Dolan Calls Denver

mafra

Legend
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/b...ts_owner_directly_as_knicks_owner_eyes_c.html

Garden chairman James Dolan is taking a more active role in the Knicks' pursuit of Carmelo Anthony and has had direct negotiations with Denver Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke, the Daily News has learned.

According to a source familiar with the negotiations, Dolan's decision to become more involved in the Anthony trade talks is a sign that the Knicks are closing in on a deal for the All-Star forward.

"And I would also think that at this point everyone is looking to take credit if Carmelo comes to New York," said one Knicks source.

It is not uncommon for owners to negotiate trades and in fact it is a common practice with Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov had planned to meet Anthony face-to-face before the Russian held a press conference to announce the Nets were no longer attempting to trade for Anthony.

Dolan, however, likes to paint himself as a hands-off owner and his involvement in the Anthony negotiations can be taken one of several ways.

Knicks president Donnie Walsh has put the team in position to acquire Anthony, who scored 50 points Monday night in a 108-103 loss to the Rockets in Denver. Walsh could conceivably be in favor of Dolan's participation because when owners are negotiating directly, deals have a tendency to come to fruition.

Last year, it was Dolan who told Walsh not to sign Allen Iverson, who believed he was headed to New York.

Dolan's involvement also suggests that former Knicks president Isiah Thomas is likely advising him. The News reported last August that Thomas had told Dolan that he'd received assurances from Anthony that he only wanted to play for the Knicks.

Just one month earlier, Thomas was dispatched to Ohio in a last-ditch effort to recruit then-free agent LeBron James. And when Amar'e Stoudemire was introduced to the New York media after signing a $100 million contract, Walsh publicly thanked Thomas for his role in Stoudemire's recruitment.

Although Dolan was unsuccessful in his attempts to hire Thomas as Walsh's general manager and give him the title of consultant, Thomas continues to serve as a de facto consultant from Miami, where he is the coach at Florida International.

Dolan remains close to Thomas and is convinced he has the street credibility to broker deals with players, agents and street agents. Thomas has close ties with William (World Wide) Wesley, who works for CAA and is an associate of agent Leon Rose, who represents James and Anthony.

Wesley is now in the business of representing coaches and his top client is Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau. He also represents Mark Warkentien, whom Dolan just appointed as the Knicks' new director of pro player personnel. It is believed that Allan Houston, who is viewed as Walsh's successor, is also a Wesley client.

Thomas, according to sources, is content to remain in a de facto consulting role with the Knicks. A source close to Thomas said Monday that "Isiah doesn't need a title because he and Jim are friends. Jim respects him as a talent evaluator and he will continue to use him in that role."

How this all affects Walsh remains unclear. The soon-to-be 70-year-old team president is credited with rebuilding the Knicks and restoring the franchise's credibility around the league.

However, the fourth-year option on Walsh's contract must be exercised by April 30 and Dolan has given no indication that he plans to bring Walsh back. Last week, Walsh said he was embarrassed that his future had become a hot topic and then went on to praise Dolan. Walsh added that if he doesn't return he wants to leave with dignity.

It sounded like a farewell address and it was telling that Mike D'Antoni exercised caution when asked to address the future of the man who hired him. D'Antoni agreed Walsh has done a great job but he didn't want to give an opinion one way or another regarding Walsh's uncertain status.

Walsh's future could conceivably come down to what Thomas advises Dolan to do. And if the Knicks are successful in their attempts to acquire Anthony, Dolan may decide that having Thomas as an adviser is more valuable than having Walsh run the team.


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Is this a good or bad thing? We'll see what kinf od businessman Dolan really is. Will he seal this deal?
 

Toons

is the Bo$$
as a coach, thomas is garbage....
as a gm....he makes horrible decisions...

as an advisor and a talent scout....i give the hof player his credit.
wud hate to see walsh go tho
 

nyk_nyk

All Star
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/b...ts_owner_directly_as_knicks_owner_eyes_c.html

Garden chairman James Dolan is taking a more active role in the Knicks' pursuit of Carmelo Anthony and has had direct negotiations with Denver Nuggets owner Stan Kroenke, the Daily News has learned.

