What position and Who would you target with Next years Cap space?

I don't think Phil Jackson is going after a PG, but i could be wrong.
SF/PF we have Melo
I think Center or SG maybe Power forward
Some interesting players out there...Marc Gasol is probably my favorite one. Younger then Pao, top of his game and passes.
PG's Rondo, Brandon Knight, return of jeremy Lin, lol. Dragic with player option
Centers M. Gasol, Deandre jordan(over rated?, Brook and Robin lopez, Hibert with player option
SG Buch of guys... avg guys some good ones with player options like wade and monte ellis. but kind of old

Some decent guys out there. Nobody blew my socks off.
Give me some good ideas, something to hope for.
free agent by position
http://hoopshype.com/free_agency/shooting_guards_2015.htm

Who we target depends upon two things for me. One, do we get a big or a guard in the lottery. If we hit gold and get Okafor, or Towns, that makes me think differently than if we get Mudiay or the like. Second, who is even going to consider us in free agency? If Marc Gasol will consider us, then he is a no brainer max contract to me. If not even a guy like Monroe will consider us, then we should put our wallet back in Dolan's purse.

when it comes to bigs I think the best duo is

Monroe
Town

Towns plays defense to cover for monroe and can score in and outside the paint. Monroe is great passer and scorer inside the paint. both can pass so combined the knicks will have a great rebounding/passing duo for the triangle. Offensively it would be a very had front court to beat. Especially for teams in the East that usually lack size.

Green
Okafor

Okafor is a beast in the paint and Green who while not tall is strong and can shoot the 3. So Green can help play D by switching on the perimeter to keep guards from driving. Green is also stong enough to at the very least keep opposing bigs from posting on him easy as well. Offensively Green can play stretch 4 which forces opposing PF's to come out the paint making it easier to okafor. Arguably he could also switch with Melo on defense so Melo could play at the 4 as well offensively and then green can cover him at PF defensively.

Then I want the knicks to throw Max money at either kawhi or butler (whomever they think they have the best chance to steal) to potentially play Pippen to Melo's Jordan. Even if they strike out I think its a good idea to force an opposing team to match that Max money. If that doesn't work, go after the lower upside but still damn good player Wesley Matthews

The team has so many needs I don't think you go after position, get the best available player, get a decent big out of the draft and you go for a wing with defensive skills like Kawhi or Butler. Those guys are unrealistic though, I don't see how the Bulls or Spurs don't match even if you give them max offers. Butler has proven to be more than a good defensive player this year averaging 21ppg, thats worth max money.

I'm looking for a different strategy than the last time we had cap space, last time it was get Amare and Melo and sign the role players that are going to flock to NYC to win a ring. That didn't work, so let's build around young players, sign guys no older than 29 for realistic contracts. Avoid paying 2nd tier players like Greg Monroe, DeAndre Jordan lucrative max money contracts.

Discussions like these are starting to encourage me for next season. The idea that we will have a chance to get a good piece in the draft, even if it is not Okafor and the idea that we can now likely sign 2 other pieces in free agency, means that right off the bat, we can meaningful change both our frontcourt and our backcourt, even if no one piece is a star player. A pairing like Monroe and Towns, as discussed above, may not sound sexy, but coupled with a healthy Melo and the money to also sign a backcourt difference maker, gives PJ more than a puncher's chance of giving us something to watch next year.

htr10 said:

Discussions like these are starting to encourage me for next season. The idea that we will have a chance to get a good piece in the draft, even if it is not Okafor and the idea that we can now likely sign 2 other pieces in free agency, means that right off the bat, we can meaningful change both our frontcourt and our backcourt, even if no one piece is a star player. A pairing like Monroe and Towns, as discussed above, may not sound sexy, but coupled with a healthy Melo and the money to also sign a backcourt difference maker, gives PJ more than a puncher's chance of giving us something to watch next year.

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As soon as I realized what our 2014-15 team was a bust...I started thinking of what's PJ's next move.
I do think he got less value for JR and Shump, but he's obviously cleaning house.
no one(fans) wanted this type of season again. But here we are, stripping the club bare...what positives can we spin...A high 2015 1st round draft pick and cap space.

