RonRon wrote:
I thought we can restructure the contracts of Amare, Melo, and TC, under the new CBA.
IF these guys are serious about WINNING and being true contenders, this is their best chance to show their leadership.
It isn't like these players, especially Amare, are going to to do too much with this extra $ and at their point of the careers they aren't really sacrificing much if we add back years to their contract, maybe even a NO TRADE clause...
We need to build on what we already we have, after getting a taste of Linsanity, and the bad of NY media, its a taste of how the fans/media would react and be magnified with a winning team vs a losing one...
[b]

TC, 1-2m while adding another year to his contract

Restructuring doesn't work that way under the new CBA. It's not like the NFL where you can just throw it away and restructure the deal. The only time to restructure is after an extension, which means that if you restructured Melo's deal, he could take up to 40% less salary in the first year of the extension. The "renegotiation" wouldn't kick in until after his current contract is up and the extension starts.

RonRon wrote:I thought we can restructure the contracts of Amare, Melo, and TC, under the new CBA.
IF these guys are serious about WINNING and being true contenders, this is their best chance to show their leadership.

can't do this. it's a myth.

RonRon wrote:thanks for clearing it up, I hope Lin is willing to take a little less to retain Novak as well.
Problem is this is Novak's possibly last realistic chance to get a nice and first real contract.
I can see a team easily paying him 3-5m range.... I don't see much of a discount for us realistically.
With Lin making back money in endorsements, it would be really nice to have a shooter for him to spread the court out with and get those extra assists with Novacaine

While JJ and JR are expendable, I would love to keep JJ, but we would have to use our LLE to replace Smith or add a good shot blocker.
Shannon Brown is a player that can provide some of what JR does without the 3 point shooting...
I don't know if JJ will come back again for the veterans minimum, while he has earned a better contract from us, we simply have to choose our priorities wisely.
The chances of Smith coming back at the 2.5m exemption is slim, he is worth the full MLE type money, with 3-4 years.

Knicks are probably a longshot to retain Steve Novak, since someone will be willing to pay him more than the minimum. If Jason Kapono could get a 4 year/$24 million contract from Toronto, Novak will take the best offer and run.

gunsnewing wrote:

y2zipper wrote:

RonRon wrote:
I thought we can restructure the contracts of Amare, Melo, and TC, under the new CBA.
IF these guys are serious about WINNING and being true contenders, this is their best chance to show their leadership.
It isn't like these players, especially Amare, are going to to do too much with this extra $ and at their point of the careers they aren't really sacrificing much if we add back years to their contract, maybe even a NO TRADE clause...
We need to build on what we already we have, after getting a taste of Linsanity, and the bad of NY media, its a taste of how the fans/media would react and be magnified with a winning team vs a losing one...

TC, 1-2m while adding another year to his contract

Restructuring doesn't work that way under the new CBA. It's not like the NFL where you can just throw it away and restructure the deal. The only time to restructure is after an extension, which means that if you restructured Melo's deal, he could take up to 40% less salary in the first year of the extension. The "renegotiation" wouldn't kick in until after his current contract is up and the extension starts.

ahh is that right? Thanks for finally clearing that up.

I still think Lin knowing the value of Novak will give him some of the MLE. Maybe even split it! Jeffries we don't really need to bring back. Just gotta hope JR takes the 2.5m option to stay in NY

You can't split the MLE or any other exception, they can only be used on one player.

VCoug wrote:
Based on what I've read here and on other sites we'll probably have two exceptions to work with this offseason, our LLE and bi-annual.

the bi-annual exception is what folks keep calling the low level exception (lle).

we have the bi-annual exception because we aren't over the luxury tax threshold (despite being over the cap), and our version of the mid-level exception (higher than if we were under the cap), and we can sign players to veteran minimum deals.

PresIke wrote:

VCoug wrote:You can't split the MLE or any other exception, they can only be used on one player.

that's not true:

https://webfiles.uci.edu/lcoon/cbafaq/salarycap.htm

MID-LEVEL SALARY EXCEPTION -- This exception allows a team to sign any free agent up to the average salary (see question number 25 for the definition of "average salary." Also note that for 2005-06 they used a defined figure of $5 million). This exception may be split and given to multiple players.

I stand corrected. Nevertheless, I still think it's going to Lin and no one else.

Lin gets the full mid-level exception. Somebody's going to offer it to him and the Knicks will match the offer sheet.

Fields will sign for one year so he gets bird rights.

The Knicks will pick up Jorts' option.

That makes the roster look like this...

Jeremy Lin/Iman Shumpert/Carmelo Anthony/Amar'e Stoudemire/Tyson Chandler
Landry Fields
Toney Douglas
Josh Harrellson
Jerome Jordan

Honestly, I'd LOVE to see Smith pick up his option. Novak would be heavily expendable if that happens simply because Smith can pick up those minutes at the three.

It really leaves us at the same place we're at now. We need a backup point guard who can facilitate and another big, and we'll have the LLE, 2 second round picks and vet minimum contracts to do it. It can be done, for example, if we bring back Smith under his option, get Jared Jeffries to take the LLE and bring in Davis and/or Bibby for another year at the minimum. Then there'd be draft picks to play with, and ideally you grab a

All-in all, the team isn't going to be terribly different. Whether or not it's any good is a matter of how Mike Woodson's influence, assuming he's hired, has any effect on a full-time basis and once again, health. I can live with Davis and Bibby backing up Lin as long as his knee doesn't break again.