Knicks salary cap breakdown by The Vertical's Bobby Marks and discusses possible options with Melo and DRose. Melo is not going to return anything like what the Knicks dealt to bring him to NY and Marks suggests an interesting option in buying him out where he negotiates a deal with a team he wants to go to that can pay him say 20M, the Knicks would then buy him out for the remainder of his contract. Knicks would get no players back but would get cap relief for the part of his contract that his new team undertook. Not a great option for the Knicks but is keeping him really an option.
NEW YORK KNICKS
Offseason focus
This is not what team president Phil Jackson envisioned when taking over in 2014.
Two head coaches in three years, a roster that has turned over each of the past two summers, no point guard on the roster, the starting center is recovering from rotator-cuff surgery with a 12-game suspension waiting when he returns plus $54 million left on his contract, and Carmelo Anthony is on the trade block.
Not to mention Kristaps Porzingis is disgruntled with the direction of the organization.
So where do the Knicks turn?
It starts with Anthony.
Closure with Carmelo
There is no easy solution to the Anthony situation in New York.
Anthony’s trade value does not reflect his on-court play, but a bloated salary that features an $8.1 million trade bonus and a no-trade clause.
Here are New York’s options when it comes to Anthony:
1. Find a willing trade partner after July 1 that has the cap flexibility and players to match (and fill needs) to take on Anthony’s $34.3 million and $27.9 million (early termination option) cap hit in 2017-18 and 2018-19.
Anthony would have to approve the trade, but dealing him before July 1 is a challenge because teams are operating under the 2016-17 salary cap, with soon-to-be free agents not eligible to be traded.
New York will need to be realistic when it comes to trade partners. The package in return will not mirror the multiple first-round picks and core players the Knicks sent to Denver in 2011.
2. Anthony and his camp approach Knicks management about a possible buyout.
If New York cannot find a trade partner that fits Anthony’s preference, Anthony and his agent, Leon Rose, should explore what his contract value would be if he were a free agent this summer.
If there is a landing spot with a playoff worthy team – and a two-year contract at $15 million annually – Anthony should be bought out for half of the $54 million he’s owed.
Anthony would not lose money and the Knicks would receive significant cap relief not only this summer but in 2018-19 as well.
New York would see $26.2 million and $27.9 million cap hits reduced to $5.4 million over the next five seasons.
3. Do nothing.
This isn’t the ideal option, but it is the Knicks.
Because Jackson and the team’s former franchise player aren’t seeing eye to eye, the first two options are more realistic.
But it was Jackson who put the Knicks in this position by re-signing Anthony in 2014 and including the no-trade clause and trade bonus, so a deal will not be easy.
The Knicks are definitely in a tough spot.
Solution at point guard
The easiest path would be to throw big money at Derrick Rose and lock him into a long-term contract.
That was the idea last June when New York acquired the expiring contract of Rose along with his Bird rights.
On paper the combination of Rose, Courtney Lee, Anthony, Porzingis and Joakim Noah certainly resembled a playoff team.
But with New York coming off a 31-win season and Rose having season-ending knee surgery, the lack of depth at point guard was still apparent.
So what’s the franchise’s best option?
It starts with cutting loose Rose and focusing on a point-guard heavy draft.
Though the theory in the draft is to take the best available player, the Knicks, with the No. 7 pick overall, could have the best of both worlds.
The best available player when they pick will likely be a point guard.
Summer cap breakdown
Guaranteed 2017-18 Insider info
Carmelo Anthony $26,243,760 No-trade clause/trade bonus
Joakim Noah $17,765,000 12-game suspension
Courtney Lee $11,747,890
Lance Thomas $6,655,325
Kristaps Porzingis $4,503,600
Kyle O’Quinn $4,087,500 Extension eligible
Mindaugas Kuzminskas $3,025,035
Willy Hernangomez $1,435,750
Non/partial 2017-18 Guarantee date
Marshall Plumlee $1,312,611 July 20
Maurice Ndour $1,312,611 June 30
Chasson Randle $1,312,611
FA cap hold 2017-18 FA status
Ron Baker $1,512,611 Restricted non-Bird
Derrick Rose $30,300,000 Bird
Sasha Vujacic $1,471,382 Early Bird
Justin Holiday $1,471,382
First-round cap hold 2017-18
Projected No. 7 selection $3,821,640
Salary table 2017
Guaranteed salaries $75,463,860
Non-guaranteed $3,937,833
Tax variance $476,313
Free-agent cap holds $38,577,015
Salaries: cap $117,978,708
Salaries: tax $79,878,006
Salary cap $101,000,000
Luxury tax $121,000,000
Cap space None ($16,978,708 over)
Tax room $41,121,994
Projected cap space
Rose’s $30.3 million free-agent hold has the Knicks in a waiting game when it comes to cap space.
If New York decides to look elsewhere for a point guard, or if Rose signs with a new team, the Knicks would then have $14.8 million in room.
The room factors in their three non-guaranteed contracts, and the cap holds of their lottery pick and Justin Holiday.
Holiday has early Bird rights, and New York can use the available room before signing Holiday.
New York however is limited to signing Holiday to the average player salary of $8.1 million.
June draft picks
The Knicks have their own first-round pick, projected to be No. 7 overall.
As part of the Rose trade last June, New York also has the Bulls’ second-round pick at No. 44.
New York also has the Rockets’ second-round pick at No. 58.