According to a source familiar with the negotiations, Dolan's decision to become more involved in the Anthony trade talks is a sign that the Knicks are closing in on a deal for the All-Star forward.

"And I would also think that at this point everyone is looking to take credit if Carmelo comes to New York," said one Knicks source.

It is not uncommon for owners to negotiate trades and in fact it is a common practice with Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban. Nets owner Mikhail Prokhorov had planned to meet Anthony face-to-face before the Russian held a press conference to announce the Nets were no longer attempting to trade for Anthony.

Dolan, however, likes to paint himself as a hands-off owner and his involvement in the Anthony negotiations can be taken one of several ways.

Knicks president Donnie Walsh has put the team in position to acquire Anthony, who scored 50 points Monday night in a 108-103 loss to the Rockets in Denver. Walsh could conceivably be in favor of Dolan's participation because when owners are negotiating directly, deals have a tendency to come to fruition.

Last year, it was Dolan who told Walsh not to sign Allen Iverson, who believed he was headed to New York.

Dolan's involvement also suggests that former Knicks president Isiah Thomas is likely advising him. The News reported last August that Thomas had told Dolan that he'd received assurances from Anthony that he only wanted to play for the Knicks.

Just one month earlier, Thomas was dispatched to Ohio in a last-ditch effort to recruit then-free agent LeBron James. And when Amar'e Stoudemire was introduced to the New York media after signing a $100 million contract, Walsh publicly thanked Thomas for his role in Stoudemire's recruitment.

Although Dolan was unsuccessful in his attempts to hire Thomas as Walsh's general manager and give him the title of consultant, Thomas continues to serve as a de facto consultant from Miami, where he is the coach at Florida International.

Dolan remains close to Thomas and is convinced he has the street credibility to broker deals with players, agents and street agents. Thomas has close ties with William (World Wide) Wesley, who works for CAA and is an associate of agent Leon Rose, who represents James and Anthony.

Wesley is now in the business of representing coaches and his top client is Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau. He also represents Mark Warkentien, whom Dolan just appointed as the Knicks' new director of pro player personnel. It is believed that Allan Houston, who is viewed as Walsh's successor, is also a Wesley client.

Thomas, according to sources, is content to remain in a de facto consulting role with the Knicks. A source close to Thomas said Monday that "Isiah doesn't need a title because he and Jim are friends. Jim respects him as a talent evaluator and he will continue to use him in that role."

How this all affects Walsh remains unclear. The soon-to-be 70-year-old team president is credited with rebuilding the Knicks and restoring the franchise's credibility around the league.

However, the fourth-year option on Walsh's contract must be exercised by April 30 and Dolan has given no indication that he plans to bring Walsh back. Last week, Walsh said he was embarrassed that his future had become a hot topic and then went on to praise Dolan. Walsh added that if he doesn't return he wants to leave with dignity.

It sounded like a farewell address and it was telling that Mike D'Antoni exercised caution when asked to address the future of the man who hired him. D'Antoni agreed Walsh has done a great job but he didn't want to give an opinion one way or another regarding Walsh's uncertain status.

Walsh's future could conceivably come down to what Thomas advises Dolan to do. And if the Knicks are successful in their attempts to acquire Anthony, Dolan may decide that having Thomas as an adviser is more valuable than having Walsh run the team.


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-

Is this a good or bad thing? We'll see what kinf od businessman Dolan really is. Will he seal this deal?

That's a dumb ass comment and is pure speculation. If its not uncommon for owners to negotiate trades then why include the Thomas angle? The writer clearly needed to add some controversy to fill in half the story.

Anyway, everyones already convinced Melo will be a Knick so all these articles don't mean much anymore. Wake me up when the transaction happens.
 

skisloper

Starter
I hate Dolan.
There is no doubt in my mind he will bring Isiah Thomas back to be our President.

Whats worse will be Isiah's smug face trying to take credit for it...

When he was in his final year and it came out that the Knicks were one of the top NBA earning franchise he actually took credit for some of that.....

