Good afternoon, basketball fans. We've got some Knicks and SBN news to get to, so let's forge ahead.

- First off, I'd like to formally welcome two new blogs to the SBNBA community. Fear The Sword is our sweet new blog for the Cleveland Cavaliers, while Peninsula Is Mightier will be covering the Miami Heat from here forward. We're sure to be in touch with those Eastern Conference rivals throughout the season, so get familiar.

- Via HoopsWorld, some reasons why the Z-Bo deal is being held up.

Memphis seems interested in the deal, but is pushing hard for a future first round draft pick. The Knicks have made it clear that the only way they'd send out a future first, is if they got a promising young player in return. The Grizz reportedly put Javaris Crittenton on the table; the Knicks seem luke warm on JCritt. It's been suggested by sources close to the Knicks talks, that the Knicks would send a protected future first if it returned Hakim Warrick or Kyle Lowry. The Grizzlies seem less than interested in that combination.

Now this deal is growing a little, isn't it? I say we push for Mayo in return. Seriously, though, the inclusion of a first-round pick is a little scary, desperate as a I am to dump Randolph. I suppose it depends just how protected the pick was and exactly who we'd get in return. Crittenton and Lowry are nice pieces, and would've been targets a few months ago, but would now be surplus guardness amongst the likes of Duhon, Robinson, Roberson, Marbury, and Collins. Warrick seems like a good fit for the D'Antoni offense, but who knows where he'd fit either in the Knicks frontcourt. I say we keep it simple, but if the deal does grow, the name mentioned aren't too shabby. (Tip of the hat to Alan Hahn.

- Knickerblogger breaks down the deal as only he could do. Possible consequences and further steps are discussed, as well as alternatives to the pre-existing packages.

- Speaking of shabby, this man needs to go away permanently. I would assume that Houston has no actual shot of making the team, but if we finish the summer by dumping Renaldo Balkman and handing a paycheck to Allan Houston, I'm gonna fart a plum.

- For those of you as befuddled as I am with the previous bit of news, some insight from Barnesgasm. Turns out H20 ain't the only unwelcome Knick making his not-so-triumphant return.

- Meanwhile, Jamal Crawford is back to work at Crawful to Crawesome. In a post entitled, "I Hear You", he responds to comments and dishes on Eddy Curry:

People are really down on Eddy, but the Eddy they saw last season isn't really Eddy. Yea, last year was a down year for him and he would be the first to tell you that...he puts more pressure on himself then anyone else could. I know he cares because after a lot of losses we would say, "If we could just get a couple of wins in a row..." It really bothered him... Our fans are hard on him because you guys see what he can be, how dominant at times he is, and when you guys don't see that all the time you wanna strangle him! LOL

People forget two seasons ago he averaged 19 pts. and 7 rebounds and some people were saying he should've been an all star....But I guess in this game you're only as good as your last shot, game, last season.....

Strangling Eddy Curry is no laughing matter. That's a big neck, you know. Anyway, it's good to see that Jamal's got some understanding of our perspective on things, even if he casually drops middle school AIM abbreviations.

That's it for the moment, niños. TTYL!!

I'm baaaack. Hope everyone had a nice couple of days while I was on a mini-vacation. While I was gone, the Knicks made a little bit of news. Let's get to it.

- As my SBN comrade Ben Q. Rock was nice enough to post, the Knicks added executive John Gabriel to their front office staff. Gabriel is a former exec of the year who rebuilt the Magic in the post Shaq 'n' Penny years. He's also been behind the scenes in Portland for a couple of years. From the Times article, here's what to expect from Gabriel:

Donnie Walsh, the team president, appointed Gabriel as the director of pro scouting and free agency, a newly created position. Gabriel’s primary duty will be evaluating current N.B.A. players, with an eye toward future trades and free-agent signings.

Sounds like we can expect Gabriel to be out of the picture most of the time. He'll probably be doing a lot of snooping and traveling, acting as a sort of right hand man for Walsh. Also added to the staff was Misho Ostarcevic, who will be Director of Player Personnel, whatever the hell that means. Here's what the two new guys look like, for future reference. As usual, when Google Images fails to produce a certain result, I use my own resources.

