The stars are aligned...the writing is on the wall

In the last week or so there have been several developments that could work in the Knicks favor.



#1) Washington wants to trade Mike James

Source: Wizards Want To Trade Mike James

Mike James is expected to practice with the Wizards on Monday coming off a broken left hand.

James is earning $6.5 million this season in the final year of his contract.

A source confirmed to the Washington Post that the Wizards would like to trade James and his expiring contract before February's deadline.

http://www.realgm.com/src_wiretap_archives/63233/20091206/source_wizards_want_to_trade_mike_james/

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The Wizards love Jeffries and he is playing his best basketball right now. Mike James is an expiring contract. This deal seems like a no brainer. I don't care if Mike James sucks or is another guard added to a rotation with too many guards, or that Jeffries has been playing well lately. Clearing Jeffries salary next year is more important.



#2.) Oden out for the season

They were interested in Lee before and I'm sure Portland would love to get Lee now. Portland also needs SF help. Rudy Fernandez is the target. Lee and Nate can't be traded until Dec 25th but Donnie should be looking into this opportunity now.



#3.) Harrington is drawing interest from Chicago

Chicago wants Harrington. Harrington is not part of the Knicks future. He is playing very well right now and is a large expiring contract. He is worth much more than just Tyrus Thomas. Let's rape Chicago for once! I would love to get Kirk Hinrich and if we can get rid of Jeffries as well we lock up the PG position and still maintain our cap flexibility. Harrington for Hinrich and Thomas would be great.



#4.) Houston wants to move TMac but are not getting any offers

Houston: The Rockets continue to offer Tracy McGrady(notes) in a trade, but that will be a difficult proposition considering he’s the highest-paid player in the league ($23.2 million) and no one has seen him play in nine months. Houston seems willing to take back a longer-term contract for McGrady, but most executives believe his high salary makes it hard to put together a package.

Rockets GM Daryl Morey and coach Rick Adelman don’t want McGrady back with the team, and have insisted that he isn’t physically ready to return to the lineup. McGrady would love a trade, but knows he must start playing again for it to be possible.

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This seems like a no brainer as well. Curry + whatever it takes to Houston for McGrady. Getting rid of Curry's salary allows us to sign TWO max free agents.




I think everybody realizes that going into free agency with the roster as Jeffries, Curry, Chandler, Gallo, Douglas and Hill is not enough to attract a max star. We need to make moves before then. Hopefully Donnie realizes this too.

Imagine having: Hinrich, Fernandez, Gallo, Thomas, Hill and Douglas and enough cap space to sign TWO max stars. I know it's unlikely but it's not impossible and a few things have been happening around the league that make it seem more likely than before.

Now go to work Donnie!!

Sweet thread.....

Jefferies and James income this year matches EXACTLY to the dollar. Random!? I'd be absolutely loving it if that happens.

#2.) Oden out for the season

They were interested in Lee before and I'm sure Portland would love to get Lee now. Portland also needs SF help. Rudy Fernandez is the target. Lee and Nate can't be traded until Dec 25th but Donnie should be looking into this opportunity now.

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This is officially what I'm asking for this xmas.

Curry and Hughes equates to only a $400,000 difference in a potential McGrady trade as well. A guard for a guard plus a useless fat (ish) mess and it's done. With only Curry's contract left to handle going into the following season for Houston.

Please let this happen.

Please.

100% agree and would love for everything said to go down in some capacity. If we can shed enough salary to be able to powermove into signing 2 bigtime FA's, while adding a quality guard that could beast in our system like Fernandez.....

Plus, depending on who gets Wall in the draft we could have a very legit shot at Rubio/Flynn/Harris...dayum.

that all sounds good, but we all know how patient donnie can be.i'm guessing all these moves happen in one swoop if at all.

all i know is, this is the time to do them.these cats are playing well.i see these deals done in a little over a week or so.if these guys can keep the winning up for a week or so, we can sell hig with these cats.

i think we can end up with conley by trading chandler cause gay is on his way out memphis. if gay gets shipped to 'sotta for the rights to rubio, this can get done before the deadline.


a deal with portland involving lee has to involve either batum or fernandez; I'm passing on anything less.

dealing harrington for thomas and a first pick is ideal imo.