Im still waiting to see some players names that would be interested in coming to the Knicks to play a slow halfcourt b.ball game with Melo.
I havnt seen any players name that want to put their career on the line by playing for the Knicks in the above post ..... Especially Okafor.

The players mention in above post want 3 times their worth to play for the Knicks.

Kiyaman said:

Im still waiting to see some players names that would be interested in coming to the Knicks to play a slow halfcourt b.ball game with Melo.
I havent seen any players name that want to put their career on the line by playing for the Knicks in the above post ..... Especially Okafor.

The players mention in above post want 3 times their worth to play for the Knicks.

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Its all about money and its true the knicks will have to overpay based on potential. The main caveats are: 1) The knicks have a bunch of TPE's to try and add to the roster after they get those guys. 2) if The knicks don't use those they will have another 20 mil the year after to add more role players. So overpaying isn't the end of the world as long as its based on potential and fit for the system.

The reason I mentioned those guys is the fact that the knicks can throw a sh*t load of money their way. Okafor and Towns will be draft picks so they have no say. Green, Matthews and Monroe are good but neither will get a lot of big money offers (12 to maybe 16 if the knicks at the very least waive calderon). All of them (except Matthews) are still young enough to have not entered their prime. All of them are on teams where the have higher priorities when it comes to paying players. The knicks can steal them.

As for Kwahi and Jimmy that is a bigger risk. Both guys didn't sign cheap (team friendly) extensions because they felt they deserved more. Them taking the 17 mil offer sheet from the knicks makes sense for them especially when their home team might match. Everyone is like their teams will match but every Free Agency we see teams let guys go because they don't want to pay them. The Spurs hate to pay money like that (and Kawhi at that money would be making more than Tony Parker). The Bulls are known to be cheap (and Jimmy at 17 would put them in the Luxury tax and they got to pay Noah in 2016 which might keep them there). In my mind its a win/win for the knicks if the can force the bulls or spurs to tie up hell of a lot of money in young guys who are their 2nd or 3rd option. If they don't then the knicks gets to see those guys go to NY to be the knicks second or 3rd option to Melo and the Triangle front court.

All of those scenarios are more realistic to me than the scenario of waiting for guys in their prime like Marc Gasol, LMA, or K. Love to come to NY and take 1 less guaranteed year. By focusing on youth the knicks could build a team around Melo that doesn't rely heavily on Melo long term as he ages (similar to how the Mavs work around Dirk).

I keep saying this but the biggest question right now isn't what the knicks do in FA. It what they do with Calderon. Keep him, trade him, waive him. Keep him and the knicks have around 28 in cap room. Waive him they have 32, trade him (maybe to the kings or suns who can just absorb his contract) and the knicks have 35 million. You know what makes the latter two options more likely? if Langston Galloway (who has been excelling in the triangle in the D league) shows he can run the triangle in NY. The knicks don't need an amazing PG for the triangle. They just need somebody who can defend, help rebound, lead a fast break, and shoot a 3.

Wargames said:

. By focusing on youth the knicks could build a team around Melo that doesn't rely heavily on Melo long term as he ages (similar to how the Mavs work around Dirk). .

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a SMALL difference is that dirk is getting 8m, melo 24m..... but its only $$$$

paris401 said:

a SMALL difference is that dirk is getting 8m, melo 24m..... but its only $$$$

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Thats not fair when Dirk was Melo's age he was making money 20+ million as well. Add to that by the time Melo contract is over. The space it will take off of the knicks cap would be the equivalent of 15 a year in modern cap terms.

We have to be realistic.

We have the draft pick but we don't know where we can pick and who that player will be. Cannot assume he will impact right away. Cannot assume he will be a good player let alone franchise talent. The draft pick is always this empty void with an infinite ceiling and it just doesn't always go that way. So we gotta be realistic there.

Cap space. We have it now. You sign free agents with cap space. Yet it's a large league. Players have desires. Other teams have desires. Cap space is also this infinite ceiling void that fans assume will fill up with the top list free agents and that those players will mesh seamlessly into the perfect team. It doesn't always go that way. So we gotta be realistic here.

Then you have the environment.
Dolan who is a disaster.
Jackson rookie GM.
Fisher rookie coach.
Franchise player Melo .....

