Cap Space In 2010
Walsh appears to have made it clear that he wants cap space for 2010. To have appropriate cap space in 2010, the Knicks do not have to have it in 2009.
In a previous post in this thread I listed committed salaries in 2010 to include Randolph at 17.33M, Curry at 11.27M, Crawford at 10.08m, and Jefferies at 6.88m. I forgot about Chandler at 1.78M. The total is about 47.3M.
Assuming they are still around, in 2010 the Qualifying Offer for Balkman is 3.03M and for Collins 2.8M. I do not expect Collins to be around. I do not know about Balkman.
We will get a high draft pick this year and probably a high draft pick next year. They will have guaranteed contracts for 2010 at, conservatively, about 3.5M each.
The contracts for Lee and Robinson expire after the 2009 season. The NBA cap is a soft cap, but if each is signed to a new contract for 2010 before we can get a free agent, then it would seem those contracts would count toward the cap. I do not understand the cap rules enough to know whether the Knicks could sign a free agent while under the cap and then be able to sign new soft cap contracts for Lee and/or Robinson that would put them over the cap.
But even without consideration of Robinson, Lee, Balkman and Collins, the 2010 commitments with the two new draft picks will put the Knicks at 54.3M. The cap, which is a function of NBA income, was 55.63M for 2007-08. For the previous year it was about 53M. A reasonably aggressive projection for 2010 is a cap at 60M to 62M.
We have to move some people. Marbury's and Malik's expiring contracts are useless to other teams unless the other teams can trade contracts useless to them. The Knicks can not take on contracts going into 2010. Perhaps the Knicks can take some bad contracts that expire before 2010 with some draft pick kickers.
We have got to get rid of Randolph's contract!! Jefferies' too. I still have hope for Curry and Crawford, but we certainly do not need them.