harrington is playing well right now, but he's not a guy that any of us expect here next year.what if ty thomas plays well here proving to be a better "lee" (which may, or not be true)with a better defensive presence?
the upside of that trade is way more important to this future of this team, then us crawling into the playoffs with harrington.

that first round pick could help us move up into the lotto along with the talent that would be acquired in the other deals.

though it might seem counter productive for the clippers, i think nate could be enough to get us deandre jordan.nate would definitely help sell some tickets for the clippers in laker land, and that owner is a psycho.

some combo of conley fernandez gallo thomas hill and the acquired 1st round pick from the bulls could get us wall.

if i can move conley, the bulls 1st round pick, and one of our projected pf's like hill, gallo or thomas for wall, I'm doing it.

can you imagine a fab 5

wall
fernandez or wade(MAYBE)
james(MAYBE)
gallo
deandre jordan


we would skull **** the league for the next 10 years.

its all about acquiring assets anyway we can for the future of this franchise, cause we ain't gonna do shit in the present.

GOOD STUFF. Exactly what we need, and it appears very realisitically within our grasp. I just have a few BUTs:

1) Kirk Hinrich is owed 8 million in 2010 and another 9 million in 2011. SO, if you trade for him then you can only afford 1 max free agent this summer. ALSO, you cannot trade for him unless you dump Curry.

2) As much as we want to get rid of Curry, I seriously doubt HOU, CHA, DAL or anyone will take him on if he isn't playing. There's just no incentive to pay him 10 million next year, when the guy is always hurt.

3) I don't want to simply fleece CHI.... I want to get medieval on their ass!


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BUT.... I think you hit the nail on the head. Stars & planets are positioning themselves nicely right now. POR is w/out Outlaw, Batum & now Oden (even Rudy Fernandez has a bad back); WAS needs to shake something up or risk missing the playoffs; LAL is looking like they're unbeatable; CHI cannot score points.... The list goes on and on.

The perfect storm really for Donnie Walsh!

What does this all mean? Exactly what you said: Harrington, Jeffries, Lee and even Chandler, Hughes & N8 should draw some interest.

Knicks need to target a PG, a versatile/athletic PF, and a 1st round draft pick.... It just so happens that we have opportunity to snag these assets!

POR is in town tonight. I would start N8 and let him loose. Tell him to go to work. I want N8 and Lee to play the entire game and show POR what they can do. We all read how POR liked LEE (and we know they have the need now w/ ODEN out).... but let's not forget that N8 played college ball with B-Roy and is from the pacific NW. N8 would be a ticket seller, but he would would also be a spark off the bench. POR could use that, along with LEE.

Unfortunately, the bad part of all this is the contracts do not match. Hard to even make it work for LEE.

We know we would target Rudy Fernandez. BUT, how do you make the $ work? POR wont deal both Fernandez & Batum. SO, I guess you have to throw in Outlaw's expiring deal along with a Mills or a Cunningham. You might make it work for just LEE, but if we include N8 then A-Miller would have to come to NY.

I would say N8 could go to LAL and be a spark off the bench. Knicks get Farmar.... BUt would LAL do this deal?

HOWEVER, this could expand into a 3-way deal (where we bring CHI into the mix).... This is when Miller & Hinrich could come into play...

Maybe Miller, Harrington go to CHI; Hinrich, N8 & Lee to POR, and Tyrus Thomas, Blake, Fernandez, Cunningham plus a 1st round pick come to NY.

OF COURSE, this is when we contact WAS and swap JJ for MJ. Like you said, just to clear 2010 cap space.

Knicks could also offer Chandler up to somebody as a chip to convince somebody to take on Curry.

If Curry was playing and scoring points, I felt DAL was a perfect fit. Their window is right now, they need something to get over the LAL hump, they need a presence in the paint and they have a gambling owner who throws money around.

I think Curry-Mcgrady swap might still happen. I want to say Chandler could help, but they have Ariza. Would they want Wilson?

Could we use WC to get Rubio?

I mean.... that would be the dream. Bring in Rubio and dump Curry, to go with the trade I mentioned above?

SO.... dream scenario has the knicks trading Harrington, Lee, N8, Curry & Jeffries for T-mac, Blake, Mike James, Rudy Fernandez, Tyrus Thomas, Duante Cunningham, a 1st rounder and the rights to Rubio.

This aint happening though.

