BlogsFree Agent Update
by Seth
on Jul 3, 2009 9:31 AM EDT
in News
15 comments
It's been an eventful two days, but nothing has actually come to fruition in New York. Something eventually will, though. Here's what they're saying about some of the important names:
As was mentioned in the Fanposts, the hilarious Zach Randolph-for-Quentin Richardson deal likely takes the Grizzlies out of the running for Lee (if not shaking the earth to its core). With Detroit committed to Gordon and Villanueva and Portland closing in on Turkoglu, Walsh's odds of retaining Lee at yearly single digits are improving. Toronto is reported to be readying an offer for Lee, and OKC is supposed to come knocking as well. That Mark Bartlestein chap is sounding desperate, though, and I have a good feeling about this one.
I spare no good feelings for this one. While the Mavs are offering a robust 3 years, $25 million, the Knicks are promising Kidd $18 million for the same duration of time. Our hopes of "well maybe it'll just be one year" are behind us. I've got a longer post about this in me, but this absolutely inexplicable. I'm going to very, very sad if the Knicks sign Jason Kidd.
Caveat: If Walsh manages to shed the contracts of Curry and/or Jeffries in the process, that'll make a Kidd signing hurt a little less. Just a little.
Alan Hahn's been updating his Twitter shotgun-style as I write this, and his word on Nate is the following:
Knicks will also wait patiently, see what kind of offers Lee gets and then react accordingly. Same goes for Nate Robinson, tho I think the chase for Kidd and drafting Toney Douglas makes N8theGr8 a valuable trade asset.
In an article with the most predictable NY Post headline I've ever seen, Marc Berman claims that summer league sign-up Morris Almond needs only to hold his own in Vegas to make the team. This is excellent news. Investing small amounts stock in promising, young enterprises is how you succeed in the long-term.
Neither of these guys are really free agents (McGrady's got one year left on his lucrative deal and Nash is waiting on a team option), but both have been tied to the Knicks. Nash would likely come via trade, which isn't wonderful. Just like Kidd, Nash is an aged point guard with only a few more years to give. If the Knicks could land him for a couple expiring contracts though, I'd be in favor of Nash over Kidd every single day of the week.
Meanwhile, I bring up McGrady because of this bit in Hahn's recent bout of Twitterrhea:
And finally, as I said last night..HOU/T-Mac situation is smoldering. Source tells me it may not take ECurry, perhaps cheaper than that......but it is believed HOU may hit pause a moment after Artest is gone and Yao is out. Need someone. TAriza isn't a go-to option.
What do you mean "it may not take ECurry"? Shouldn't Walsh stay away from this deal unless the Rockets are willing to take Curry in return?
Again, why??
(Sigh.) I didn't expect to be worried about this stuff. I really thought retaining Lee was going to be my biggest concern. Turns out the imminent possibility of Donnie Walsh reuniting the 2001 All-Star team is what's losing me sleep. Seriously, click that link. They're all there. If you start hearing Glenn Robinson-to-NY rumors, just don't tell me.
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Background Check: Perspectives on Hill and Douglas
by Seth
on Jul 2, 2009 12:33 PM EDT
in Draft Things
8 comments
I think it's in our best interest to take a breather from the impending doom of the Jason Kidd scenario and take stock of the solid, YOUNG talent the Knicks already have. After the draft, I got in touch with representatives from two of SBN's finest blogs: Florida State's Tomahawk Nation and Arizona's AZ Desert Swarm. I sent each a few questions to give us at P&T a better sense of what to expect from Donnie Walsh's draft selections.
Check 'em out after the jump...
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If anything, today was a dry run for next summer, when it'll count. But the Knicks rolled out the Madison Square Garden red carpet for Jason Kidd, who was shown the amazing exhibit for the Garden renovation, presented a Knicks jersey with No. 5 and his name on the back and, of course, the Garden court, GardenVision with videos and his name echoing throughout the World's Most Famous.
Alan Hahn.
G2G vomit.
2 days ago
Seth
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The Dallas point guard and his agent met Wednesday with Knicks president Donnie Walsh and coach Mike D’Antoni at Madison Square Garden. The Knicks are interested in Kidd, but plan to be cautious in free agency because they want to save salary cap space for the summer of 2010.
