Finestrg wrote:5 - Alexis Ajinca (ready to flourish with more mins.)
4 - Greg Monroe (a lot of bang for the buck at $15mm--he's already at 16/10 and a good passer--could easily be a 20/10 player with a couple of more touches)
3 - Melo
2 - Alexey Shved
1 - Jerian Grant (great move -- really solidified our PG position and backcourt as a whole)
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5 - Jordan Bachynski (not a sexy choice but he could be a real eraser for us around the goal)
4 - Kristaps Porzingis (20 mins. a night to start)
3 - Cleanthony Early (needs to start showing us something)
2 - Ricky Ledo
1 - Langston Galloway*
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5 - Willy Hernangomez (I'd love to bring him over right now. Why wait? Any chance? Will he need to be bought out of his current contract? Thought I read he has 1 yr left in Spain)
4 - Jerrelle Benimon or Khem Birch
3 - Maurice N'dour (this dude looks for real -- like a more athletic, souped-up 2-way version of Chris Copeland 
It might be Thanasis Antetokounmpo here with N'dour stashed away in Europe for a year but let's see)
2 - Daniel Hackett? I really like the younger Scotty Hopson or Kevin Murphy here for quality SG/SF depth but will live with their decision to bring in Hackett.
1 - Jose Calderon Unless there's a legit chance at one of the top FAs, I like this team -- go for value, youth and quality depth right down to 15.
*One weakness I may see is legit PG depth -- I know guys like Galloway, Shved, Ledo, and Hackett can all handle the ball but I'd love another legit PG here -- we're improved with Grant here but I'm not sold on Galloway and Calderon's cooked. I've stripped this down as much as possible in terms of conserving cap room -- would also love to make a run a Cory Joseph if possible. Ideally I'd love to see Joseph/Grant then Galloway as the 3rd string PG with Calderon fazed out (maybe then we just buy out Calderon outright and not even stretch him if we have the room, although stretching him might give us the extra money we would need to sign Joseph. I'd actually look to bring Calderon back as a coach to help Fisher if he'd be interested). I guess ideally, my main FA expenditures in this scenario would be:
Monroe
Ajinca
Cory Joseph
Is the $26mm+ in cap room enough to sign these 3 main FAs and then resign Shved and bring in Henangomez? Can we exceed the cap to add Shved? He is a RFA...And then what's the process with Hernangomez? Buyout and then what's his salary -- what a typical 2nd round pick at 35 would get or do we need to overpay to get him to leave Spain? And how does he affect the cap? You can exceed the cap to sign draft picks, right? Even extra picks acquired via trade or are those treated differently? I'd like to see Willy H. brought over right now, even if only to help Porzingis adjust and feel comfortable. I think he's more than that though -- looks like he can play and give us very good depth in the middle, even if he started in Westchester where he'd only be a phone call away (plus playing in the DL with a guaranteed NBA contract is a lot more bearable than playing down there w/o one).
Willy Hernangomez has a buyout and was suppose to be a "stash" player
I think there is a limit of YOUNG rookies with NBA experience that they want to bring in
Do not know if they consider Thanasis as part of it because he along with some of our D League players at least have experience with the system
I believe that management didn't select Justice Winslow because they know that Thanasis does have a high ceiling
While he took much less money to play in the D League vs Europe last season, we should reward him with either using part of an exemption or cap space to start his NBA career at about 1m on a 3year deal with team option on 3rd (preventing future poison pills as he is raw but do not want to waste resources or overpay for him in the 3rd year either)
We still do not know how will Phil Jackson fill out the roster and if he is looking to sign talents that will give us a chance to contend for a play off spot next year or if he will look to utilize his cap space to acquire future assets or young talents such as Shabazz Muhammudd, along with using assets to unload Calderon and even possibly making CA force a trade by simply using our cap space to collect assets instead of trying to win this summer...
