Yes! and the Foul

Praying that the 2010 plan pays off

Archive for category Trade Thoughts

Is there a backup plan?

Feb 19

Posted by YesandtheFoul in Knicks Banter, Trade Thoughts | 3 Comments

Despite the impressive, necessary, risky and costly steps taken by Donnie to clear enough cap space this summer for 2 max guys, I’m still not one for thinking that Lebron is coming to New York.  Still don’t think Wade is coming.  Bosh, maybe.  Joe Johnson, maybe.

Are Bosh and Johnson max players?  I don’t think so.  Maybe they are 4/5th’s of a max contract, but not totally maxed out guys.  It’s taken a heck of a surrounding cast to get either Bosh or Johnson to really shine this season, and the Knicks being maxed out would make surrounding them with a solid cast next to impossible.

Will all 4 of these guys get max money?  Probably.  There are a lot of teams that cleared a lot of cap room, and after these 4 guys there aren’t too many good players to spend the money on.  This might be the last time for a team to splurge before the lockout happens.

Is it a disaster if the Knicks don’t sign one of these 4 dudes?  My initial feeling was yes, but the more I think about it, I’m inclined to say no because there is some incredible flexibility to be had with $32 mil to spend.  Next year we’ll have Gallinari, Chandler, Douglas as potential core players returning.   To be optimistic for once, lets say Spanish Chocolate fits in really well, and lets say McGrady shines.   We can pay Chocolate $3 mil, and McGrady $7 mil.   Clearly we need a center.  Looking over this list, maybe Jermaine O’Neal or Camby at $5 mil per is reasonable.  Also, while I’ve soured on Lee big time, we could bring him back at $9 mil per.  That’s $24 mil spent on 4 solid players that actually fit the roster.  Why not pick up Manu Ginobili for $6 mil, too?

Our roster could look like this next year: Gallo, Chandler, Lee, Douglas, McGrady, Sergio, JO, Gino.  Pretty solid.  But, maybe not what Walsh or Knicks fans have in mind.

Tags: ,

All in?

Feb 16

Posted by YesandtheFoul in Knicks Banter, Rumors, Trade Thoughts | No Comments

All sorts of talk about Tracy McGrady to the Knicks.  Rumor has the potential deal as some combination of Harrington or Hughes (ie, one of their expiring contracts), Jared Jeffries and his nearly $7 mil next year, Jordan Hill (as consolation for taking Jeffries), AND possibly swapping 2011 picks, giving up 2012 first rounder and 2011 second rounder for a McGrady tryout and possibly Joey Dorsey and Brian Cook.  SNYny (which has done a great job staying on top of all the Knicks rumors) even claims that it’s Donnie trying to get a Rockets 2010 pick in return that is holding up the deal.  Not sure how much sense that makes since any draft pick we obtain eats into this summer’s precious cap space, but I’d have to imagine that it’s the trading of picks in some form that’s holding up the deal.

Clearly, this would be a steep price to pay for McGrady, but this deal is NOT for McGrady, it’s to clear the last remaining cap space needed for the Knicks to obtain two max free agents this summer.  Yes, the price is steep because Donnie is backed into a corner (having made his 2010 free agency plans obvious — how could he have hidden them), but clearing JJ is an absolute must.  No one was taking that Jeffries contract back without a sweetener and Hill is the best non-impact sweetener we have.  Would you rather we include Gallo or Chandler?  Heck no.

The inclusion of draft picks is where a lot of us start to get squeamish and for good reason.  If Donnie comes up empty with the free agent class this summer, this franchise would appear to be toast with no picks to look forward to and no apparent fall back plan.  But, as long as Donnie has the foresight to add lottery protection to any traded picks — an absolute must — then I’m behind the deal.  That way, if we crash and burn we’ll still have those lottery protected picks to save us.  And, remember, in all likelihood we can always just buy some late first round picks in the future (as we bought the Lakers pick which resulted in Toney Douglas).

What do we expect to get out of McGrady though?  Reports have it that this would essential amount to a 30 game try out.  I think there is some truth to that.  It seems more like a risky, if all else fails this summer fall back plan.   I seriously doubt we re-sign McGrady this summer if we can sign Lebron or Joe Johnson or Dwayne Wade, unless it’s on the very cheap.  How cheap will depend on how well he plays out the season, and if there is any market for a fragile, yet talented headcase this summer.

As for McGrady’s impact this season, I’m a bit confused.  We have Gallo and Chandler.  Maybe one of them plays some more 4?  Maybe Gallo gets a little rest since he’s hit a bit of a rookie wall.  Also, with Jeffries being gone, it seems that Jonathan Bender will be back in the mix, and you have to assume that signing Bender was always about creating a backup plan for Jeffries’ eventual departure.  But JJ’s D will sorely be missed, to the point that it will offset any offense McGrady brings to the team.

