AD in future summers doesn't seem like it would be a turn off for that weirdo if he's ready to leave Boston & buys into what Fiz is selling.

[30andoverclub]

It’s really not that hard to make this team contenders, all we need to do is:

-Trade Lee for an expiring by the deadline, so we don’t even have to stretch Noah
-Develop Knox, Frank & Mitch until Porzi gets back, then let them start gelling around the unicorn
-if he makes progress with his decision making in the GL, give Trier a look later in the year
-Draft Nassib Little after his jumper shows further improvement & he beasts in workouts
-Sign Kyrie or Kemba
-Crack the playoffs in 2019 & start making some noise with:

Porzi / Mitch
Knox / Mitch | Troy
Little / Knox | Troy / THJr
Frank / Little | THJr / Trier
Kyrie / Frank | Burke / Trier
—————————————-
Porzi / Mitch
Mitch / Knox | Troy
Knox / Little | Troy / THJr
Frank / Little | THJr / Trier
Kyrie / Frank | Burke / Trier

-Make the east our bitch in the 2020s after Noah & Timmy’s deals come off the books.

Signing Kemba would be interesting to me if a. he's willing to take less than a max salary (say starting at $25MM) and/or b. Kyrie will only come if we trade a bunch of assets to get Butler as well.

If Kemba would take a lower salary, it would give the Knicks a lot more flexibility to keep guys like Hezonja and Mudiay if either or both take a big step forward this year. I know that many people think Hezonja is going to play well, but I also I feel like Mudiay still has untapped potential on both sides of the ball. He shot over 37% from three for Denver last year on 102 attempts. He also clearly has an excellent physical profile for the PG position (i.e., 6'5" with a 6'9" wingspan) if can push himself on defense.

[cgf]

It’s really not that hard to make this team contenders, all we need to do is:

-Trade Lee for an expiring by the deadline, so we don’t even have to stretch Noah
-Develop Knox, Frank & Mitch until Porzi gets back, then let them start gelling around the unicorn
-if he makes progress with his decision making in the GL, give Trier a look later in the year
-Draft Nassib Little after his jumper shows further improvement & he beasts in workouts
-Sign Kyrie or Kemba
-Crack the playoffs in 2019 & start making some noise with:

Porzi / Mitch
Knox / Mitch | Troy
Little / Knox | Troy / THJr
Frank / Little | THJr / Trier
Kyrie / Frank | Burke / Trier
—————————————-
Porzi / Mitch
Mitch / Knox | Troy
Knox / Little | Troy / THJr
Frank / Little | THJr / Trier
Kyrie / Frank | Burke / Trier

-Make the east our bitch in the 2020s after Noah & Timmy’s deals come off the books.

Signing Kemba would be interesting to me if a. he's willing to take less than a max salary (say starting at $25MM) and/or b. Kyrie will only come if we trade a bunch of assets to get Butler as well.

If Kemba would take a lower salary, it would give the Knicks a lot more flexibility to keep guys like Hezonja and Mudiay if either or both take a big step forward this year. I know that many people think Hezonja is going to play well, but I also I feel like Mudiay still has untapped potential on both sides of the ball. He shot over 37% from three for Denver last year on 102 attempts. He also clearly has an excellent physical profile for the PG position (i.e., 6'5" with a 6'9" wingspan) if can push himself on defense.

I'm keeping an open mind, but I expect nothing from Hezonja & Mudiay beyond this year. They have high capholds, and I just don't see the light finally coming on for either one unless Fiz is a wizard...in which case it won't matter if sign a max cat or not lol

[30andoverclub]

It’s really not that hard to make this team contenders, all we need to do is:

-Trade Lee for an expiring by the deadline, so we don’t even have to stretch Noah
-Develop Knox, Frank & Mitch until Porzi gets back, then let them start gelling around the unicorn
-if he makes progress with his decision making in the GL, give Trier a look later in the year
-Draft Nassib Little after his jumper shows further improvement & he beasts in workouts
-Sign Kyrie or Kemba
-Crack the playoffs in 2019 & start making some noise with:

Porzi / Mitch
Knox / Mitch | Troy
Little / Knox | Troy / THJr
Frank / Little | THJr / Trier
Kyrie / Frank | Burke / Trier
—————————————-
Porzi / Mitch
Mitch / Knox | Troy
Knox / Little | Troy / THJr
Frank / Little | THJr / Trier
Kyrie / Frank | Burke / Trier

-Make the east our bitch in the 2020s after Noah & Timmy’s deals come off the books.