Gabriel, Ostarcevic

- The Knicks preseason schedule is set, and all seven games will be against Atlantic Divison opponents. The preseason kicks off in Toronto and includes three stops to the Garden.

- Danilo Gallinari has withdrawn from the Italian national team. The Italians didn't qualify for this year's Olympics, and begin the qualification process this week. Apparently, Danilo's back is still bothering him a bit, although word has it he'll be ready to go in time for training camp in Saratoga. He better be. I had a whole sledding excursion planned out for the two of us.

- I knew that Eddy Curry was a gymnast as a child, but I did not know that he can still do a blackflip. (Not a video. Don't get too excited.)

- Head over to Son of Dippin for updates on Renaldo Balkman's journey to Denver, as well as some shit about Mongolia.

- Qyntel Woods is up next in the Scrubdown, and ny knickerbocker's got the duty of memorializing the Knick great. I'm a little excited.

That's it for the moment. Backatcha later.

Greetings, comrades. It's a lovely Sunday morning and we've got a few links worth mentioning today.

- Ken Berger is of the opinion that James Dolan's open house for Knick investors doesn't mean he's going to be out of the picture anytime soon.

Dolan's gesture to investors - allowing them to voice concerns during a "listening tour" last week - seems to have been little more than a head fake. People knowledgeable about MSG in particular, and the sale of sports franchises in general, tell Newsday that it's premature to run out onto Seventh Avenue traffic and celebrate Dolan's departure from the Garden of Ills.

"I would say the most likely buyer is probably some group headed by Jim Dolan, personally, because Jim seems to get a lot of pleasure out of those particular assets," an expert in the field of sports and media transactions told Newsday.

Me, I'm a dreamer. What if Dolan's surrender of the media policy was the first step towards leaving the team completely? Dolan stewing on the baseline with his head in his hands has never struck me as "pleasure", and I wouldn't be surprised if he's ready to get his name out of the mix and avoid the headache. Then again, I'm no expert in the field of sports and media transactions.

- Barnesgasm catches up with Renaldo Balkman on his way to Denver. Let's just say you won't see him in a Nuggets jersey for a few months.

- The deal is finalized. The Knicks are coming to my school for training camp in the first week of October. Brace yourselves.

- I love him, but I don't see Ben Gordon working as a Knick. Especially not while Jamal Crawford's in town.

- A couple days old, but Knickerblogger found some video from Donnie Walsh's town hall meeting with season ticket holders.

- Countless P&T citizens over the years have pestered me with emails asking if I had any evidence of John Starks eating out of a gigantic bowl made of lettuce. Well, friends, ask and ye shall receive.

That's all for now, pipsqueaks. Enjoy the rest of your weekends. Coming soon, the next installment of the Scrubdown, featuring Arichmix and Chris Dudley.

Over at Hoops Addict, P&T friend Ryan McNeill is running the first-ever Floor Burn Tournament. It's a field of the NBA's bench warriors, glue guys, and hustlers. My initial submission for the Knicks was Renaldo Balkman- a guy who committed to defense, never gave less than his all, and did so with an entire Komondor on his head. That's not easy, folks. But Balkman has since be traded, so I was forced to go with Plan B. That couldn't be anybody other than P&T favorite David Lee. On a roster lacking the necessary energy and determination, Lee's game of glass-pounding putbacks and thunderous dunks is the closest we come to maximum effort. Sure, he doesn't play any defense, but we are talking about the Knicks, after all. Anyway, he's already got a big lead over 3QC's submission, Jameer Nelson, but every vote counts. So head over, vote for your favorites, and when you get there, tell Ryan "the eagle is in the nest" for me. He'll know what it means.

Note: Wanna know who my least favorite professional basketball player is? This guy. Renaldo Major. He's the guy who played a little for the Warriors in '06-'07 and is still in the SB Nation database of taggable players, meaning every time I type in "Renaldo", both he and the one I'm actually looking for come up. I guess I don't have to worry about that anymore since the real Renaldo's gone west now. I guess I'll have to actually tag the fake Renaldo in this post, too.

Happy hump day, babies. I've got some delightful links for you this morning. Enjoy.

- Steve Mills got demoted in favor of some guy named Scott O'Neil. Since Walsh ostensibly reports directly to James Dolan, none of this should matter on a basketball court. In the court of law, though, O'Neil's experience and unselfish play brings a whole new look to the MSG lineup.