And, the team’s most pressing need for almost two seasons STILL hasn’t been addressed — we need better PG play!  Can Donnie make something happen for DJ Augustin or Luke Ridnour?  Could Donnie have trumped the Outlaw/Blake for Camby trade being talked about today, with an offer of “all-star” David Lee?  Will Donnie pull the trigger on a Nate Robinson deal, maybe to the Celtics?  With Donnie’s ability to hide his trade intentions from the media, you have to think there is one last move up his sleeve?

Update: This is the best article I’ve seen explaining the cap situation this summer for the Knicks.
http://www.hoopdata.com/recent.aspx?aid=155

Tags: , , ,

Sell!!!

Feb 1

Posted by YesandtheFoul in Hypotheticals, Knicks Banter, Trade Thoughts | 3 Comments

I’m looking ot start the week off in a good mood, so there’s no use in reviewing a dreadful Knicks weekend other than to say that this team looks lifeless, tired, out of sync, and generally inept.  Gallo is hitting the wall and trying to do a little too much.  Chandler and Lee are doing what they can, but just aren’t good enough to carry the team.  With my least favorite Knick, Al Harrington, injured, we’re getting absolutely nothing offensively off the bench.

If Walsh and D’Antoni were holding on to any illusion about making the playoffs this season, surely it must’ve been shattered this weekend.  And, really, this could be a best case scenerio for the future of the franchise.  Whereas last year there was still some optimism and hope at the playoff deadline, and that hope probably stopped Donnie from pulling the trigger on any cap clearing Nate or Lee deal, this year we can more easily call a spade a spade.

With all hope lost, it’s time to blow this up completely.  It’s time to trade Jared Jeffries.  It’s time to see if Nate and Lee will accept being dealt.  It’s time to trade Chandler if we need to include him in a deal.  I’ll even give up Hill or Douglas.  It’s time to trade anyone but Gallo to open up another 6 mil this summer.   This season is over.

Hypotheticals I’m in favor of:

Trade idea #1:

Tracy McGrady
FOR
Jordan Hill + Cuttino Mobley + Jeffries

Everyone is talking about McGrady to the Knicks.  I do this in a heart beat, not because McGrady will save this season but because it saves the Knicks over 9 mil this summer.  Houston gets a productive prospect out of the deal in Jordan Hill, a versatile team defender in Jeffries, and potential insurance savings from Mobley.

Trade idea #2:

Mike Miller (last year of $10 mil contract)
FOR
Jordan Hill + Jeffries + Toney Douglas

Washington is going to blow their team up, and will probably find a way to shed/save money in dealing Jamison and Butler.  In this deal Washington doesn’t save money, but it does get them 2 young players for rebuilding.  For the Knicks, it saves them over $10 mil in 2010 contracts, despite having to give up a lot of youth.

And my favorite. Trade idea #3:

Josh Howard (last year at $10, having a bad year) + Beaubois (rookie contract, $1.1 mil.  athletic pg prospect)
FOR
Chandler ($1.2) + Nate ($4) + Jeffries ($6.5, 2 yrs).

The Knicks get their 2010 cap room, and an exciting PG prospect.  Dallas trades little used rookie PG to get 3 players that can help them win it all this year.  They get some needed backup scoring at the guard position.  They get a super versatile, team-oriented wingman in Chandler who can play on both ends of the court.  And they get a D specialist in Jeffries, who they can sick on anyone giving them trouble.

Other cap saving ideas???

Tags: , ,

Crazy trade idea!

Jan 13

Posted by YesandtheFoul in Hypotheticals, Trade Thoughts | 2 Comments

This is crazy, but would you do…

Gilbert Arenas and Washington’s #1 pick for Jared Jeffries, Eddy Curry, and Jordan Hill?

Should I allow myself to get excited about DJ Augustin?

Dec 15

Posted by YesandtheFoul in Rumors, Trade Thoughts | No Comments

It’s trickling out. I threw out the idea of a Chandler for Augustin deal when Iverson was a free agent, hoping that impetuous Larry Brown would be sick of DJ since he gets sick of all of his players and always sees the grass greener on the other side.  Now it might really be happening as reported by the News.  Here is the juiciest part of the article:

Charlotte’s D.J. Augustin is currently struggling with Brown’s Play The Right Way edict, which could be a good thing for the Knicks. Augustin remains a player of interest for the Knicks, who, according to a team source, had extensive talks last season with the Bobcats regarding a deal for the second-year guard out of Texas.

I haven’t gotten to see DJ play lately.  On paper he’s a perfect PG for D’Antoni.  I’d love it if the Knicks could find a way to get him, though I wouldn’t want to part with Duhon finally clicking and playing in stride.

Unfortunately, I think this rumor is simply Isola looking for something to write about relating to the Knicks playing Charlotte tonight.

Tags: ,