You're The GM: Fix the Knicks in 2015

Oldtimer

Rotation player
If Chicago amnesties Boozer, they still have to pay him. If thy do not amnesty Boozer they do not have enough for Melo. Boozer's contract for next year is $16.3M. They will have to drop a little more off the cap to sign Melo. Melo can get more if there is a sign and trade. Remember we overpaid for Melo under essentially the same circumstances.
 

Papajoe

Benchwarmer
"When former president Donnie Walsh conducted his coaching search in 2007, Walsh didn?t grant Thibodeau an interview before naming Mike D?Antoni."

Another (in a long list of blows) Walsh landed on our Knicks... Man, that GM was worse than IT.

You are way off base Mafra if you think Donnie Walsh set back the franchise. Walsh is one of the architects of the current Pacers (him and his proteges). They are a small market team that can compete with anyone and may get that elusive championship. They are smart enough to draft Roy Hibbert and be patient with him something the Knicks could never do. D'Antoni's a great coach and a great hire. In addition, he was the only coach at the time for the Knicks since only a big name would pass muster with Dolan and stand up to all the scrutiny. If you recall Mark Jackson was also floated as a possible coach. Deep down, I think Walsh did Jackson, and probably Thibs as well, a favor by not making NY their first coaching gig. Dolan would have ruined them for life. Can't argue that Mark Jackson and Thibs have both grown up in easier places to coach than NY. This franchise is doomed under Dolan. No good man should ever come here as long as he remains at the helm. And this is coming from a 45 year Knick fan. Too too bad.
 

The Dragon

Benchwarmer
Is Phil Jackson still available? I did not hear about him since some time now......
fix the organization in short term, coach and PG, long term, we need to grow players rather than buy players......
 

paris401

Starter
If Chicago amnesties Boozer, they still have to pay him. If thy do not amnesty Boozer they do not have enough for Melo. Boozer's contract for next year is $16.3M. They will have to drop a little more off the cap to sign Melo. Melo can get more if there is a sign and trade. Remember we overpaid for Melo under essentially the same circumstances.

yes they have to pay him, but I think that his salary is off the books... correct me if I am wrong (has happened 1-2 million times).. their payroll next year is 63m, booz gets 16.8, so if he is gone, their payroll is 46m (more/less)... should be enough cabbage there to sign melo... "if' they deem him to be the missing link..

they got to figure out if adding melo to a healthy (??) rose , noah, butler...etc will be enough to get them to the top of the mountain... with LeBron back to being the king, and indy looking pretty good, not so sure if the addition of melo helps the bulls enough...

boozer is not a bad player.. he was a 2nd tier free agent signing... a consolation prize if u will, but has an 'ok' off game, and plays some "D", rebounds... ie a nice complimentary player
 

gmf1369

Benchwarmer
This off season fix, won't kill the bank but will leave an opening to finish off a move maybe for Love or someone in 2015:

Regardless if we trade or void Felton's contract, after this season really doesn't hinder us one way or the other so lets say we trade him...

Trade Felton, Chandler to Lakers for draft pick (2015 pick) - really don't see them forfeiting a 1st Rd, so a 2nd Rd is better than nothing...

Trade Prigioni, J.R. Smith & Bargnani to Miami especially if LeBron opts out, more than likely Bosh will stand pat with Wade and they could be enticed for a (2015 pick) taking on a backup PG Pass First, a decent 6th Man w/ good locker room stability can control this nutcase and Bargnani in contract year who is Restricted & still has enough talent to be a role player... Same like the Lakers, acquiring a 2nd Rd pick to unload these contracts should be the play...

Because we are stuck with Amare Stoudemire and seems he has been some what affective this season, placing him as the team's 6th Man for next season limiting his role with the team should be enough for all parties to save face...

Qualifying Offers to Toure Murry & Jeremy Tyler will allow the Knicks to retain two young premier prospects...

Will also likely be able to re-sign Earl Clark, Kenyon Martin and/or Shannon Brown on 1 year deals...

Around the league there should be a few players waived for various reasons, which the Knicks could add as bench/prospect to the roster...

By making these few moves with little return will open up the cap just enough for the Knicks to target E. Bledsoe or Kyle Lowery in free agency, and possibly a couple of other potential players like Lance Stephenson and/or Andray Blatche to 4 year deals (3yr + P.O.)...

Having a back court of Eric Bledsoe or Kyle Lowery, Toure Murry, Iman Shumpert, & Tim Hardaway Jr. is not that bad actually has promise...

Having a front court of Jeremy Tyler, Amare Stoudemire doesn't scare no one but adding in Blatche, Hawes, Gortat and/or possibly a Drew Gooden could suffice until 2015 free agency when the team could then make a big splash in free agency...

But these few moves should this year alone could reinvigorate Carmelo Anthony to re-sign with the team(4 yr $89M + P.O.)... I know this forum is split on Melo as a Knick but he has busted his tail game in game out for the Knicks but without a complimentary team around him he can only do so much...

