s3231 wrote:I will say this. If we miss out on the top FAs and let Lee walk for nothing, Donnie deserves to be fired on the spot.

There is no way we can let David walk for nothing if we aren't able to at the very least sign someone like Joe Johnson/Chris Bosh. I don't care if you have to give Lee $10-$11 million in that situation, you do it and let him continue to average 20 ppg, 11 rpg, and 4 apg. Then you can always trade him for something afterwards...

i absolutely agree, although i am fine with what he's doing because i believe he's in the know of what the FA period will be bring. if donnie is just throwing **** at the wall and hoping it sticks and we don't end up with 2 of the top guys then donnie definitely deserves to be fired... but will dolan fire him?

BRIGGS wrote:so it sounds like we may be backing off and saving face with our own player.

This is false and old information from Isola.

The only hang up in the TMac trade was the picks and protection of those picks.

Walsh and Dolan were going to meet today to discuss the proposed deals and make a decision.

Stop thinking that these journalists have some inside source into negotiations between Morey, Walsh, and their respective owners.

They don't.

Cosmic wrote:

WindsorPl wrote:

fishmike wrote:doesnt matter... the same guys crying about including Hill in a possible trade will be the same ones crying about not having more cap space and why didnt we include Hill to get rid of JJ

9 million of cap space has a price. Hill, sure. Hill + 2 potential lottery picks is highway robbery.

ONE pick. Not two. ONE.

And if we don't do these trades and come back next year with this same garbage roster we're going to be in position to draft another Michael Sweetney the following summer. Yeah, that'd be just great.

Hill
Lee
Gallo
Chandler
Douglas

IS NOT a good team and NEVER WILL BE.

We need to do these deals to get star power in here through free agency.

Dude we are giving them the right to swap picks. If we stink next year, its TWO lottery picks. Not one, TWO.
Why are you disputing that?

I've been saying since Walsh unveiled his plan that the ideal scenario is for us to present 2 contracts to LeBron and Wade/Bosh to see how serious they are about playing together. After all, if Donnie truly wants to build through free agency, you really have to go all out and clear as much cap space as possible to execute that plan.

What we really need to ask ourselves is at what cost? If we are trading protected picks, I don't have any problem with Donnie doing his thing. However, if we trade one unprotected first round pick, Donnie will lose my support. That would be a very foolish move no matter who we get in free agency. You just don't take a tremendous risk like that with a lottery team. There has to be protection of some sort and that is precisely why Donnie has not made a deal yet with the Rockets.

Donnie is a smart guy though so I think he will stick to his guns and ensure that we aren't put in an opportunity where if we miss out on free agents, we are forced to make moves to be competitive.

Briggs
Why don't we do this deal after seeing what happens with Cleveland and Jamison. Or better yet, let's do it draft night when we will have a better idea of where Lebron and Wade are going.
If you can show me there is a certitude of even just Lebron coming here in July, then I agree with you, this is a no brainer. To trade the future for a chance is not worth it in my opinion.

Dont we all wish we had the luxury to sit, wait and watch everyone elses moves before we making our own moves... The reality is Donnie knows he needs to make something happen, it isnt as if this is the first and only opportunity that presented itself and hes jumping on it. Look, I partially agree with you. Giving up picks is rough. Is this a gamble? Absolutely, but if we want to be serious about contending, this is the free agent class to do it with. However, I still dont feel a Lebron or a Wade would come without knowing they would be joined by another superstar in 2010. This is the move. Is it guaranteed to work? No, but if we get a star ie Joe Johnson, we have a lot of money the following free agency year with Curry off the cap. We can get it done soon by signing free agents, it doesnt have to be through the draft.

But to get Lebron or Wade, JJ needs to be off the books now.

alau53 wrote:knicks cant draft..they all turn into ken "the animal" bannister a 7th round draft choice

Hey: Lee, Nate, Gallo, Chandler, and Ariza

Those are decent players. Are they superstars? No, but they arent necessarily busts either.

Cosmic wrote:

Panos wrote:

Dude we are giving them the right to swap picks. If we stink next year, its TWO lottery picks. Not one, TWO.
Why are you disputing that?

It's one pick. A 2012 protected pick.

The other is a 2011 swap of 1st round picks. You see houston's record this year? They're a .500 team. You don't think if we score this summer we won't be a .500 team?

No more swap.

It's not two picks it's one.

And we're not going to stink after this summer they aren't going to be lotto picks and if we kept them we'd be once again picking in the 8-10 range at BEST and once again wouldn't have ANY chance to add a FRANCHISE player.

The picks are pretty meaningless in the bigger plan here. A plan that is scuttled if we don't do this trade - or don't get REAL lucky in the next 24 hours and find someone else - to demand essentially the same damn thing - Hill, Jeffries, pick

You're unbelievable.

So just to get this clear. You're saying that there is absolutely no way we stink bad enough to
have a lotto pick next year (which we would then have Houston take from us)?
It's impossible?

If we don't get Lebron, and pick up JJ instead. Or as eVil points out we get whomever and they get injured?
It's impossible?
Just for the record...

Chad Ford: The Knicks and Rockets spoke this morning about a potential Tracy McGrady trade. Sources familiar with the negotiations told ESPN.com that while the Knicks told the Rockets that they remain interested in acquiring McGrady in a deal for Larry Hughes and Jared Jeffries, they are still unwilling to meet all of the Rockets' demands -- cap relief, Jordan Hill, the swapping of 2011 first-round picks and the Knicks' 2012 first-round pick.

"We'd like McGrady and the cap relief," one Knicks source said. "But the Rockets are asking for too much. We're willing to pay a premium to make a deal. But the price right now is still too high."

According to the source, the Rockets are still looking for other partners. The Bulls have been mentioned as a possibility, however, sources believe that their offer is less attractive than the Knicks' -- even if the Knicks don't give the Rockets everything they're asking for.

The Knicks also had several other trades brewing on Wednesday. Two sources said the Celtics and Knicks are in advanced talks about a Nate Robinson-for-Eddie House swap. However, both sources stressed that a deal was not completed yet.

The Timberwolves also inquired about a possible Darko Milicic-for-Brian Cardinal deal. The Knicks might be inclined to pull the trigger (it could save them some cash this year) depending on what happens with the Rockets and Celtics.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?page=TradeTalkRoundup-2010#mcgrady