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kam77
Posts: 27664
Alba Posts: 25
Joined: 3/17/2004
Member: #634
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I'm for adding any contract or trading any player, as long as the Knicks can time things right to shed salary and sign LeBron James in summer of 2008 as an unrestricted FA, or go after him as a RFA in 2007.
Jalen's Rose contract runs as long as Allan Houston's. By the summer of 2008, the only guaranteed contracts we have are Marbury and Crawford (30mil). We may have resigned Ariza and Sweetney or have traded them by then (40mil?). At any rate, we need to be able to at least be under the cap enough to field a competetive offer to LeBron james. This I can't verify, but i've recently read somewhere (hoopshype.com?) that he has incentives in his contract with one or more of his corporate sponsors where his deal would increase in value if he were to play in either NY, CHI, or LA. The kind of money we are talking about would far surpass the MAX contract that CLE could give LeBron.
So the Knicks wouldn't have to offer LeBron a MAX deal in theory i guess. Maybe he could come here for the MLE for three years as long as he'd be sure that he would recoup the money in sponsorship deals and endorsement contracts.
Now realistically, LeBron figures he has enough money and all things being equal would prefer to stay in his home state and play for Cleveland. But if the CAVS are still a mediocre team by then, LeBron could decide that he wants to go somewhere with a better shot at winning a Championship, and all the better if that place is LA, NY, or CHI.
Now CHI could get him, as LeBron wears his #23 in honor of MJ. CHI would probably have a young and pretty good team by then, and able to field an offer to LeBron. LA would have Kobe and I don't see LeBron playing with Kobe in any Universe. But the Clips also play in LA. The NETS will be heading to Brooklyn and could also have a good team and an offer for LBJ.
This is an interesting subplot in the context of how Isiah should plan to build this team after the "PATCHWORK" period is over. By his own words isiah said that PATCHWORK would last 3 or 4 years (this was last yr) alluding to the length of NYs most onerous contract (Allan Houston).
Once Allan, Shandon, and Jalen Rose are off the books the summer after next, and we've maybe resigned Ariza and Sweets, who knows what we do with Nazr... we should at least be ready to make LeBron an offer in restricted free agency. That is the year LeBron will decide to sign a longterm extension with Cleveland, or just play out his final year as a restricted FA, and become a full FA in the summer of 2008. Isiah needs to make a case to LeBron by 2007, why he should come here and play out the rest of his 20s in a Knick uniform.
So is Jalen Rose the answer? No, but he helps in the near-term and we can put Allan on IR and JC all the rest he needs while Jalen picks up the slack. Jalen's extra year is insignificant. Who cares about fiscal responsibility when we are that far over the cap. Just make sure not to sign anyone that has a contract that extends any longer because we can't have anything threaten the LeBron plan.
And finally, if you think it is asking too much too soon to think about LeBron, when the % chance he will come to NY is 20% at best?
To that I say, there are consolation prizes like Dwayne Wade and Carmelo Anthony to be had as well. Any player who can rack up endorsements, will likely have escalating triggers in their contracts that would far surpass what they actually make in NBA $$$.
lol @ being BANNED by Martin since 11/07/10 (for asking if Mr. Earl had a point). Really, Martin? C'mon. This is the internet. I've seen much worse on this site. By Earl himself. Drop the hypocrisy.
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