Ramona Shelburne
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@ramonashelburne
The Knicks and owner Jim Dolan were not prepared to offer Kevin Durant a full max contract due to concerns over his recovery from the Achilles injury, league sources tell me and @wojespn. Knicks officials are in Los Angeles tonight, meeting with free agents such as Julius Randle.
A true post from 1 NYK fan:
Couldn't have said it better than LP did in the last thread:
"For most of my Knicks fan life, we were trading for guys or signing guys who were coming off massive injuries and hoping they’d return to form – McDyess, DRose, Noah, Amar’e, Curry, Larry Johnson, etc
Now, we’re getting killed for not signing guys who are coming off massive injuries in Porzingis and Durant (not to mention Kyrie with his knees)… and frankly, I’m fine with it.
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Even as this is “same old Knicks” it still somehow feels different this time b/c we’re being rescued from repeating mistakes we’ve made in the past.
So, as we endure another low point in being a NYK fan... there’s still hope things are moving in the right direction.
Randle and Bullock won’t make us forget that today another fail in a long list of failure.... still, they probably make us better than Nets next season and that’s a good start.
Good business decision by the Knicks if they didn’t offer him a max deal. I wonder if the reports that the Warriors offered him a super max contract were true, hard to believe they would offer him a super max contract and he would turn that down along with the intangibles they had with a winning team, superstar teammates, excellent mgt.Plain and simple. Knicks didn’t offer Durant a max deal. Clippers and GS did offer the maximum they could offer. It’s funny the media bias being all about the Nets beating us when we’re the one team that took ourselves out of the running.
A lot of people bashed JaVale McGee for wanting Shaq to stop with the Shaqtin'-A-Fool stuff involving him so much, but stuff like that really COULD effect the people who run organizations psychologically, and JaVale's situation was worse than the Knicks. I think the Knicks can turn the perception around quick, and I like their direction so far.Reporting is trash and isn’t close to accurate. Also, Silver can’t enjoy how everybody trashes NY every chance they get. Perhaps creating the narrative is hurting the franchise, and the owner doesn’t do anything to prevent it bc it’s payback for owners insane BS media policy.
He put in an awful lot of work in the weight room transforming his body which may be a testament to his work ethic. Always a little leery about any player coming off his contract year, he’s going to get more opportunity here than he got with the Lakers or Pels to prove what he can do and that those numbers he posted last year were not because he was playing for a contract.The Knicks had hopes of landing a big fish in free agency with two of their max slots, but instead they will be paying up for Randle. The former Pelicans big man should be surrounded by subpar scorers and ball-handlers, so he'll get every opportunity to put up monster numbers. Randle showed he can thrive in a featured role after the break last season, averaging 24.6 points, 7.6 boards, 3.5 dimes, 0.9 steals and 1.4 treys. He may put up similar numbers with the Knicks next season.
So after the Randle signing could the Knicks still sign two max free agents (Kawhi and Butler)?
One or the other but not both. Kawhi is a pipe dream, come on leave a WC Raptors team for the Knicks or a chance to play with Lebron and AD for the Knicks. I think the Lakers became the favorite to sign him over the Clips after obtaining AD and opening cap space to sign him. Raps still have the advantage but him holding his meetings in LA and not Toronto says he’s more connected to S. Cal, there was also that report that he shot down that he purchased a home up there.So after the Randle signing could the Knicks still sign two max free agents (Kawhi and Butler)?
Now that Butler is going to Miami, they won't be teaming up anyway, unless Kawhi wants to go to Miami if that somehow could be done.One or the other but not both. Kawhi is a pipe dream, come on leave a WC Raptors team for the Knicks or a chance to play with Lebron and AD for the Knicks. I think the Lakers became the favorite to sign him over the Clips after obtaining AD and opening cap space to sign him. Raps still have the advantage but him holding his meetings in LA and not Toronto says he’s more connected to S. Cal, there was also that report that he shot down that he purchased a home up there.
I think Houston may be involved as a third team to redirect JB there and Capela and Gordon to MIA.Butler going to MIA in a S&T with Philly.
Taj Gibson makes no sense. I would have rather tried to get Boogie for twice the money to try to make a playoff run.Taj Gibson signs with Knicks (2/20).
Heat send Josh Richardson to Philly.
Taj Gibson makes no sense. I would have rather tried to get Boogie for twice the money to try to make a playoff run.