PLEASE MR STERN DO NOT ALLOW ISIAH BACK.....11 miilion dollars sexual harassment suit!!!!!!! just sickening.
 

iJoe

Rotation player
as a coach, thomas is garbage....
as a gm....he makes horrible decisions...

as an advisor and a talent scout....i give the hof player his credit.
wud hate to see walsh go tho

More like he's a the master of stealing credit and being a snake. His biggest draft was David Lee in which he clearly stated that he didn't want him, yet he was more than happy to say how he masterminded the whole thing. The one thing he's good at is getting a young or vulnerable player's trust.

Face it, the guy is a smooth talker with no morals. Too bad Dolan is such a chump and falls for it so easily
 

skisloper

Starter
Based on what????

Total Speculation.
But remember he tried to bring him back less then a year ago and collegiate/NBA rules would not allow it.

If not for the rules nullifying his hire , Isiah would be a full fledged member of the Knicks Mgmt team as of today.

A guy like Dolan who watched Isiah destroy the Knicks, Lose an 11 million dollar harassment suit and yet he still tried to bring him back.

He will give Isiah another chance especially when all the ducks are aligned.

LOOK he sent Isiah to meet with Lebron....at some point u say what the F
 
Based on what????


so what we are all trying to say

is that if Thomas comes back

and we have melo

and then get paul or d will

and in 2013 are a 60 win team and perennial power house

we will hate Jim Dolan, and Thomas ?

lol. Ill applaud any situation that involves the knicks becoming an elite championship level team, I dont care if they bring back larry brown as a top end consultant, hire eddy curry as a personal trainer for mozgof, and let marbury work underneath allan houston as his right hand man.

The prognosis is this, we are in good position for the next decade financially, and talent wise and thats all that matters

look what steve kerr, joe dumars, larry bird have done to 3 respectable franchises, to me they are just as bad as thomas ( despite the law suit) but in terms of general management skills they have run teams into the ground with poor signings left and right, trades etc.
 

mafra

Legend
Until Walsh gets an extension, the fear of IT returning has to be real. This Warkentien hire has to be good news though.

Let's remember IT just cost Dolan another 200 grand or something, as the NBA fined them for that scout/workouts nonsense.

Warky and Houston have to be the future brain trust. I can see IT being a buddy and right-hand man to Dolan, but would he ever be given GM or Prez titles?

I guess if it were to happen it would be right now. Walsh's contract is up soon.

OR, they could reup Donnie for another 2 years. Build up some goodwill. Then try to sneak IT back in (just in time to ruin whatever DW built).

Who knows. Stay tuned.
 

skisloper

Starter
so what we are all trying to say

is that if Thomas comes back

and we have melo

and then get paul or d will

and in 2013 are a 60 win team and perennial power house

we will hate Jim Dolan, and Thomas ?

lol. Ill applaud any situation that involves the knicks becoming an elite championship level team, I dont care if they bring back larry brown as a top end consultant, hire eddy curry as a personal trainer for mozgof, and let marbury work underneath allan houston as his right hand man.

The prognosis is this, we are in good position for the next decade financially, and talent wise and thats all that matters

look what steve kerr, joe dumars, larry bird have done to 3 respectable franchises, to me they are just as bad as thomas ( despite the law suit) but in terms of general management skills they have run teams into the ground with poor signings left and right, trades etc.


Isiah would find a way to FU up our elite team. Thats the point ! The guy is an egotistical dude.....
 

iSaYughh

Starter
Isiah would find a way to FU up our elite team. Thats the point ! The guy is an egotistical dude.....

Yes. Isiah is a scourge to NY. It would be an epic disgrace if he comes back.

Also, he is at best shoddy as a talent evaluator, and I'd say pretty poor:

Jerome James
Eddie Curry
Jared Jeffries
Steve Francis
Balkman (over Rondo, who slipped, and when we needed a PG badly)
Channing Frye
David Lee(!), whom he didn't even support drafting

Did this mongoloid draft Sweetney, too, was he not around to muck up that draft too? No matter, there are other total hacks and fails Isiah evaluated as being talented and/or a good talent fit for our team.

He's a cool guy, I guess? He dresses well, is sharp, was a sick player.

I'm sure NBA stars respect that and wouldn't hate grabbing a beer or having him in their poker game.

But they know just as well as we do what a fool and epic fail he is as a coach, gm, and yes, drafter/takent evaluator, too. And won't mortage an iota of the it career and lives in actually giving trust and power to this guy.
 