Here is next season 12 man rotation ....

PG-???
SG-???
SF- Melo
PF- ???
C - ???
6th man - ???
7th man - ???
8th man - Draft Pick ???
9th man - Prigioni
10th man - THJ
11th man - Early
12th man - Calderon
Phil Jackson will fill in the blanks in the offseason

Kiyaman said:

Here is next season 12 man rotation ....

PG-???
SG-???
SF- Melo
PF- ???
C - ???
6th man - ???
7th man - ???
8th man - Draft Pick ???
9th man - Prigioni
10th man - THJ
11th man - Early
12th man - Calderon
Phil Jackson will fill in the blanks in the offseason

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and that knick fans is your 2015-16 knick lineup... we will get a high draft choice, and said player will have no say in where he goes, but top FA's do, and lets see how many come here... my feeling is we will get 1-2 mid level players, and have to vastly overpay to get em to come to the mecca...

Well its January 17 2015.
The Knicks has 41 games left to find a few KEEPERS for next season.

How many Keepers will remain besides Melo???

i'd say Knicks should target any position other than SF, with Melo and Early locked in. agreed, the draft will most likely determine the best player available at the position, and then PJ will build around. UNLESS, Bargs and/or STAT (or Calderone) are traded for a quality player prior to trade deadline. If Knicks can land Reggie Jackson, Dragic or Bledsoe, they should have the PG position locked. then it's off to the races to find the quality, non-max players at SG/PF/C, starters like Milsap, Monroe, AlJeff, etc, and players who have excelled off the bench but could excel as a starter: Lou Williams, Patty Mills, Derrick Williams, David Lee (!), etc.

Kiyaman said:

We have to be realistic.

We have the draft pick but we don't know where we can pick and who that player will be. Cannot assume he will impact right away. Cannot assume he will be a good player let alone franchise talent. The draft pick is always this empty void with an infinite ceiling and it just doesn't always go that way. So we gotta be realistic there.

Cap space. We have it now. You sign free agents with cap space. Yet it's a large league. Players have desires. Other teams have desires. Cap space is also this infinite ceiling void that fans assume will fill up with the top list free agents and that those players will mesh seamlessly into the perfect team. It doesn't always go that way. So we gotta be realistic here.

Then you have the environment.
Dolan who is a disaster.
Jackson rookie GM.
Fisher rookie coach.
Franchise player Melo .....

Click to expand...

True, we don't know exactly what place or who we will draft and if that player will be a side note to the draft like whoever was drafted before Jordan. Like Sam bowie? Biggest bust considering he was drafted before Jordan. But the other player drafted before Jordan was Olajuwon. Not bad. Won two championships as opposed to 6(jordan), but was a great player. Or we could hit it big and draft the next all time great like Jordan. It's a crap shoot, we can loose, like many teams do, but we may just win big.
It all depends on if Phil does what he was brought here to do. Pull off some Zen stuff and Build us a winner.
I've heard grumblings about how horrible he's doing of building a winner. which currently there is no defense of how horrible the Knicks are.
But if his plan was to come in like a wrecking ball(not an intended miley cirus ref) and demolish a team to start over at ground level...then He's doing an excellent job.
So it depends on your perspective of his first year. Possibly the worst team in NBA history which is no easy feat! or The best stripping to the bare bones of a salary cap straddled team, with a possible high draft pick...If we finish dead last, highest we can end up is 4th overall.a matter of fact, the most any lottery team can fall is 3 spots later. 1st to 4th, 2 to 5th...3rd to 6th etc.
So you can say lets be realistic...but the fact is you either trust PJ as a GM or you don't. You trust his judgement of talent, his system and his decisions or think he's an idiot. But making a decision about what PJ will do at this point, is still unknown. He could be the most over rated arrogant decision maker on a level to rival Dolans incompetence...or he could be a the genius we paid him to be.
But as a fan and an optimist, I'm hoping for the best. I'm hoping he picks a great player in the draft. I am hoping he will use sound financial/talent judgement when signing free agents. to not cripple us for years with avg talent and big contracts. As opposed to letting Dolan push him to spend whatever it takes to get a player Dolan likes.
WE DON'T KNOW THE FUTURE...it can be real bright or real dark...I'm gonna dream about the brightness.

paris401 said:

and that knick fans is your 2015-16 knick lineup... we will get a high draft choice, and said player will have no say in where he goes, but top FA's do, and lets see how many come here... my feeling is we will get 1-2 mid level players, and have to vastly overpay to get em to come to the mecca...

