They won't trade Vince Carter's contract, opting instead to buy him out for $4 million in the coming days.

So Vince Carter will apparently be available as a free agent once the new CBA gets worked out. What does that mean for the Knicks? Should we give him a shot at veteran's minimum?

With the cap situation we're in, it looks like we'll need to sign a lot of players to the veteran's minimum just so we can fill out our bench. Many of you have written that this team needs veteran leadership and the experience that playoff tested vets bring. Players like Michael Redd can be valuable to this Knicks squad if their health, or in Redd's case, their knees hold up. Carter has also been plagued with injuries, but if he focuses (questionable) in the pre-season, stays healthy and adopts the mentality of a 3rd-4th option when on the floor, he could be a valuable pick-up. A good example is Shaq who, even though he was injured for part of the season, still contributed to some wins for the Celtics. Here are some interesting options the Knicks should consider:

Delonte West

Boris Diaw (player option)

Kurt Thomas

Kenyon Martin

Tracy McGrady

Tayshaun Prince

Michael Redd

David West

Even taking a flyer on a guy like Oden (restricted FA) is something the Knicks might have to consider. We simply don't have the capspace to sign sure things and hope to win a championship. That's why I'm for drafting somebody like Selby or Biyombo-they could be huge busts, but they can also take us to the next level on team friendly deals, something that a player like Markieff Morris probably won't.

With 9 players on our roster for next season (Turiaf has a player option I think he'll take), we need to fill out our roster with 6 more players. So taking a flyer on some of these players, provided they take veteran's minimum or something close to it, shouldn't be a risk. I hate trying to plan what the offseason will bring when we don't even know how the CBA will work out, but here's how I'd fill out the remaining 6 roster spots if the new CBA has a mid-level exception.

1.) 17th pick (Brooks, Jimmer, Biyombo)

2.) 2nd round pick (Jenkins, Darius Morris, Tyler)

3.) Tayshaun Prince

This would leave us with the frontcourt set for next season. Out of all the veteran SG available for next season, I'd like Tayshaun Prince simply because of his perimiter defense. The other 3 roster spots, which should be used for backcourt depth could be filled with one mid-level exception and 2 one-year, low money deals.

I've just realized that this post is basically moot before the draft. Once we find out how the Knicks want to approach this offseason and where they want to fill their needs, we could start getting a realistic picture of how the roster will end up. But what do you think about the veteran free agents that will be available this offseason? Who, if any of them, should we draft?