TMS wrote:sign & trade Lee, Wilson, Douglas & Curry for Amare, Barbosa & Dudley
sign Lebron to the max
sign T-Mac to midlevel dollars
sign Sergio to qualifying offer
sign House to veteran's minimum

C - Amare $16.5 mil
PF - Lebron $16.5 mil
SF - Gallo $3.3 mil
SG - T-Mac $5.5 mil
PG - Barbosa $7.1 mil
6 - Sergio $2.8 mil
7 - House $1.5 mil
8 - Dudley $2.1 mil
9 - 2nd round pick $470K
10 - 2nd round pick $470K
11 - minimum salary $470K
12 - minimum salary $470K

$57.2 mil total salary

that aint a bad scenario dude

TMS wrote:

EwingsGlass wrote:Between my last two posts, I point out the total cap space, presuming a $57M cap. Latest projections are showing it increasing to $57M next year. It doesn't matter much with a two max free agent plan because the max contract amount is a sliding scale set at 30% of the salary cap. So, regardless of the cap total, two max free agents will be 60% of our cap space.

I note that in the second scenario, McGrady is contracted at the Veteran's Minimum. The fact that this puts us over the cap is not relevant. We can sign as many vets minimum contracts as necessary (or advisable) based upon the Vet's minimum exception. I would think that a player like Camby might be tempted to take the Vet's Minimum also to play here.

Sergio Rodriguez accepting the Qualifying Offer is the oddest part of this projecting because he will not receive a QO from the Knicks. His cap hold is the same as a Max FA. It is more likely that he will negotiate a two year deal.

i think it's gonna take at least a MLE type offer to get guys like T-Mac or Camby... i know Tracy said money won't be an issue but let's be real, if he shows he can still ball the rest of the way he's going to command at least MLE dollars from a host of teams next season.

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/knicks/mac_already_u8KQbwwZrbtMO8bCR1auvN

Now, the stupidity in this article is that Berman is discussing the MLE and the LLE which are not available to teams under the cap. If McGrady is serious, the only exception avaiable to him is the Vets Minimum.

EwingsGlass wrote:

TMS wrote:

EwingsGlass wrote:Between my last two posts, I point out the total cap space, presuming a $57M cap. Latest projections are showing it increasing to $57M next year. It doesn't matter much with a two max free agent plan because the max contract amount is a sliding scale set at 30% of the salary cap. So, regardless of the cap total, two max free agents will be 60% of our cap space.

I note that in the second scenario, McGrady is contracted at the Veteran's Minimum. The fact that this puts us over the cap is not relevant. We can sign as many vets minimum contracts as necessary (or advisable) based upon the Vet's minimum exception. I would think that a player like Camby might be tempted to take the Vet's Minimum also to play here.

Sergio Rodriguez accepting the Qualifying Offer is the oddest part of this projecting because he will not receive a QO from the Knicks. His cap hold is the same as a Max FA. It is more likely that he will negotiate a two year deal.

i think it's gonna take at least a MLE type offer to get guys like T-Mac or Camby... i know Tracy said money won't be an issue but let's be real, if he shows he can still ball the rest of the way he's going to command at least MLE dollars from a host of teams next season.

http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/knicks/mac_already_u8KQbwwZrbtMO8bCR1auvN

Now, the stupidity in this article is that Berman is discussing the MLE and the LLE which are not available to teams under the cap. If McGrady is serious, the only exception avaiable to him is the Vets Minimum.

"Don't get me wrong, if I come back healthy and playing well, we're going to do some negotiating," McGrady said. "What I'm saying is, if LeBron comes, D-Wade comes and you pair [one of them] up with Stoudemire or Chris Bosh, I know I'm not going to get the big bucks.

"But," McGrady added. "Save a little for me."

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/knicks/mac_already_u8KQbwwZrbtMO8bCR1auvN#ixzz0gDl2hmEV

that sounds to me like he'll want more than just a veteran's minimum contract... if he proves he can play the rest of the way teams like the Lakers, Celtics, etc. that are over the cap will woo him with MLE offers, & we won't be able to match it if we're saving the cap space for 2 max guys... we have to dump Curry's contract if we want to hold onto him & still land 2 max guys this summer, that's just being realistic.