- Tommy Dee thinks the Balkman deal was a step in the right direction. I just think we're short on fun hairstyles now. Mardy Collins should get himself an afro hat.

- An extensive, somewhat schizophrenic opus on the current state of the Knicks from an excellent new sports blog in three parts.

- For those of you still worried (or still hopeful, I suppose), it sounds like Artest isn't our guy. When's the last time two stars were exchanged in a fair deal?

- It's that time of year, my friends: the rookie photo shoot! Watch as your favorite up-and-coming players pantomime basketball action and generally look like douchebags! My favorite part is the variety between photos. I want to meet the person who decided that O.J. Mayo should straddle the ball like it's a flying mechanical bull, but Ryan Anderson? No, he should hold it by his side and take on the persona of a solemn, wistful orphan. Meanwhile, Donte Greene gets the classic Burt Reynolds treatment. What gives? Maybe I missed it, but I don't see Danilo Gallinari anywhere, and I don't know why. They could use his experience. Let's just say he's done this before. Could be that he's in Italy with the Olympic team.

- Knicks positional battles this offseason: point guard, small forward, and 17th Knicks City Dancer. Cece has my vote, but I'm in the minority.

- I was just about to wrap up this post, but then I found this bit of news. Our very own Randolph Morris is taking his talents to Atlanta. Dolph, a free agent, is said to be signing a two-year deal with the Hawks. I don't know if he warrants a whole farewell post, but I wish the best of luck to a guy who never got his due in New York. Let us not forget Dolph's notorious late night ride in Kentucky, nor the ill-fated "Let Dolph Spin!" campaign.This week has been a hard one for pot dealers in midtown Manhattan.

That's it for this morning, folks. Remember to say please and thank you. Get big dogs.*

*Myself and a couple of my friends have decided that "get big dogs" ought to be the new cool phrase for bros like ourselves to say to one another. Make it stick.

(Getty Images/NBAE/Nick Laham)

On June 28, 2006, with the 20th pick in the NBA Draft, the New York Knicks selected Renaldo Balkman out of the University of South Carolina. I, like many of you, responded by screaming "THAT'S NOT MARCUS WILLIAMS!11" and crushing a can on my head. Let's just say things have gone uphill from there.

Summer 2006- Balkman participates in the Vegas Summer League with the Knicks. We are taken aback with his energy on the court, his ability to both lead the break and finish at the hole, and the fact that he does this all while appearing to be asleep. Renaldo's dreadlocks cushion his head from hard falls on more than one occasion.

November 12, 2006- I dub Renaldo "Humpty". Nobody particularly notices or cares.

November 29, 2006- Humpty makes himself known to none other than LeBron James.

2006-2007- Humpty finishes the year averaging just under 4.9 points and 4.3 rebounds in 15.6 minutes a game. His bizarre mannerisms, whimsical play, and propensity to dance at odd times average about 8.3 laughs in 15.6 minutes a game.

Mid-2006- I realize that someone beat me to nicknaming Balkman...and it was Popeye Jones. I vow from that day forward that Popeye Jones will never best me in any arena ever again.

March 30, 2007- The first night of many that Devin Harris awoke from his slumber in a cold sweat, convinced that vicious, dreadlocked falcons were assaulting him from above

April 8, 2007- I defeat and eventually kill Popeye Jones in a 4 hour-long game of "Uno".

July 16, 2007- Liftedgate. P&T citizens mishear one line in this video and go absolutely apeshit. Turns out, instead of going to "get lifted" with balding summer league sharpshooter Brian "Greene", he was going to "get lifting" with balding Knicks strength and conditioning coach "Greg" Brittenham. P&T citizens everywhere are dejected.

October 2007- Renaldo shows up at training camp with "Hustle Harder" tattooed on his legs.

January 30, 2008- Renaldo gets suspended for this completely flagrant and 100% necessary hit on Sasha Vujacic.

June 20, 2008- I post this video on Posting and Toasting, along with this ill-fated headline.

July 28, 2008- Balkman is traded to Denver, a place where playing time may be more available and getting lifted is a bit more legal.

