Sign and Trade for Lee?

New New York

Quiet Storm
I take just about everything Alan Hahn reports with a grain of salt, remember he was the one who reported that The Knicks moving Zach Randolph to The Clippers was just a baseless rumor and two hours later the deal was done, he most recently claimed that he heard from a intimate source Sessions was "still a top priority of Donnie Walsh" and he had an offer on the table, only to have to retract a day later.

So when he reports there are sign and trade scenerios on the table for Lee I cant help but want to dismiss them.

But.....The fact that he is not naming teams in his report because his source claims it could breakdown discussions is somewhat intriguing.... But it could also mean that Hahn has no real story and he is making this up to have the only Knick story today (see Berman's Lee is holding out of camp)

http://www.newsday.com/sports/basketball/the-knicks-fix-1.812055
 

LJ4ptplay

Starter
I like the fact that Donnie would only do a deal with Portland if it includes Rudy Fernandez. At this point, I almost prefer a sign and trade deal with Lee. A one year offer is fine for this year but he'd most likely be gone next year. Might as well focus on getting some talent that will be here in the future and with Fernandez, we would have a legit, young SG.

I don't like the idea of just letting Mobley's contract expire. It's one of our most valuable assets and to let it go to waste just to save some money for this year seems silly to me. At least use it to get rid of Jeffries.

S&Ts for Lee still under consideration

Saturday August 29, 2009 11:22 PM By Alan Hahn

The only holding out on David Lee's mind right now is mainly the hope that his contract status will be resolved fairly soon. In fact we're hearing through a source tonight that there are "are a couple of sign-and-trades still being considered before a one-year deal is negotiated."

We can't tell you what these deals are because it is sensitive information that, if it were to go public would be detrimental to either happening.

In other words, we don't really know the exact principles of either deal that has been discussed.

And why we don't know is because our sources won't tell us for the reasons stated above.

What we do know is that if neither deal is accepted by the Knicks -- and we're told that Donnie Walsh, despite wanting to keep Lee in the fold, is taking serious consideration into any reasonable S&T for Lee -- then Lee and his agent, Mark Bartelstein, are prepared to negotiate a one-year deal to remain in New York for the 2009-10 season. He will then become an unrestricted free agent in next summer.

Again, we can only speculate about the potential sign-and-trades at this point. You could guess that the Portland Trail Blazers may be one of the interested parties.

The Blazers were very close to tendering an offer sheet to Lee after the Jazz matched their offer for Paul Millsap. In fact, Knicks insiders tell me they were bracing for it, but Blazers GM Kevin Pritchard felt the Knicks were sure to match, so he went with Andre Miller instead.

The Knicks have made it pretty clear to Portland that any discussion involving Lee would have to start with Rudy Fernandez ($1.1M with team opt in 2010). So far, the Blazers have been reluctant to include Fernandez and, after signing Miller, are more likely to want to involve Steve Blake ($4.9M) and Travis Outlaw ($4M). This works for Lee because it's around the type of salary range he's looking for ($9M) and it works for the Knicks' 2010 plan because both contracts are expiring deals. Plus, while Outlaw gives scoring punch on the wing, Blake would give some needed depth in the backcourt.

But, from what I understand, so far the Knicks are not interested if Fernandez is not in the deal. Lee is a valuable asset and the Knicks aren't interested in just giving him away for a pair of expiring deals.

Another scenario, of course, involves the Utah Jazz and Carlos Boozer, who is in an expiring year at $12M. The Jazz, however, just made that long-term committment to Millsap and are over the luxury tax threshold. It is hard to believe they would prefer to give up an all-star talent like Boozer to add a long-term deal for Lee.

As for the theory that Cuttino Mobley's contract could come into play in some way, let's keep one thought in mind: the Knicks also value Mobley's contract as a major savings for themselves. If you discount Mobley and the unsigned restricted free agents (Lee and Nate Robinson), there are 12 healthy players under contract right now for a total of $63,477,806.

Could the Knicks actually be under the luxury tax threshold ($69.92M) this season? Well, not likely. But they won't be paying nearly as much as they used to.

Lee ($2.6M) and Robinson ($2.9M) still have their qualifying offers on the table and then there is the Mobley salary of $9.5M which still counts as long as he remains a roster player. Add these in and, obviously, the Knicks are over the threshold. Every dollar over counts as two, remember.

So if the Knicks eventually waived Mobley to make his retirement official, they could be saving about $15M-to-$18M in real money, depending on what happens with Lee and Robinson. Say what you want about the filthy rich team, which is rated by Forbes as the league's most valuable franchise, that's a large amount of money to keep in the checkbook.

No fan wants to hear about fiscal responsibility right now when they're being asked to renew their season subscriptions or buy up 10-game packages for a team that will be young and won't be expected to contend. But, again, there is something to be said about a financially-sound franchise with a solid business plan. If you check the track record, it's clear doing it the other way didn't work.

Consider that this past season the Knicks paid $23.7M in luxury tax, $19.7M in 2007-08 and in 2006-07 they paid a ridiculous $45M in tax. $45M!!!So over the past three seasons, the franchise paid the NBA $88.4M in tax payments for teams that won a total of 88 games over that span (Yes, $1M per win).

This is the hump year, Fixers. You don't blow up the plan now that you've come this far. Especially not with LeBron James making it so clear he plans to make himself available as a free agent.