EwingsGlass wrote:

TMS wrote:he said there needs to be some negotiating... offering him a veteran's minimum deal is not negotiation dude... that's the worst possible deal he can get from any team... it's a take it or leave it offer... if he comes out & proves he's still got game the next 28 games, i think he's going to consider other options... that's just me... we need to figure out a way to clear more cap space if we expect T-Mac to be on this team & still land 2 big names this offseason... to me that's just the reality of the situation... it's gonna be tough dumping Curry's fat butt, no doubt about it, but i don't see any other way... otherwise we're looking at guys like Eddie House on veteran's minimum deals only... i mean not even Grant Hill signed a veteran's minimum deal with Phoenix & T-Mac is miles ahead of him age & talent wise at this point in his career.

Numbers don't lie. And your misunderstanding of the salary cap is misleading your argument. The Knicks will not have any "exceptions" to use other than the Veteran's Minimum Exception. The Mid Level Exception and the Bi-Annual Exception count against the cap and must be rescinded in order to clear cap space to sign two max free agents.

I am not disagreeing that McGrady may want to negotiate or feel like he is worth more, but if he is discussing taking a lower salary after the Knicks sign two max free agents, the numbers do not lie. Feel free to do your own math. But presenting ridiculous double sign and trade scenarios with faked numbers doesn't work in the NBA. They need to do the real numbers. I have provided some real numbers. Look at them and come to your own conclusions.

dude, u are completely misunderstanding my point... i am fully aware of the fact we don't have any exceptions to use this summer... my point is that OTHER TEAMS do... when u will have teams like the Celtics, Lakers, Mavs, etc. offering T-Mac a MLE to go play w/their teams, u'r not giving urself much of a shot to re-sign him if u just have a veteran's minimum salary to offer... get it??? i know full well what the salary cap situation is with our payroll this summer... that's why i say we need to dump more salary if we hope to keep T-Mac & still land 2 max FA's cuz i don't see any way he'd accept a veteran's minimum contract to play here... thank you for putting the numbers together but i think i already showed in my example scenario above what i think it will take for us to make this situation happen... dumping Curry's a longshot but it's really the only shot we have IMO... otherwise T-Mac won't be a realistic option.

TMS wrote:thanks... it all hinges on whether Lebron would straight leave the Cavs to sign w/us obviously, but i don't see any other way to get him right now... we obviously don't have enough assets to land him in a trade right now... the only way we're getting Lebron is if we can convince him that we will make the necessary moves to land the guy he wants to play with, & it was rumored that he wanted Amare above anyone else at the trade deadline & the Cavs made a scramble to get him but couldn't get the deal done so they settled on a 33 yo Jamison... if the Cavs don't make it to the Finals this season i think Lebron would seriously consider coming to NY if we offered him a chance to play with guys like Amare & T-Mac.

right now i think getting rid of Curry is the key, otherwise we won't have the cap space to sign 2 max guys & still hold onto a 3rd partner like T-Mac, cuz he's definitely going to command MLE offers from contending teams this summer, u can bet on that.

And hope Cleveland loses early in the playoffs.

EwingsGlass wrote:Let me be clear then. In no uncertain terms, Tmac is not a realistic option if he wants anything more than the Vets Minimum. Start with that premise. It doesn't matter what other teams can offer him. Signing and trading Curry for another max free agent will be impossible. This team will sign two max free agents. During the season it will try and move Curry's expiring contract to take on long term salary. Then, in 2011 they will use the bird rights to match Chandler's offer from another team and they will have the MLE to sign a new mid level player.

What's plan B my man

BRIGGS wrote:

EwingsGlass wrote:Let me be clear then. In no uncertain terms, Tmac is not a realistic option if he wants anything more than the Vets Minimum. Start with that premise. It doesn't matter what other teams can offer him. Signing and trading Curry for another max free agent will be impossible. This team will sign two max free agents. During the season it will try and move Curry's expiring contract to take on long term salary. Then, in 2011 they will use the bird rights to match Chandler's offer from another team and they will have the MLE to sign a new mid level player.

What's plan B my man

You mean if we can get any of James, Wade or Bosh? Well, I think you cross that bridge when you come to it. I appreciate your David lee for president threads, but he really has to be considered among the plan B options. Have to eliminate plan A first though.

So it's 473K per empty slot. Much better.

OasisBU wrote:What are the odds that Curry won't exercise his player option? I mean if I were him I would take it because it is rediculous money - but the franchise has shown it's not interested so it means another year on the bench and a tough time getting a new co tract.

Didn't Donnie say he ha some ace up his sleeve? What does our cap look like without Curry? I know he will probably be here until 2011 but it would be nice if the Curry chapter closed early.

if Curry opts out it allows us to re-sign Lee & still pursue 2 max FA's this summer... another $11.3 mil in cap space to be exact... but it will never happen unless we send Darko over with his Serbian pals with a note from Donnie Walsh & some fish wrapped up in newspaper.