How far would you go? Restricted FA

by twincitiesknick on Feb 24, 2009 11:39 PM EST Comment 8 comments

Hi,

Now that Lee and Nate will be likely be here as restricted free agencies, I'm getting nervous that some team like the Bobcats, Thunder, or T-Wolves will make a massive offer on one of these two. Such a move would probably be stupid for them, but such stupidity would be just as bad for the Knicks.

So my question is: how far would you go to keep these? What is the maximum contract that you'd decide to match? What is the minmum contract you'd say "Take him, goodbye and good luck?"

-twincitiesknick

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i agree with harvey

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/02/25/sports/basketball/25araton.html?_r=1&ref=basketball

Anyway, you should check out the movie "Black and White," which actually stars Allan Houston. It’s not a comedy, but rather a really serious and emotional movie. - Wilson Chandler

by ny knickerbocker on Feb 24, 2009 11:49 PM EST reply actions

Great Article

I don’t know about numbers. I’ve never been a math guy. I just like players who care.

Look around guys. We only have two.

"I'll probably go get lifted right now with Greg. Hey, and come back tomorrow and try to get another win."

-Renaldo

by solanumbrella on Feb 25, 2009 12:57 AM EST up reply actions

it all depends on if they can unload Curry

with their current cap situation, it would be lunacy for them to keep both Lee and Nate and take them out of the running for LeBron in 2010. obviously, if they dump Curry’s massive deal, they’ll give themselves a lot more wiggle room to potentially re-sign both and then go after LeBron.

i think Nate can be had for something like $5-6M per and he’s more likely to be re-signed than Lee, especially if the rumors of him wanting $10M+ per season are true. i love Lee as much as the next guy, but there’s no way the Knicks can (or should) pay him that kind of money.

Ewing with the step...YES! and the foul!

by Anthony Masons Haircut on Feb 25, 2009 11:07 AM EST reply actions

i've been saying it

but i’ll say it again.

i want us to keep both players. if it’s my choice, i make generous offers to each. and hope for the best with unloading curry and jeffries. if we can’t unload el gordo y la flaca, it might suck to be knick fans for a while longer. but we will be comptetive again, a top team for years to come, sooner or later.

if nate or lee get offers that are too much to turn down. then, it sucks to see them go. it hurts to see them go. and i will always want them to come back and wish we offered them more money. but it’s better to try and fail than to abandon hope.

i really think this team is only one star player away from being title contenders. they need someone who demands the most attention. we have guys that step up. but no one that we put out on the floor is being focused on, like lebron, or wade, or kobe et al. if teams had to shift focus to the star, our role players are already beasts.

by stingy d on Feb 25, 2009 11:42 AM EST reply actions

True, keeping both would be best

as I believe that they can both be a strong part of one top-flight star’s supporting cast. I hear people saying that we should do everything we can to get two top star’s (Bosh & Wade, etc.), but I am a bird-in-the-hand kind of fan. I think it’s relatively unlikely that we’d get two stars. Or even if it is not out of the realm of possibility, I’d rather get one star (which I think we have a GREAT shot at in 2010, whether Wade, LeBron, Bosh, Johnson, or someone I’m forgetting) and keep a steady team around him than lose Nate and/or Lee to keep cap room and a crappy team for the chance of two stars joining.

But the specifics is where it breaks down. I think Nate is $6-7m/year, and Lee is $9-10, and would be willing to overpay a bit to keep ’em (especially Lee), but if OKC offers Nate $9m/year, do you match?

Keeping both would be best, but I’m trying to envision the blurry line between “Fuck it, let’s just match” and “Bah. I HATE to see you go, but if they’re willing to give that much, then God bless.”

by twincitiesknick on Feb 25, 2009 7:09 PM EST reply actions

i am a firm believer

in not overpaying. the reasonable market value for nate, at this point is 6-8. and lee is between 8-11. in my.

i really believe that if you offer robinson 7 and he goes to the sticks for an extra 2 balls, then he gets what he deserves and so do we. there’s good and bad for both parties. but you have to drive a hard bargain. it’s not like new york treats you poorly if you are successful here. new york fans are electric. and there is plenty of money to be made outside of your nba contract just by being in the spotlight new york offers. so if it is truly all about money the spotlight will show that and we can have a reason to hate these guys.

with that said – lee and robinson both seem dedicated to being knicks. and i think they should take backloaded contracts so that we can make some type of splash in the summer of lebron.

furthermore: chris bosh is weak. he would suck in new york. you can’t be soft and survive in this town.

by stingy d on Feb 26, 2009 12:19 AM EST up reply actions