We need value players so we can utilize our cap space efficiently
Before the rise of the cap, we need to fully utilize the vet min's with unguaranteed years, signing 2-3year *like Galloway* deals to preserve cap space, for the UFA on 2017
For D league talents, or/and undrafted FA's this past draft or previous drafts, along with continued development younger talents
No longer high on Jordan Backynski, especially if Thabeet is available, who has improved much and was drafted that HIGH for a reason
Other vet min type shot blockers would be
At least one of these talents
Possibly even 2year deals for these BIGS so we can get their early bird rights, TEAM OPTIONS and NOT PLAYER OPTIONS
1- Thabeet *think he is ready to explode and get back in the NBA, great value, and could be a DPOY just like when Hibbert was with his size/strength/length and has matured/developed much since
2- Larry Sanders *on unguaranteed deal or partial guarantee*
3- McGee
IMO,
As I have been saying, the 3 MUST ADD's in D Leeague that I really feel are no brainers include
ALL 3 of these talents could play on and off the ball, a quality that is needed for the Triangle along with High IQ and versatility on both ends
1- Jerrelle Benimon SF, SF/PF, strech 4, maybe a Lamor Odom/Covington type player as a triple double threat
2 BIGGER guards, that could play PG, SG, and maybe even some SG/SF
2- Jarell Eddie, G/F, a Danny Green type talent on shooting *PURE SHOOTER and could be used similar to Eddie House but not a chucker, along with Kerr/Paxson/BJ Armstrong etc*
3- Scotty Hopson, G/F, another G/F that can shoot and score/penetrate/facilitate, decent versatile game as well *HIGHLY SKILLED and good athleticism/quickness, can penetrate/facilitate/and shoot, so can play LEAD GUARD or OFF THE BALL*
There are quite a few players that has put up some good numbers on our D League Knicks besides Thanasis and Orlando Sanchez *who is playing for Toronto in summer league*
1- Thanasis - SHOOTING is a skill that could be learned and that is his only real weakness's probably also has to pace himself a bit as he plays with 120% at all times
However having players on our roster that work extremely hard on and off the court with KP, that are all gym rats, could be very infectious
Because he has such as high ceiling and is currently still raw, we MUST have a 3year deal for him with team option on 3rd
2- Orlando Sanchez *he is upset at us, as he felt he deserved to be called up towards the end of the season, but in the end, he is a good fit
He is a SMART player and is a bit older as well, with the skills to play both on and off the ball, as a undersized stretch 4/5 (probably more 4)
Has a decent handle, can hit the 3pt shot, can penetrate to the rim or mid range if defended at the 3pt line, like AB for that skill set along with Jared Sullinger
Good MID RANGE game, along with the HIGH, MID, DEEP POST, can score 1v1 and makes good passes/facilitator as well, with REBOUNDING decent rebounding skills
I would not mind giving him a 2-3year deal like Galloway with partial guarantees
I compare him somewhere between
Jared Sullinger
Channing Frye *but can also play inside and doesn't just camp at the 3pt line*
AB
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Not knowing how Phil Jackson is thinking and how he plays to use about 26-28m of cap space available without making more trades to unload salary *not including Shved's qualifying offer and some others*
Without knowing what approach Phil Jackson is thinking ahead, it is hard to see what we will look to do, there are many different ways he could approach FA
However, if CA feels we are not looking to acquire talents that could play RIGHT NOW, he likely will prefer a trade to contender while KP will likely take at least 1 to 2 seasons before he can contribute on a high level and was our #4 pick though we did get Grant who looks like he can possibly START right away or a few months in to the season as he learns the system first....
So I think we should just look to pick up SOLID D League/UNDRAFTED talents first with guarantees but DO NOT SIGN THEM first because it would eat our cap space away
Phil Jackson tried to sign both LA and Gasol, but both are unlikely to consider the Knicks, while we DeANDRE JORDAN will be visiting us but is it like the Grant Hill/Steve Nash years, where agents/players use NYK's to get more money with other teams?
