“…Seven teams could be more than $10 million under the cap, and most of those were cautious or inactive this summer so they could save their money for next July. With the caliber of players who could be available, it’s an understandable decision.

But Wade offers a warning: Buyers beware.

“When you think about how many teams that quote-unquote are waiting around, you’ve got to remember there’s not that many franchise players to fill every team, from the looks of it now,” Wade said. “For everybody to wait around, it is kind of like swinging a bat with your eyes closed. You don’t know if you’re going to hit it or not.”

And that’s just one reason some people say you can’t win in the NBA by trying to build through free agency.

“I disagree with that. I think that’s the quickest way to get up to the contending class,” Knicks president Donnie Walsh said. “I think a lot of people back when I started doing this, they used to build through the draft. That’s going to take you a long time.

“First of all, let’s say you need four or five players. That’s four or five years. And then when you get all the players, they have to play together to become a team, and then you have to be right on every pick. So that’s seven, eight years. So I think you can shortcut that…”

Interesting quotes from Wade, but I can really take anything Chuck Barkley says seriously. I mean if Barkley was the GM here after Isiah, he’d be on the same page as Walsh, I’m sure.

Either way, with no 2010 pick, the course of action makes sense. Lebron or Wade aside, this roster will be much better next season.

Finger point to Bob for the link.

King1 wrote:i think you should try and trade your expirings to other teams for good players. When has a player left a team with 60 wins to a team with 35? If you dont get Wade or Lebron then your in the same position. Go get young players on teams wanting to save money. Everyone has the same plan and 15 teams are going for 2 true difference makers.

What team is going to give you good players for expirings?

JohnWallace44 wrote:Tommy Dee Via Yahoo:

“…Seven teams could be more than $10 million under the cap, and most of those were cautious or inactive this summer so they could save their money for next July. With the caliber of players who could be available, it’s an understandable decision.

But Wade offers a warning: Buyers beware.

“When you think about how many teams that quote-unquote are waiting around, you’ve got to remember there’s not that many franchise players to fill every team, from the looks of it now,” Wade said. “For everybody to wait around, it is kind of like swinging a bat with your eyes closed. You don’t know if you’re going to hit it or not.”

And that’s just one reason some people say you can’t win in the NBA by trying to build through free agency.

“I disagree with that. I think that’s the quickest way to get up to the contending class,” Knicks president Donnie Walsh said. “I think a lot of people back when I started doing this, they used to build through the draft. That’s going to take you a long time.

“First of all, let’s say you need four or five players. That’s four or five years. And then when you get all the players, they have to play together to become a team, and then you have to be right on every pick. So that’s seven, eight years. So I think you can shortcut that…”

Interesting quotes from Wade, but I can really take anything Chuck Barkley says seriously. I mean if Barkley was the GM here after Isiah, he’d be on the same page as Walsh, I’m sure.

Either way, with no 2010 pick, the course of action makes sense. Lebron or Wade aside, this roster will be much better next season.

Finger point to Bob for the link.

yea, but you won't hit the ball if you don't swing.. the knicks will be able to swing after this season, that is all I care about....

kam77 wrote:

King1 wrote:i think you should try and trade your expirings to other teams for good players. When has a player left a team with 60 wins to a team with 35? If you dont get Wade or Lebron then your in the same position. Go get young players on teams wanting to save money. Everyone has the same plan and 15 teams are going for 2 true difference makers.

What team is going to give you good players for expirings?

uh. are you kidding me? there are several teams on the verge of going out of business. financial trades will be out there. donnie is going to have decide how real the lebron thing is, because if that's not happening, it might be a lot easier to get a few near great players through mainly financial trades.

CrushAlot wrote:Cap space and flexibility give Walsh alot of options. Grunfeld was able to rebuild the Knicks on the fly with the Houston, Childs signing and LJ trade. The biggest difference with this team is there is no one close to a franchise player on the roster and the Knicks need one. If Walsh can't get a franchise talent he might be better off holding off for another year and trying again in 2011.

We had Ewing all we needed was a better supporting cast. Now we have the cast with no major actor, and not much to go on.

crzymdups wrote:

kam77 wrote:

King1 wrote:i think you should try and trade your expirings to other teams for good players. When has a player left a team with 60 wins to a team with 35? If you dont get Wade or Lebron then your in the same position. Go get young players on teams wanting to save money. Everyone has the same plan and 15 teams are going for 2 true difference makers.

What team is going to give you good players for expirings?

uh. are you kidding me? there are several teams on the verge of going out of business. financial trades will be out there. donnie is going to have decide how real the lebron thing is, because if that's not happening, it might be a lot easier to get a few near great players through mainly financial trades.

Same argument was made last year

Bippity10 wrote:Walsh has already said that if the opportunity arises to get a great player through trade then he would abandon the 2010 plan.

oohah wrote:

kam77 wrote:
What team is going to give you good players for expirings?

The Memphis Grizzlies? Of course that was insider trading. But the Bucks just traded Richard Jefferson for expiring contracts, and if we think about it there are a lot more examples I am sure. Some successful some not, but it is possible.

oohah

So you'd take Richard Jefferson instead of try for LeBron, Wade, Bosh, Johnson, Staudamire, .....????

kam77 wrote:
So you'd take Richard Jefferson instead of try for LeBron, Wade, Bosh, Johnson, Staudamire, .....????

I didn't say nor imply that at all.

My point is that good players do move for expiring contracts. Again, if you want a really good recent example, Pau Gasol is one. I think Vince Carter essentially moved for expiring contracts and a couple of picks when he went to New Jersey.

***

I think a GM needs to look at his plan with an eye toward any and all opportunity to get better. It's great to cut salary as much as possible but that can blow up in your face the same way trading flexibility for stars or good players can.

Personally, I think if we don't get LeBron or Wade, the execution of this plan was a bust. If anyone thinks that this was not all about landing LeBron they are fooling themselves.

This plan needs to culminate with the Knicks landing a true franchise talent, and there are only 5-8 guys like that in the league if that many.

If we end up with Joe Johnson or someone like that, and sign him to a max or near max contract, we basically have the Allan Houston signing and situation all over again: A player who is very good that eats up your cap with some decent pieces that can get you to the playoffs, but we never really have a chance to win it all. Remember how we all felt about what happened with that?

And to make matters worse, it looks like Walsh has missed the mark badly for 2 straight lottery picks - yes, it remains to be seen, but when I see Brooke Lopez and Terence Williams both picked at #11 I see real building block players that will help attract top talent.

Look at the Nets: right now they are pretty much better at every positions, they have a star PG who could be LeBrons' sidekick easily, they havea center who looks like a solid big man for the next 10 years, they have a nice shooting guard in Courtney Lee so if LeBron goes there he gets to play his natural position of SF and the players to keep the defense honest are already in place.

And what if Yi develops? Terence Williams and Chris Douglas-Roberts both look legit. The Russian guys has deep pockets and probably can offer perks to Lebron that we can't imagine.

And they aren't the only team that has a better situation to offer than the Knicks do. All we have is NYC and the Garden. Outside of that I don't see why he would want to come here.

oohah