Click to expand...

2 things, players will play anywhere for money. Only a select few actually take good teams over money.
Second the knicks can be a great team with a the right free agents. That's the beauty of it. We have potential to root for, it's not guaranteed, but it could be done.
I really like Chicago's Butler, who played great and stepped up to fill shoes when rose was out...More than Kahwi, who is in the perfect "team" system. But that may be great for the triangle. Let's hope they make great moves as opposed to being typical Knicks fans and expecting the worst...even if it's been programmed into us by James Dolan, to expect the worst.
Let's hope Jackson, changes the Culture. With the bone head moves Dolan pushes on his previous GM's, or idiots like Isiah Thomas, loading us up with salary and mediocre talent while trading draft picks, betting big on head case players like Marbury...Finally there is a guy willing to say...No F-ing way, We do it my way or I'll walk right here right now and go GM somewhere else and You can explain why I left.

I am hoping for miracle

jzero29 said:

True, we don't know exactly what place or who we will draft and if that player will be a side note to the draft like whoever was drafted before Jordan. Like Sam bowie? Biggest bust considering he was drafted before Jordan. But the other player drafted before Jordan was Olajuwon. Not bad. Won two championships as opposed to 6(jordan), but was a great player. Or we could hit it big and draft the next all time great like Jordan. It's a crap shoot, we can loose, like many teams do, but we may just win big.
It all depends on if Phil does what he was brought here to do. Pull off some Zen stuff and Build us a winner.
I've heard grumblings about how horrible he's doing of building a winner. which currently there is no defense of how horrible the Knicks are.
But if his plan was to come in like a wrecking ball(not an intended miley cirus ref) and demolish a team to start over at ground level...then He's doing an excellent job.
So it depends on your perspective of his first year. Possibly the worst team in NBA history which is no easy feat! or The best stripping to the bare bones of a salary cap straddled team, with a possible high draft pick...If we finish dead last, highest we can end up is 4th overall.a matter of fact, the most any lottery team can fall is 3 spots later. 1st to 4th, 2 to 5th...3rd to 6th etc.
So you can say lets be realistic...but the fact is you either trust PJ as a GM or you don't. You trust his judgement of talent, his system and his decisions or think he's an idiot. But making a decision about what PJ will do at this point, is still unknown. He could be the most over rated arrogant decision maker on a level to rival Dolans incompetence...or he could be a the genius we paid him to be.
But as a fan and an optimist, I'm hoping for the best. I'm hoping he picks a great player in the draft. I am hoping he will use sound financial/talent judgement when signing free agents. to not cripple us for years with avg talent and big contracts. As opposed to letting Dolan push him to spend whatever it takes to get a player Dolan likes.
WE DON'T KNOW THE FUTURE...it can be real bright or real dark...I'm gonna dream about the brightness.

Click to expand...

The Knicks has become a negative question mark (?) for this season, and next season?

What we do know about Knicks .. 11 championship president Phil Jackson has the worst season in NBA history, with his own hand picked coaching-staff, plus having two of the NBA top-10 paid players on his team.
Is the Knicks season a fluke? to get a very low draft pick? was this season plan by president Phil Jackson?
Or is the new Knicks coaching-staff incompetent 5-36 record staff?

How would u describe a 5-36 first-half season team to ..
1) The president NBA league to receive one of the top 3 picks? when TANKING was obvious.
2) The free-agents who want to sign with a winning team?
3) The top draft pick who declares he is injured throughout his rookie season on a loser team?
4) And the FA keepers that cant wait to sign with another team in offseason?

Ole sayin
u can fool some people some of the time
but u cant fool all the people all the time
This is what the James Dolans Knicks been doing for over a decade giving fans big names, rather than wins.
Big names like Isiah Thomas, Lenny Wilkens, Marbury, Larry Brown, Donnie Walsh, Dantoni, Amare, Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler, Jason Kidd, Phil Jackson, Derek Fisher.