The worst that can happen is the Knicks are left with tons of cap space and plenty of flexibility to acquire high-end talent.

Getting back to Lee, I'm still leaning toward the belief that the end result will be a 1-year deal at an agreeable price (just a guess, but I'd say $9M should get it done...note that it's basically the Mobley salary slot). The sides could still negotiate an extension during the season and also, obviously, in July.
 

JayJ44

Starter
If we could trade Lee for a package of Rudy Fernandez, Outlaw, and Blake, that would be ideal. Maybe Donnie could even get a 1st rounder out of them. Then our lineup would look like this (assuming we sign Sessions):

PG: Sessions/Duhon/Blake/Nate
SG- Rudy Fernandez/Larry Hughes
SF- Gallo/Chandler/Travis Outlaw
PF- Al Harrington/Jordan Hill
C- Darko/Curry
 

New New York

Quiet Storm
I would do the Portland trade minus Fernandez if Portland threw in Bayless and/or a first rounder in next year's draft.

Now I love the idea of bringing in Boozer, I think adding him would add so much flexability to our 2010 plan considering owning his bird rights would already give us one star player, thus alliviating the stress of moving Jefferies and Curry who's contracts could be traded for longer term contracts instead expiring ones.

But I just can't see Utah taking Lee, my hope (long shot) is that Curry looks like a beast for the first couple of months of the season and Utah is inspired to pair him up on the frontcourt w/ Millsap, and we could give them Curry and Nate for Boozer....again not too likely! But I doubt they are all that interested in Lee, unless it is a one year deal.
 
I hope if we do end up signing and trading D Lee (which I doubt) that we get a better return than the rumors of Rudy Fernandez. That's not a knock on Rudy, as I like his skill set, but he's not enough for Lee at this point.
 

ANU

Starter
bayless and fernandez for robinson and lee would be ideal, but it's probably not gonna happen.

a bayless-fernandez-gallinari-hill core would be sick with lebron qb'ing it.
 

KING~POETIQ

The One and Only
bayless and fernandez for robinson and lee would be ideal, but it's probably not gonna happen.

a bayless-fernandez-gallinari-hill core would be sick with lebron qb'ing it.

Fernandez would be cool, but bayless I'm not sold on. At best bayless may become a good sixth man. That's why I would rather have nate who has PROVEN himself as a good sixth man.
 

GetRealistic

Starter
Fernandez would be cool, but bayless I'm not sold on. At best bayless may become a good sixth man. That's why I would rather have nate who has PROVEN himself as a good sixth man.

But Bayless is under a cheap contract for the next two years and then you have an option for the third. So you'd be getting a player who could be just as good as Nate for a fraction of the price for 3 years.
 
how is bayless just as good as nate when he hasnt played yet. I trust mcmillian and his ability to put talent on the floor that helps win games, he did it in seattle and hes done it in portland, I believe nate is better than Blake, and if Blake started all gms at pg last year and bayless played none, what does that say about bayless ?
 

GetRealistic

Starter
Portland is absolutely loaded with talent and had no need to play an undisciplined Bayless. If the Knicks were a talent filled team during Nate Robinsons first year would Nate have seen many minutes? I highly doubt it.

I never said Bayless was better then Nate i'm just saying Bayless definately has the ability to be just as good as Nate and much cheaper and younger. Bayless playing on a good Portland team would maybe get 15 minutes a night this coming season. But if Bayless played here he would get 25 to 30 minutes a night and have a chance to grow. Its not saying its a sure thing but i'd take a chance on Bayless if the right trade presented itself.
 

Arod2k9

Benchwarmer
If we could trade Lee for a package of Rudy Fernandez, Outlaw, and Blake, that would be ideal. Maybe Donnie could even get a 1st rounder out of them. Then our lineup would look like this (assuming we sign Sessions):

PG: Sessions/Duhon/Blake/Nate
SG- Rudy Fernandez/Larry Hughes
SF- Gallo/Chandler/Travis Outlaw
PF- Al Harrington/Jordan Hill
C- Darko/Curry

Jay,

You can't have Nate, Blake and Sessions on the same team bro! It doesn't make any sense basketball wise and financially. That would be a 20M dollar point guard with those four.

If we get Blake then Robinson and Sessions are out the picture. If we get Rudy then Hughes would be bought out. I don't like those deals but we also don't need a 15 player roster when we would only play 8/9 players each night.
 
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Arod2k9

Benchwarmer
I would do the Portland trade minus Fernandez if Portland threw in Bayless and/or a first rounder in next year's draft.

Now I love the idea of bringing in Boozer, I think adding him would add so much flexability to our 2010 plan considering owning his bird rights would already give us one star player, thus alliviating the stress of moving Jefferies and Curry who's contracts could be traded for longer term contracts instead expiring ones.

But I just can't see Utah taking Lee, my hope (long shot) is that Curry looks like a beast for the first couple of months of the season and Utah is inspired to pair him up on the frontcourt w/ Millsap, and we could give them Curry and Nate for Boozer....again not too likely! But I doubt they are all that interested in Lee, unless it is a one year deal.

Utah has and never will get a Curry type player. That is a mormon town and all players they get have clean records.
 

metrocard

Legend
The 99929831832245667th article on a David Lee sign and trade.

Iono...something in me wants a new flavor at PF.
But Lee gets the job done.
 
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