SO.... to keep it real.... We're making 1 or 2 trades. If we make the small deal with WAS, and then we make that blockbuster 3-way deal....

Knicks end up with this for 2010:

Rudy Fernandez, Tyrus Thomas, Gallo, Douglas, Hill, Chandler, Cunningham and Curry (1st round selection, 2 second round pick)

I feel like adding Lebron James to this mix gives you a solid squad

They probably let Blake & James walk (maybe they resign one cheap).

Fernandez
Chandler
James
Gallo
Curry

Douglas, Hill, Cunningham off the bench (plus 3 rookies).

NOW, if we dump Curry and Chandler to HOU... Then we start talking championship.... I mean, then we add another free agent (Bosh).... and wow!

I like your thinking mafra!

With Batum and Outlaw being out for the next few months, Portland probably needs SF help the most and you're right, working in Lee's salary to trade with them is difficult. They've done fine without Oden before and Lee would probably still come off the bench behind Pryzbilla. Nate + Chandler for Fernandez + Outlaw works.

Jeffries for Mike James seems like a no brainer. In fact, I don't know why this deal hasn't gone down yet. Simple and both teams are happy.

As far as Hinrich goes. If we trade Jeffries for James, getting Hinrich would still allow us to get 1 max free agent. We can only afford 1 max right now and I would much rather have a good starting PG than Jeffries. Harrington + Lee for Hinrich + Thomas + draft pick would work.

Trading Curry is the most difficult and a long shot. But it's out in the open that Houston wants to get rid of TMac now. Things are only going to get worse in Houston as time passes and nobody is making offers. Crazy8s idea of Hughes + Curry works and if that fat f*ck can somehow get playing again, maybe it could get done. But again, I'm not that hopeful that Curry can do anything these days. Donnies patience might actually pay off with this one.

But at least having Hinrich, Fernandez and Gallo as the starting unit could be enough to attract Lebron. Definitely better than what we got now (which is no starting PG, SG or C). And Curry's expiring contract by next year's trade dealine will be very valuable and could be used to get the other piece.

But if all goes as planned. A lineup of:

PG-Hinrich
SG-Fernandez
SF-Gallo
PF-Lebron
C-Bosh

= CHAMPIONSHIP!!

LJ4ptplay said:

I like your thinking mafra!

With Batum and Outlaw being out for the next few months, Portland probably needs SF help the most and you're right, working in Lee's salary to trade with them is difficult. They've done fine without Oden before and Lee would probably still come off the bench behind Pryzbilla. Nate + Chandler for Fernandez + Outlaw works.

Jeffries for Mike James seems like a no brainer. In fact, I don't know why this deal hasn't gone down yet. Simple and both teams are happy.

As far as Hinrich goes. If we trade Jeffries for James, getting Hinrich would still allow us to get 1 max free agent. We can only afford 1 max right now and I would much rather have a good starting PG than Jeffries. Harrington + Lee for Hinrich + Thomas + draft pick would work.

Trading Curry is the most difficult and a long shot. But it's out in the open that Houston wants to get rid of TMac now. Things are only going to get worse in Houston as time passes and nobody is making offers. Crazy8s idea of Hughes + Curry works and if that fat f*ck can somehow get playing again, maybe it could get done. But again, I'm not that hopeful that Curry can do anything these days. Donnies patience might actually pay off with this one.

But at least having Hinrich, Fernandez and Gallo as the starting unit could be enough to attract Lebron. Definitely better than what we got now (which is no starting PG, SG or C). And Curry's expiring contract by next year's trade dealine will be very valuable and could be used to get the other piece.

But if all goes as planned. A lineup of:

PG-Hinrich
SG-Fernandez
SF-Gallo
PF-Lebron
C-Bosh

= CHAMPIONSHIP!!

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Well, if we get Kirk than we wont be able to afford both Bosh & Lebron.... But you never know.

Hinrich
Fernandez
Gallo
Lebron
Thomas

That starting 5 still works for me. Hill, Douglas plus a 1st round pick & 2 second rounders coming off the bench. Say we sign a lesser type, like keep Outlaw or something. NOw we're talking.

Maybe a dude like Bosh, Amare or Gay sign with us.... who knows.

mafra said:

Well, if we get Kirk than we wont be able to afford both Bosh & Lebron.... But you never know.