What a long, strange trip it's been with Humpty. Here's to a man with the best hair in the league, whose primal screams after dunks could awake the dead, who launched ill-fated three-pointers whenever he felt like it, who insisted on leading the break, who had a friend who was friends with Barnesgasm, who used words that don't mean nothin', like looptid, and who always, always hustled harder. You'll always be a Posting and Toasting legend, Mr. Balkman. Best of luck in Denver.

If you have any stories and sentiments that you'd like to share, please do so respectfully in the comments.

Peace and Humptyness forever.

Update: The deal is done. Balkman for Jones, Green, and a second round draft pick in 2010. Both players are expected to be cut. Just ignore the speculative parts of the post below. Farewell post for a P&T favorite coming later tonight or tomorrow morning. Prepare your eulogies.

Time to paint this over, eh?

You know it's summertime when you start racking up the post titles ending in question marks. Today's rumor comes from Ken Berger at Newsday, who's got reason to believe that the Knicks have a different way of cutting payroll and roster spots than we previously expected.

The Knicks and Nuggets are discussing a trade that would send 2006 first-round pick Renaldo Balkman to Denver for point guard Taurean Green and small forward Bobby Jones, an NBA front-office source told Newsday last night.

...

The deal was proposed late last week and is being discussed internally by both clubs, the front-office official familiar with the situation said. If the two-for-one deal goes through, it would leave the Knicks with 17 players under contract, although Green and Jones - who have non-guaranteed contracts - expect to be waived. It would get the Knicks back to the 15-player roster limit and save them Balkman's $1.32 million against the salary cap.

First of all, I would hate to see Balkman go. He's obviously one of my favorite Knicks for several obvious reasons. Humpty's also been nothing short of a hard worker and a great teammate since he's been here. That said, I understand that Coach D'Antoni favors forwards who bring something to the table offensively, particularly from distance. For his career, Balkman is under 20% from three and under 50% from the line, which gives you a little sense of why he might be out the door. Also, with Gallinari, Richardson, and Chandler on the roster, Renaldo just might not have what it takes to earn minutes at the 3 spot.

If this deal were to go down, I'd hope we'd at least give Bobby Jones a shot at training camp. He's a defensive stopper in the ilk of Balkman, but may bring a little more to the table offensively and thereby make a career for himself in D'Antoni's system. Then again, the Knicks may already have plans like those for Wilson Chandler. If both Jones and Green were cut, that would cut the roster back down to 15, meaning there'd be room for a couple of the undesirables we'd been discussing, including Collins, Big Snacks...and Marbury. Interesting.

Anyway, as heartbroken as I would be to see Humpty go, this deal could make some fiscal sense, particularly if D'Antoni doesn't see Balkman as having a role in the new scheme. Renaldo might find Denver a better fit as well, if you know what I'm saying. More on this as a it emerges.

In their third game of the Vegas Summer League, the SummerKnicks will face the Phoenix SummerSuns. Mike D'Antoni will get to watch some of his old players (D.J. Strawberry, Alando Tucker) and some of the guys he's missing out on this year (um...Robin Lopez?). Meanwhile, the Knicks should once again be without Danilo Gallinari, and probably won't have Renaldo Balkman, who sprained his ankle in the last game. I guess it's another opportunity to get a hold on Wilson Chandler's growing game, as well as how Anthony Roberson might fit in New York. Regarding the latter, D'Antoni sees Roberson as an Eddie House type in his fast-paced offense, so I guess we should watch for those sorts of qualities here in the Summer League. Be on the lookout for signs of instant offense, accurate three-point shooting, and finely manicured facial hair from Roberson.

The game is, once again, at 4 p.m. EST on MSG. Arichmix has the recap for today. I'll do my part and cover the two over the weekend. Get them SummerW's.

Although Renaldo Balkman is nowhere to be seen in this video, it appears that this orange and blue 1983 Caprice Classic with multiple TV screens and "32" emblazoned on the inside of the trunk belongs to Humpty himself. I have no reason to believe otherwise.

That's our Humpty. Turns out my guess was incorrect, at least regarding this particular Knick.

Update: As Henry Abbott points out, Balkman's seems to be investing quite a bit of time and money into the promise that his career with the Knicks is a long-term affair. Just one more reason we should keep him around. Wouldn't wanna waste all that orange paint, would we?