I would love the idea of adding D Jordan, 26 years of age and 8years of experience, with a player option after 3rd year
He is said to want a LARGER role on OFFENSE and not just the rebounder/defender/shot blocker that he was used as on The CLippers
When Blake Griffen was out, he took a bigger ROLE ON OFFENSE, and showed he just might be able to do so
His FT mechanics were much improved this year and if he can develop to a 60% FT or even better, he would be a complete steal with 1-2 post moves to go with his athleticism/strength/mobility
I have watched him for many years and he seems to get stronger, more mobile, and more athletic every OFF SEASON, so he has great work ethic, which is a quality I want along with his DEFENSIVE LEADERSHIP/ABILITIES
If he would take a BIT less to join the us, it would be even better, as we are a team that has no problem offering him another 1 or even 2 other contracts as NYK's and Dolan are willing to reward older playres, especially if they can deliver us a ring, and Jordan and his agent knows that
Jordan is a HUGE BATMAN FAN and would welcome him to Gotham!
If we can sign Jordan/Monroe vs Monroe/David West, I think it would be better for our future, while giving time for KP to develop at his own pace the first season with limitted PT
Again, winning in NYK would be greater than almost anywhere for endorsements, and Jordan will instantly become a FAN FAVORITE with his hustle and ability to DUNK
He would more importantly FIT IN WITH CA and KP, improving our HELP DEFENSE
On top of this we would still have a chance to use our MLE of about 6m and raises, with Cole Aldrich/Acey as loopholes versus the LLE/Bi Annual exemption at about under 3m *2year deals*
Do not know if Orlando would match Tobias Harris, with the rise of the cap in 2017 it could be a steal, instead of offering him a 4year deal, would rather offer him a 3year deal with player option on 3rd, which also gives him a no trade without his consent for year 1, making Orlando hard to match, though I would not give him the MAX
or/and
Greg Monroe, I hope he is willing to take slightly less and he is a UFA, especially if it meant we could pair him with Jordan
Loopholes
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Will Phil Jackson look to resign Cole Aldrich or Acey, as their cap holds are LOW, and we could use them to get the FULL MLE at about 6m with raises
Could also use these guys in potential trades as well, in addition to 150% rule to receive less/more salary with partial guarantee and unguaranteed after 1st year to be able to match salaries with some other players we have...
He can go ANYWHERE with this range of money, in trying to build a contending play off team, or look to acquire assets/young talents by taking on salaries
Will Phil Jackson look to give Calderon one more season or look to use assets to possibly trade him, though a team like Clippers would probably be interested in him as they need a BACKUP PG along with possibly SHved *for Bklyn's 2016 2nd rounder* and even Early could be sent out in the process, or to give them both some more time to evaluate them as they were injured last season while lacking much talent
Like would we have interest in trading some of the above, along with AB for a player like Roy Hibbert??? WHo is rumored to be on the trading block, as we do need a Center
If Phil Jackson is willing to take on salaries to acquire assets
Some partners would include
Twolves *stocked with young talents and veterans that can contribute*
Celtics *with 6 or 7 PG's* they likely will make some changes and have some younger talents
Philly *has many rookie scaled talents*
Undrafted FA's for this summers draft
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1- Cliff Alexander who was suppose to be a mid late 1st rounder or latest early 2nd rounder as well
2- Robert Upshaw
3- Christian Wood has signed with Houston alrady with partial guarantee but with their depth they have already, we should keep a close eye on him
Especially if they resign Josh Smith, possibly sign the 32 pick of the draft (our 2nd rounder), Montrezl Harrell, a Ben Wallace type of talent, on top of that, rumored to have interest in LA/Kevin Love/Millsap or another stretch/versatile PF, with all of the above
then I just cannot see them keeping Wood, unless they make some trades
6/27/2015 10:27 AM