Other than a first-round pick they most likely will be forced to swap with Chicago - the final obligation of the Eddy Curry trade - and the dreaded mid-level exception, the offseason options to significantly improve the roster are "remote," according to an experienced NBA talent evaluator. "Unless they go sign-and-trade, they have no chance of getting an impact player," the person said.

Grunwald said nobody on the roster is untouchable - "Some people are more available than others," he said - but the plan is to build around youth. On nights like last night, a pathetic 92-86 loss to Portland without Zach Randolph when the Knicks needed to keep pace in the playoff race, they look light years away.

Grunwald: Isiah's go-to guy
Ken Berger

March 23, 2007

The man behind the curtain popped out to say hello yesterday. More than anything about the job he's held for six months, Glen Grunwald understands that Isiah Thomas is still the point guard and he's the benchwarmer.

"I don't need to be a high-profile guy," Grunwald said in his first extended interview since October. "I think my role is behind the scenes and I think that's where I should pretty much remain."

Grunwald, the Knicks' senior vice president of basketball operations, is smart, unassuming and fiercely loyal to Thomas, and has put together a winning NBA roster before.

But that was with an expansion team in Toronto. This is New York, and Grunwald now works in the World's Most Famous Salary-Cap Prison.

His decision to leave a good, sane, non-basketball life as the president of the Toronto Board of Trade paid off when Thomas coached enough out of the Knicks' roster to earn a contract extension - and thereby, some job security for Grunwald. But as Grunwald acknowledged on the phone from his office at the Garden, the opportunity to pull off something like his signature acquisition in Toronto - the sign-and-trade for Vince Carter - is a long way off.

"We're over the cap right now and next year, too," Grunwald said. "For two years, we're pretty much going to be over the cap and then it's our job to provide some different alternatives in two years."

Other than a first-round pick they most likely will be forced to swap with Chicago - the final obligation of the Eddy Curry trade - and the dreaded mid-level exception, the offseason options to significantly improve the roster are "remote," according to an experienced NBA talent evaluator. "Unless they go sign-and-trade, they have no chance of getting an impact player," the person said.

Grunwald said nobody on the roster is untouchable - "Some people are more available than others," he said - but the plan is to build around youth. On nights like last night, a pathetic 92-86 loss to Portland without Zach Randolph when the Knicks needed to keep pace in the playoff race, they look light years away.

"We like our young players," Grunwald said.

Translation: Barring a scenario that is difficult to imagine, the core of the roster probably will have to remain intact for at least another year. That means another year of waiting for the kind of player who actually could get the Knicks into the playoffs. "If an opportunity presents itself, we'll be able to seize it," he said.

Grunwald spent three years as Thomas' right-hand man in Toronto until he was elevated to GM in 1998, when Thomas left after losing a power struggle. Grunwald blew up Thomas' roster, laying the foundation for three consecutive playoff appearances from 2000-02.

Maybe there's hope for the Knicks. Grunwald can blow up Thomas' roster again while he's still here.

There were no promises when Thomas called Grunwald last summer and told him he needed him. After a year of wanting to scratch Larry Brown's eyes out, Thomas needed a day-to-day basketball man he could trust.

"I sort of knew what everyone else knew about Mr. Dolan's one-year improvement edict," Grunwald said. "And I looked at the team and I knew what Isiah could do as a coach."

In Toronto, when Thomas was running a basketball team for the first time only a year after he'd retired, Grunwald was the voice of reason - the guy who talked him out of rash moves and kept him grounded.

Thomas could have used Grunwald his first three years as the Knicks' president. Which is why, whatever you think of the GM job Thomas has done to this point, the Knicks might have it right with these two now. "He makes the final decisions," Grunwald said. "But I'm very comfortable expressing what I think are things we should do."

Problem is, there won't be many decisions to make for a while. Rashard Lewis is the likely free agent who fits the description Grunwald gave when asked what he wants: "versatile, athletic, long players." But the Knicks would have to give up Channing Frye and/or David Lee to get him.

Ron Artest falls in that category, too.

Other than that, and a first-round pick likely to be in the 20s, Grunwald is going to have to stay behind the curtain a little longer. "I don't think we're that far away," he said.

Spoken like someone who's been here six years, not six months.

Posted by djsunyc:

Posted by TrueBlue:

Misterearl and Nixluva this was stated for the two of you.....

Other than a first-round pick they most likely will be forced to swap with Chicago - the final obligation of the Eddy Curry trade - and the dreaded mid-level exception, the offseason options to significantly improve the roster are "remote," according to an experienced NBA talent evaluator. "Unless they go sign-and-trade, they have no chance of getting an impact player," the person said.

2 more obligations...2007 2nd round pick, 2009 2nd round pick

Major oversight but hey when the bargaining culture here is to overpay for everything it kind of goes without saying the media that surrounds it becomes illiterate to all the detailed ramifications.

Posted by nixluva:

I really don't know what the heck you ladies are blathering about. It's been common knowledge what the Knicks Cap situations was and when they'd likely be in a better cap position. EVERYONE knows the Knicks will be out from under the huge Contracts in 2 years. That doesn't change anything. I always felt the Knicks would look to that point in time to worry about deals that require cap space. They basically have no choice, but to wait for that.

in the meantime, as far as the roster is concerned, it's business as usual. We've been operating under the same rules for 3 years. We look for talent in the same ways we always have. The difference is that we've already added a lot of the talent we need. Just because the team is currently having some issues, doesn't change the reality that this team has a nice talent base. Are we any less talented than any of the other young up and coming teams? We've done well in adding talent over the last 2 offseasons. We now have fewer needs than we did 2 years ago.

We already have an idea of what kind of players this team needs. That doesn't mean that we MUST fill that need with an All Star. By the way, it's very difficult to make deals for those kinds of players unless a team is practically giving one away. If they're really playing well most teams elect to KEEP their stars. There has to be some sort of problem with the player or the team is giving up on it's current course. You just never know when a team is ready to make that kind of change, so the Knicks will wait and see what develops.

So we draft well, look for good FA's and continue to develop our current players. Nothing has changed.

Posted by nixluva:

I really don't know what the heck you ladies are blathering about. It's been common knowledge what the Knicks Cap situations was and when they'd likely be in a better cap position. EVERYONE knows the Knicks will be out from under the huge Contracts in 2 years. That doesn't change anything. I always felt the Knicks would look to that point in time to worry about deals that require cap space. They basically have no choice, but to wait for that.

in the meantime, as far as the roster is concerned, it's business as usual. We've been operating under the same rules for 3 years. We look for talent in the same ways we always have. The difference is that we've already added a lot of the talent we need. Just because the team is currently having some issues, doesn't change the reality that this team has a nice talent base. Are we any less talented than any of the other young up and coming teams? We've done well in adding talent over the last 2 offseasons. We now have fewer needs than we did 2 years ago.

We already have an idea of what kind of players this team needs. That doesn't mean that we MUST fill that need with an All Star. By the way, it's very difficult to make deals for those kinds of players unless a team is practically giving one away. If they're really playing well most teams elect to KEEP their stars. There has to be some sort of problem with the player or the team is giving up on it's current course. You just never know when a team is ready to make that kind of change, so the Knicks will wait and see what develops.

So we draft well, look for good FA's and continue to develop our current players. Nothing has changed.

Posted by BlueSeats:


And nixluva, we all know that the day we trade for some overpriced "stud" or project that remotely fills a need you'll tell us how you knew it was part of the plan all along and capspace was never relevant for this team.