So 2014 Roster could look like:

Starting 5

Eric Bledsoe or Kyle Lowery (4yr)
Iman Shumpert (Restricted Final Yr)
Carmelo Anthony (5yr)
Adray Blatche (1yr)
Spencer Hawes or Marcin Gortat (1Yr)

Bench

Toure Murry (QO)
Tim Hardaway Jr.
Shannon Brown (1yr)
Earl Clark (1yr)
Jeremy Tyler (QO)
Drew Gooden (1yr)
Kenyon Martin (1yr)
Amare Stoudemire (Final Yr)
2 - Waived Prospects (1yr)

If done right heading into 2015 off season should have at least $22 M in cap space, to acquire Kevin Love or LaMarcus Aldridge or whomever...

2015 Roster could then look like:

Starting 5

Eric Bledsoe or Kyle Lowery (3yr Remaining)
Iman Shumpert (5 yr)
Carmelo Anthony (4yr)
Kevin Love (4yr)
Jeremy Tyler (4yr)


Bench

Toure Murry (4yr)
Tim Hardaway Jr.
Earl Clark (?)
Jordan Hamilton (?)
Shannon Brown (?)
Festus Ezeli (1yr)
2 - Draft Prospects
2 - QO (Waived Prospects '14)

Nothing is for certain but their are options available...
 

Wargames

Starter
There is no real what if trade thread and this sh*t doesn't deserve its own thread anyway....

This dude Westbrook got injured again. If I'm the Knicks I offer the thunder a combination of Tyson and Hardaway for Russell Westbrook.

The thunder take it because they get the center they always wanted (they stayed trying to get chandler) and a young guy in Thjr who they could maybe mold into an off the bench scorer they use to have in Harden. They also do the move because even if they keep chandler they would have enough money off the books in 2015 to try and sign a elite passer like rondo who is a UFA in 2015. That team is superior to the team they have right now.

Why the Knicks do it is Westbrook would be the perfect pg to run the triangle and his injuries aren't self inflicted.... People keep running into him. He would be the second scorer Phil needs for the triangle, Melo won't intimidate him and unlike KD, Russell won't intimidate Melo. Next it still should leave enough room to give a Marc gasol the max and just enough to try to steal one of the lebron stoppers who will be RFA that year is kwahi Leonard or butler on the bulls.

So both teams by 2015 would look like

Rondo
Hardaway
Durant
Ibaka
Tyson

This works for the thunder because Rondo is maybe 1 of the few pgs whose ability to distribute would cover for coach brooks offensive ineptitudes. Rondo would get the rest of his team mates easy enough assist that teams would have to play Durant 1 on 1 and Durant wouldn't have to worry about feeling insecure when the pg has the ball. Rondo would willingly feed him ?nd I could see them making it into the wcf easy with that lineup. In addition to that if they think the Knicks are a strong contender to get Marc Gasol away from the grizzlies they should jump at the chance to help get him away from that team. Lastly they are better player developers than the Knicks, I think they could make hardaway into a reliable second option at the same time they would have a better distributor in rondo. Also ibaka and Chandler would be a nightmare defensively in the paint for 90% of the teams in the league. Both are mobile, both can come out of the paint and defend, both would alter shots in the paint and both would be able to do PnR with rondo effectively.

And as for the Knicks

Westbrook
Shump
Kwahi (possibly butler)
Melo
Marc gasol

This works for the Knicks because I can't think of a better lineup of guys to run the triangle in today's game. All the guards are lanky and can score, it would have two iso players is Melo and Westbrook, 2 post players in Melo and Gasol, and 4 superior defenders in Westbrook, shump, kwahi (or butler) and gasol. That team is built to give the Heat and the pacers trouble defensively and could also make a really good run in the ECF that year. Russell could focus on the triangle and it would benefit his game more since he would be asked to score more (that is his specialty) and distribute less since the Trialgle system carries a lot of that weight. Lastly that whole lineup rebounds well for their position. Making the Knicks a very tough out come playoff time.

Both teams through that trade would be set up great to draw a max FA in 2015 and both teams would be vastly superior than they are currently made up if they land that max FA they need (a center for the Knicks a pg for the thunder). Both teams would be good enough to go to the finals in 2015.

I know some people would say the thunder could just add Tyson in 2015 but Russell is a problem on that team. People excuse it because he is "the second scoring option" but psychology he throws Durant for a loop. The thunder should be smart enough to know they got to get out the west between now and 2016 or Durant will likely leave and in a lot of ways Russell while being a great player is way to free in their system and hindering Durant's growth.

On the Knicks I can't see westbrook being anywhere as free to go ham in a game because it would clearly hurt the team, he seems to want to win more than anything and playing in the triangle would be the best route for it on that team. Also it wouldn't require him to PnR as much anymore hopefully preserving his knees.
 
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