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That lineup was under the assumption that Curry and Jeffries are traded. Then we could afford Hinrich, Lebron and Bosh.

LJ4ptplay said:

That lineup was under the assumption that Curry and Jeffries are traded. Then we could afford Hinrich, Lebron and Bosh.

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True that.. Imagine it!!!!

LJ4ptplay said:

That lineup was under the assumption that Curry and Jeffries are traded. Then we could afford Hinrich, Lebron and Bosh.

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Even if curry and jeffries gets traded we can't have Hinrich, Lebron and Bosh.

Common you know that. JJ & EC = 18MILL - KH=9MILL will clear out about 9 mill for next seasson.
Is that egnough to sign Bosh besides Lebron? I dont think so

DANUTZ39 said:

Even if curry and jeffries gets traded we can't have Hinrich, Lebron and Bosh.

Common you know that. JJ & EC = 18MILL - KH=9MILL will clear out about 9 mill for next seasson.
Is that egnough to sign Bosh besides Lebron? I dont think so

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As it stands right now we have approx $24-28 mil in cap space. Add $18 mil if Jeffries and Curry are traded = $42-46 mil.

$9 mil to KH
$17 mil to Lebron
$16 mil to Bosh
= $42 mil

LJ4ptplay said:

As it stands right now we have approx $24-28 mil in cap space. Add $18 mil if Jeffries and Curry are traded = $42-46 mil.

$9 mil to KH
$17 mil to Lebron
$16 mil to Bosh
= $42 mil

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KH
Fernandez
Lebron
Gallo
Bosh

Thomas, Cunningham, Douglas, Hill, rookies = CHAMPIONSHIP next year.

Good thread...i would make all these moves.

Get rid of Curry and Jeffries and add some decent shooters on this team like Mcgrady and Mike James.

That is the main thing we need decent shooter's with The King on the floor there is so much extra space with teams focused on Lebron!!!!:agreed:

LJ4ptplay said:

As it stands right now we have approx $24-28 mil in cap space. Add $18 mil if Jeffries and Curry are traded = $42-46 mil.

$9 mil to KH
$17 mil to Lebron
$16 mil to Bosh
= $42 mil

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Bosh is making $17m this year bro. And it's a career year at this pace too.

Considering it's going to basically be an auction for James, I've no doubt he'll be accepting a cheque well into the $20-23m range with increments going up to around $26m (potentially) in the last seasons of his contract.

After considering it, Heinrich would be nice but just isn't gonna be worth it I don't think.

Crazy8s said:

Bosh is making $17m this year bro. And it's a career year at this pace too.

Considering it's going to basically be an auction for James, I've no doubt he'll be accepting a cheque well into the $20-23m range with increments going up to around $26m (potentially) in the last seasons of his contract.

After considering it, Heinrich would be nice but just isn't gonna be worth it I don't think.

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Both Bosh and Lebron are making just below $16 mil this year.

A max contract is 30% of the salary cap. The current cap is $57.7 million, so a max contract for 2009-2010 is $17,310,000. This number changes if a player has been in the league longer than 10 years (which both Lebron and Bosh have not).

The cap for 2010-2011 is currently projected to be less than the 2009-2010 cap.

So if those players want more than $17 mil, they will have to sign with their current teams. I could see Lebron taking the max (around $17 mil) and Bosh taking $16 mil to play in New York with Lebron and compete for a championship.

So, my numbers are correct and in theory it is possible to have Hinrich, Bosh and Lebron (if we can trade Jeffries and Curry).

CRAP!!

Mike James back to Miami? Maybe

By Marc Stein

The Miami Heat's position on trades is no secret. They won't even consider making a deal for anyone whose contract extends beyond this season to preserve every cent of their projected trove of salary-cap space for July 1, 2010.

But the Heat have, according to NBA front-office sources, explored the possibility of trading for Washington's highly available Mike James, whose first coach in a 11-team career in 2001-02 was Pat Riley in Miami.

Sources say that the teams discussed a trade during the preseason, but the Wizards balked because Miami would not send back an expiring contract. The Wiz have a similar mindset to Miami's, determined not to take back anything but expiring salaries in minor deals like this one.

Yet it remains to be seen if the Heat -- whose search for guard help has likewise been well-documented -- amend that stance.