Signing Kemba would be interesting to me if a. he's willing to take less than a max salary (say starting at $25MM) and/or b. Kyrie will only come if we trade a bunch of assets to get Butler as well.

If Kemba would take a lower salary, it would give the Knicks a lot more flexibility to keep guys like Hezonja and Mudiay if either or both take a big step forward this year. I know that many people think Hezonja is going to play well, but I also I feel like Mudiay still has untapped potential on both sides of the ball. He shot over 37% from three for Denver last year on 102 attempts. He also clearly has an excellent physical profile for the PG position (i.e., 6'5" with a 6'9" wingspan) if can push himself on defense.

I'm keeping an open mind, but I expect nothing from Hezonja & Mudiay beyond this year. They have high capholds, and I just don't see the light finally coming on for either one unless Fiz is a wizard...in which case it won't matter if sign a max cat or not lol

Oh yes, I agree it's unlikely, but Fizdale has a pretty great track record with development, Mudiay has been practicing with the team all summer, and it's a contract year for both. At worst, I hope they look decent enough that we can use one or both as an asset in a trade.

[lloydj]

2019/2020 Knick Team:

C: Kanter and/or KP? (RFA)/Mitchell/Noah? (trade, stretch or keep)
PF: Markieff & Marcus Morris (UFA) or Julius Randle (UFA)/2019 Rookie
SF: Knox/Mario? (UFA)/2019 Rookie
SG: Hardaway jr./Frank/Lee? (trade, keep or stretch)/Dotson
PG: (Irving, Dame or C.J. long shots) or Kemba (UFA) and/or TJ McConnell (UFA) or Burke (UFA)/Trier

[Jalen Bluntson]

2019/2020 Knick Team:

C: Kanter and/or KP? (RFA)/Mitchell/Noah? (trade, stretch or keep)
PF: Markieff & Marcus Morris (UFA) or Julius Randle (UFA)/2019 Rookie
SF: Knox/Mario? (UFA)/2019 Rookie
SG: Hardaway jr./Frank/Lee? (trade, keep or stretch)/Dotson
PG: (Irving, Dame or C.J. long shots) or Kemba (UFA) and/or TJ McConnell (UFA) or Burke (UFA)/Trier

[newyorker4ever]

Signing Kemba would be interesting to me if a. he's willing to take less than a max salary (say starting at $25MM) and/or b. Kyrie will only come if we trade a bunch of assets to get Butler as well.

If Kemba would take a lower salary, it would give the Knicks a lot more flexibility to keep guys like Hezonja and Mudiay if either or both take a big step forward this year. I know that many people think Hezonja is going to play well, but I also I feel like Mudiay still has untapped potential on both sides of the ball. He shot over 37% from three for Denver last year on 102 attempts. He also clearly has an excellent physical profile for the PG position (i.e., 6'5" with a 6'9" wingspan) if can push himself on defense.

I'm keeping an open mind, but I expect nothing from Hezonja & Mudiay beyond this year. They have high capholds, and I just don't see the light finally coming on for either one unless Fiz is a wizard...in which case it won't matter if sign a max cat or not lol

Oh yes, I agree it's unlikely, but Fizdale has a pretty great track record with development, Mudiay has been practicing with the team all summer, and it's a contract year for both. At worst, I hope they look decent enough that we can use one or both as an asset in a trade.

What is Fiz's great track record with development?

[Fat Kat]

Stop sleeping on Trey.