Philadelphia has the Knicks’ second-round pick at No. 36. The pick was originally traded to Toronto as part of the Andrea Bargnani trade and was eventually moved to Utah and finally Philadelphia.
Future draft picks
New York has its own future first-round picks.
NEW YORK KNICKS
Offseason focus
This is not what team president Phil Jackson envisioned when taking over in 2014.
Two head coaches in three years, a roster that has turned over each of the past two summers, no point guard on the roster, the starting center is recovering from rotator-cuff surgery with a 12-game suspension waiting when he returns plus $54 million left on his contract, and Carmelo Anthony is on the trade block.
Not to mention Kristaps Porzingis is disgruntled with the direction of the organization.
So where do the Knicks turn?
It starts with Anthony.
Closure with Carmelo
There is no easy solution to the Anthony situation in New York.
Anthony’s trade value does not reflect his on-court play, but a bloated salary that features an $8.1 million trade bonus and a no-trade clause.
Here are New York’s options when it comes to Anthony:
1. Find a willing trade partner after July 1 that has the cap flexibility and players to match (and fill needs) to take on Anthony’s $34.3 million and $27.9 million (early termination option) cap hit in 2017-18 and 2018-19.
Anthony would have to approve the trade, but dealing him before July 1 is a challenge because teams are operating under the 2016-17 salary cap, with soon-to-be free agents not eligible to be traded.
New York will need to be realistic when it comes to trade partners. The package in return will not mirror the multiple first-round picks and core players the Knicks sent to Denver in 2011.
2. Anthony and his camp approach Knicks management about a possible buyout.
If New York cannot find a trade partner that fits Anthony’s preference, Anthony and his agent, Leon Rose, should explore what his contract value would be if he were a free agent this summer.
If there is a landing spot with a playoff worthy team – and a two-year contract at $15 million annually – Anthony should be bought out for half of the $54 million he’s owed.
Anthony would not lose money and the Knicks would receive significant cap relief not only this summer but in 2018-19 as well.
New York would see $26.2 million and $27.9 million cap hits reduced to $5.4 million over the next five seasons.
3. Do nothing.
This isn’t the ideal option, but it is the Knicks.
Because Jackson and the team’s former franchise player aren’t seeing eye to eye, the first two options are more realistic.
But it was Jackson who put the Knicks in this position by re-signing Anthony in 2014 and including the no-trade clause and trade bonus, so a deal will not be easy.
The Knicks are definitely in a tough spot.
Solution at point guard
The easiest path would be to throw big money at Derrick Rose and lock him into a long-term contract.
That was the idea last June when New York acquired the expiring contract of Rose along with his Bird rights.
On paper the combination of Rose, Courtney Lee, Anthony, Porzingis and Joakim Noah certainly resembled a playoff team.
But with New York coming off a 31-win season and Rose having season-ending knee surgery, the lack of depth at point guard was still apparent.
So what’s the franchise’s best option?
It starts with cutting loose Rose and focusing on a point-guard heavy draft.
Though the theory in the draft is to take the best available player, the Knicks, with the No. 7 pick overall, could have the best of both worlds.
The best available player when they pick will likely be a point guard.
Summer cap breakdown
Guaranteed 2017-18 Insider info
Carmelo Anthony $26,243,760 No-trade clause/trade bonus
Joakim Noah $17,765,000 12-game suspension
Courtney Lee $11,747,890
Lance Thomas $6,655,325
Kristaps Porzingis $4,503,600
Kyle O’Quinn $4,087,500 Extension eligible
Mindaugas Kuzminskas $3,025,035
Willy Hernangomez $1,435,750
Non/partial 2017-18 Guarantee date
Marshall Plumlee $1,312,611 July 20
Maurice Ndour $1,312,611 June 30
Chasson Randle $1,312,611
FA cap hold 2017-18 FA status
Ron Baker $1,512,611 Restricted non-Bird
Derrick Rose $30,300,000 Bird
Sasha Vujacic $1,471,382 Early Bird
Justin Holiday $1,471,382
First-round cap hold 2017-18
Projected No. 7 selection $3,821,640
Salary table 2017
Guaranteed salaries $75,463,860
Non-guaranteed $3,937,833
Tax variance $476,313
Free-agent cap holds $38,577,015
Salaries: cap $117,978,708
Salaries: tax $79,878,006
Salary cap $101,000,000
Luxury tax $121,000,000
Cap space None ($16,978,708 over)
Tax room $41,121,994
Projected cap space
Rose’s $30.3 million free-agent hold has the Knicks in a waiting game when it comes to cap space.
If New York decides to look elsewhere for a point guard, or if Rose signs with a new team, the Knicks would then have $14.8 million in room.
The room factors in their three non-guaranteed contracts, and the cap holds of their lottery pick and Justin Holiday.
Holiday has early Bird rights, and New York can use the available room before signing Holiday.
New York however is limited to signing Holiday to the average player salary of $8.1 million.
June draft picks
The Knicks have their own first-round pick, projected to be No. 7 overall.
As part of the Rose trade last June, New York also has the Bulls’ second-round pick at No. 44.
New York also has the Rockets’ second-round pick at No. 58.
Philadelphia has the Knicks’ second-round pick at No. 36. The pick was originally traded to Toronto as part of the Andrea Bargnani trade and was eventually moved to Utah and finally Philadelphia.
Future draft picks
New York has its own future first-round picks.
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