Quentin Richardson and Udonis Haslem are the only expiring deals Riley can offer in exchange for James without a third team being recruited to help faciliate a trade. Trading Haslem for a guard obviously makes no sense and Riley has likewise resisted the idea of surrendering the well-traveled Richardson. BUT Heat coach Erik Spoelstra has also gradually decreased free-agent signee Carlos Arroyo's minutes and has very limited alternatives. Riley might ultimately decide that bringing in a veteran to ease Dwyane Wade's backcourt load is a must.

And no team these days has more guards to spare than the Wiz. The emergence of recent signee Earl Boykins has made it tough for even Randy Foye and DeShawn Stevenson to earn playing time, with James, Nick Young and Javaris Crittenton are further behind.

If they could get James without giving up Richardson, perhaps with the help of a third team, this deal would likely already be done. Richardson's reviews in South Florida have mostly been positive after he was traded four times -- yes, four -- in the 2009 offseason. Q-Rich went from New York to Memphis on draft day, from the Grizzlies to the Los Angeles Clippers in July in the Zach Randolph deal, from the Clippers to Minnesota in a deal headlined by Sebastian Telfair and Craig Smith and then from the Wolves to Miami in August for Mark Blount. If the Heat's guard needs grow, maybe either they or Washington will make a harder push to find a third-team facilitator.

The Heat would also appear to have some off-court motivation to reunite with James. Turns out that James quietly hosted Miami's Michael Beasley in the private gym at his offseason home in Houston almost every night in August, when Beasley spent a month in town completing substance-abuse rehab. Miami officials got an up-close look at James when they went to Houston to check up on Beasley and saw first-hand that the two Mikes had struck a productive friendship.

James, 34, returned this week from a broken left ring finger he suffered in practice Nov. 7.

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Oh well. Back to doom and gloom for me. We're f*cked.

A roster of Curry, Jeffries, Chandler, Gallo, Douglas and Hill sounds like a nightmare to me.

No free agent is going to sign a contract with that roster. I doubt even Lee would resign.

LJ4ptplay said:

Both Bosh and Lebron are making just below $16 mil this year.

A max contract is 30% of the salary cap. The current cap is $57.7 million, so a max contract for 2009-2010 is $17,310,000. This number changes if a player has been in the league longer than 10 years (which both Lebron and Bosh have not).

The cap for 2010-2011 is currently projected to be less than the 2009-2010 cap.

So if those players want more than $17 mil, they will have to sign with their current teams. I could see Lebron taking the max (around $17 mil) and Bosh taking $16 mil to play in New York with Lebron and compete for a championship.

So, my numbers are correct and in theory it is possible to have Hinrich, Bosh and Lebron (if we can trade Jeffries and Curry).

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Sweet.. That's brighter sounding then! Good work...

Massive bummer about Mike James though.. That eats fat cock..

Bosh is putting up more numbers because of Toronto's horrible defense.

He doesn't win games even with decent players around him.

Bosh is one of the league's most overrated and overpaid players.

Avoid him Donnie!

LJ4ptplay said:

Both Bosh and Lebron are making just below $16 mil this year.

A max contract is 30% of the salary cap. The current cap is $57.7 million, so a max contract for 2009-2010 is $17,310,000. This number changes if a player has been in the league longer than 10 years (which both Lebron and Bosh have not).

The cap for 2010-2011 is currently projected to be less than the 2009-2010 cap.

So if those players want more than $17 mil, they will have to sign with their current teams. I could see Lebron taking the max (around $17 mil) and Bosh taking $16 mil to play in New York with Lebron and compete for a championship.

So, my numbers are correct and in theory it is possible to have Hinrich, Bosh and Lebron (if we can trade Jeffries and Curry).

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You keep saying is possible but is realistic?

For some reason you keep pushing for Hinrich to be on our team. That started few months back when you said we can't sign any free agent so mindless well go for Hinrich.

Now back to your numbes:

Gallo, Chandler, Douglass, Hill = around 10mill in cap space
Lebron(17), Bosh(16), Hinrich(9) = 42mill

That's about 52mill(next year cap is projected to be between 50 and 54 mill) and 7 players. In order to sign those three we have to renounce all our free agents rights which means we can't go over the cap to resign them nor we can sign other free agents.

Please show me how do we fill the rooster after we are 52mill on the books for 7 players.