Walsh told reporters that no contract offer was made to Kidd, who is exploring his options. The Mavericks also are interested in keeping Kidd, who was a member of the U.S. team that won a gold medal at the Beijing Olympics.
The Knicks also have said they’d like to retain two of their own free agents, forward David Lee and guard Nate Robinson, if the prices are right.
2 days ago
Seth
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Knicks summer leage roster announced...among the names we knew (inc. Ewing Jr) is Alex Acker and Morris Almond. Interesting.
2 days ago
Seth
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Lee, Robinson, and Wilcox Hit the Market
by Seth
on Jul 1, 2009 11:03 AM EDT
in News
9 comments
Free agency begins today, and Donnie Walsh has his work cut out for him. He's making offers to freebies from around the league, all while trying to retain some of his own. Here's what the beat men are saying on each of the players in question:
- The word on Chris Wilcox, via the Post:
The Knicks other free agent, Chris Wilcox, won't be re-signed.
Well, that was easy.
- The number varies depending on where you look, but it sounds as if the opening offer for David Lee was for 4 years, at about $8 million a year. Isola's calling it 4 years, $32 million. Walsh has to see what sort of interest Lee's getting from OKC or Memphis or wherever before starts adding digits to the offer.
- There isn't as much info out there about Nate Robinson, but if the rumor is true that Nate would consider accepting the Knicks' one-year qualifying offer, then he deserves a standing ovation.
- Marc Stein says otherwise, but I would think that the Darko Milicic acquisition makes Marcin Gortat a lot less interesting to Donnie Walsh. Actually, I kind of think I prefer Darko to Gortat, even ignoring finances. Maybe that's just me.
- HoopsWorld wonders if something's afoot in Jason Kidd's negotiations with Donnie Walsh:
In every negotiation you need to have a real threat of loss to get real value, and for Jason Kidd his afternoon's flirt with the New York Knicks may come down to just that, enough of a flirt to get Mark Cuban on a plane yesterday to stand at Jason's door step at 12:01am and sing sweet songs of major contract dollars. Kidd is expected to meet with the Knicks today and will likely field other offers before making a final decision. Mark Cuban has made it clear if it comes down to money he'd pay Kidd his asking price, so we'll see if Kidd's flirtations have more to do with picking a better prospect.
God, I hope so.
- And in our last bit of free agent news, Marc Berman got bored and sought out his sure thing. Via Mr. Joey, Berman hits up Stephon Marbury for a few choice quips.
That's what I've got for the moment. I'll have my eye on The Fix and TKB all week for updates on the free agent front.
Updates:
-Hahn: Knicks are serious about Kidd, Lee is in Indonesia
- Wojnarowski: Memphis ready to spend quite a bit on Lee.
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Free Agency Begins...
by Seth
on Jul 1, 2009 12:00 AM EDT
in Miscellaneous
8 comments
NOW. Somewhere in the world, Donnie Walsh is on the phone.
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Updates From Summer League, D-League
by Seth
on Jun 30, 2009 7:56 PM EDT
in News
6 comments
We gots a couple of news items today from the various developmental leagues to which the Knicks are tied. The first, via Alan Hahn, is news that we'll get at least one familiar face in Vegas this summer.
The Knicks have yet to finalize the roster for the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas, but one name that we did hear to be among the players expected to be there is Patrick Ewing, Jr.
The 6-6 forward was the final cut by the Knicks at the end of training camp and spent the season with Reno of the D-League. He injured his knee in March and did not finish the season. The hope is he will be ready to play in time for the first game, which is July 14 against Hasheem Thabeet and the Grizzlies.
Pat Jr.'s a riveting athlete and a hilarious guy, so it'll be great to have him back in Vegas, and hopefully at training camp. Word has it he beasted on kids in Reno, so look out for an improved (if slightly gimpy) Ewing. Speaking of his stint in Reno, it's come to my attention that the Bighorns are no longer the Knicks' D-League affiliate. It's mentioned in the previous article, and fleshed out in this post at the majestic Ridiculous Upside. It'll be the Springfield Armor from now on, which means some Knicks-to-be will don this logo:
RU commenters compare it to Moltar or one of the Knights Who Say "Ni". I see the Iron Giant with shades of Buckethead. Anyway, no word on whether Knick D-Leaguers will have to wear a helmet, chestplate, and S&M gloves on the court. Also, a question: Do they play with the composite ball in the D-League, or is that logo even sillier than it looks?
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