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Oldtimer

Rotation player
Dolan/Melo

There is no reason for Denver to jump at the offer that appears to be on the table at least before the deadline. I am sure Denver is not inclined to satisfy Melo -- or the Knicks -- by giving him an early release. The current proposal certanly is in the Knicks' favor -- it will still be there on February 24th.

There remains an impirtant question. Is Melo really willing to forego his $65M contract extension under the current CBA and take his chances in free agency? Put another way, can Melo convince the Nuggets that he is willing to take the chance? If Melo makes it clear that he is willing to go into free agency and the Nuggets believe him, we are likely to get him on or about February 24th without gutting the team..

In one of the Denver paper's it was suggested that the new CBA might have a "franchise" tag similar to the NFL. The paper suggested that Melo would risk being "tagged" to Denver's benefit. I can not believe that because Melo will be a "free agent" before the "rules" would be changed. Even if there is a franchise tag in the new CBA, it should not apply retroactively to the free agent Melo any more than it could force LeBron back to Cleveland.


With Dolan's involvement, however, I am concerned that he will "panic" and give up some more assets to Denver -- perhaps Fields or Gallo --than the patient Walsh would even consider. As his relationship with Isiah seems to suggest, Dola can get star struck.

I am not particularly concerned that Isiah is coming back to take over. I believe that Dolan is a loyal friend to Isiah which is admirable. I think he is likely to see to it that Isiah remains employed but I do not think he will put him back in charge.
 
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New New York

Quiet Storm
so what we are all trying to say

is that if Thomas comes back

and we have melo

and then get paul or d will

and in 2013 are a 60 win team and perennial power house

we will hate Jim Dolan, and Thomas ?

lol. Ill applaud any situation that involves the knicks becoming an elite championship level team, I dont care if they bring back larry brown as a top end consultant, hire eddy curry as a personal trainer for mozgof, and let marbury work underneath allan houston as his right hand man.

The prognosis is this, we are in good position for the next decade financially, and talent wise and thats all that matters

look what steve kerr, joe dumars, larry bird have done to 3 respectable franchises, to me they are just as bad as thomas ( despite the law suit) but in terms of general management skills they have run teams into the ground with poor signings left and right, trades etc.



If Donnie Walsh puts a plan in place watches that plan un-fold and it puts us in positon to be a title contender only for Isiah Thomas to come in and get all the credit it is safe to say I would despise this man (and Dolan) even more!

I get your point about who cares who gets the credit....but if Isiah is allowed to come in and take over and get credit for someone else's work (which entailed cleaning up Isiah's mess) then he is a coward for that and while I'll be happy, there would shame that goes along with it.

Think about it....your thinking is exactly the type of thinking Dolan is banking on....which is that winning cures all so once a winner is built he is free to do whatever and the fans won't care because we are winning.

Isiah had his shot...and as we all know he blew it, so don't let him piggy back off the sweat of someone else!
 

skisloper

Starter
Dolan is not respected and viewed by many as a first class moron.
His involvement unless Donnie thought it was the right time is down right BAD.

Remember even if Isiah is handed this team on a silver platter ( I mean why has Walsh not been given a year extension ) he will need to somehow adjust to the team so he can take credit for it.....

In any case it is pure speculation but I just have a bad feeling.....
 

iSaYughh

Starter
If they do not agree with him he will act like a big baby and out of spite screw this thing up......

Does he realize how hated he is....

No. Extremely delusional.

Bill Simmons wrote a great and masterful piece on Dylan late last year that about sums everything up.
 

CoolClyde

Moderator
D'umb D'umb

what an idiot. one of the first rules of business is to hire the right people to get the job done FOR YOU. don't butt in when you don't know what you're doing or who you're dealing with. Dolan HAD to meet with el BJ, and look where that got him. he has destroyed the Knicks since their last Finals run, making team get rid of Sprewell and Camby for starters. Hiring iSayUghh and sticking with him through thick and thin... Now that Walsh has brought respectability back to NYC, Dolan just HAS to stick his head back into the business end. He has NO CLUE! Fire D'olan! oh wait, he owns the club... D'ammit!
 
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