Obviously the 2nd max contract whether it be Johnson or Bosh is better, but I don't think thats the plan.
If the Knicks sign 2 max contracts this offseason, this is what the roster will look like.
Max Contract 1 - 16.5 mil
Max Contract 2 - 16.5 mil
Curry - 11.3 mil
Gallinari - 3.3 mil
Rodriguez - 2.8 mil
Chandler - 2.1 mil
Douglas - 1.0 mil
Total = 53.5 mil
The cap might be a few mil more than this so that would be enough to sign 2 cheap FA + the 2 2nd round picks. Another option would be to not resign Sergio Rodriguez giving us an extra 3 mil to work with. Maybe sign someone like Raymond Felton as the PG. Regardless, it is impossible to have enough money to sign David Lee if you sign a 2nd max FA.
So why is David Lee still on this team? Why couldn't they trade him to any playoff contending team in need of C/PF depth. I'm sure Lee would have accepted a trade to go to a winning team the rest of the season...
I think the only reason they didn't trade Lee, was because obviously they see him in their long term plans. So lets say the Knicks do resign Lee and he gives them a modest discount for the 1st year of the contract ...9.5 mil for 2010/2011...(meaning we essentially traded Jeffries + Hill + 2012 1st round pick in order to resign Lee without raising the payroll)
So the 2010/2011 roster looks like:
1 max contract - 16.5 mil
Curry - 11.3 mil
Lee - 9.5 mil
Gallinari - 3.3 mil
Rodriguez - 2.8 mil
Chandler - 2.1 mil
Douglas - 1.0 mil
Total = 46.5 mil
Not enough to sign a 2nd max FA, but enough to sign maybe 2 decent role players such as Felton + Camby.
I think this is the more likely route they are going to take. The 2nd max FA is not going to happen, because if that was the plan then there would have been much more rumors that Lee would have been shopped this trade deadline.
No, instead of the Knicks trading Jeffries + Hill + 2012 1st round pick for the ability to sign say Joe Johnson or Chris Bosh as the 2nd max FA...they traded Jeffries + Hill + 2012 1st round pick for David Lee + 1 or 2 other role players... That's the way I see it.
If the Knicks sign 2 max contracts this offseason, this is what the roster will look like.
Max Contract 1 - 16.5 mil
Max Contract 2 - 16.5 mil
Curry - 11.3 mil
Gallinari - 3.3 mil
Rodriguez - 2.8 mil
Chandler - 2.1 mil
Douglas - 1.0 mil
Total = 53.5 mil
The cap might be a few mil more than this so that would be enough to sign 2 cheap FA + the 2 2nd round picks. Another option would be to not resign Sergio Rodriguez giving us an extra 3 mil to work with. Maybe sign someone like Raymond Felton as the PG. Regardless, it is impossible to have enough money to sign David Lee if you sign a 2nd max FA.
So why is David Lee still on this team? Why couldn't they trade him to any playoff contending team in need of C/PF depth. I'm sure Lee would have accepted a trade to go to a winning team the rest of the season...
I think the only reason they didn't trade Lee, was because obviously they see him in their long term plans. So lets say the Knicks do resign Lee and he gives them a modest discount for the 1st year of the contract ...9.5 mil for 2010/2011...(meaning we essentially traded Jeffries + Hill + 2012 1st round pick in order to resign Lee without raising the payroll)
So the 2010/2011 roster looks like:
1 max contract - 16.5 mil
Curry - 11.3 mil
Lee - 9.5 mil
Gallinari - 3.3 mil
Rodriguez - 2.8 mil
Chandler - 2.1 mil
Douglas - 1.0 mil
Total = 46.5 mil
Not enough to sign a 2nd max FA, but enough to sign maybe 2 decent role players such as Felton + Camby.
I think this is the more likely route they are going to take. The 2nd max FA is not going to happen, because if that was the plan then there would have been much more rumors that Lee would have been shopped this trade deadline.
No, instead of the Knicks trading Jeffries + Hill + 2012 1st round pick for the ability to sign say Joe Johnson or Chris Bosh as the 2nd max FA...they traded Jeffries + Hill + 2012 1st round pick for David Lee + 1 or 2 other role players... That's the way I see it.
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