Moonangie wrote:Yeah, but he will get that offer from other teams, so we will have to match it.

Yes. That is pretty much a certainty.

What are the rules on Lin's Bird rights? We can match anything even if we're over the cap, but does that eat into our Mid Level? If it does, we have to find a way for the Mid Level to be used on both Lin and Novak, while asking the big guys to restructure so we can retain JR.

MSG3 wrote:The only realistic play we'd have of keeping all of them is if the big 3 restructure. To be honest I would let Fields walk if we had an indication we could keep Lin, Novak and Smith. But I think more than anyone Novak has played himself into a solid hunk of change. Definitely more than Shawne Williams got from the Nets. And JR should be a 7-8M/year guy anyway.

What are the rules on Lin's Bird rights? We can match anything even if we're over the cap, but does that eat into our Mid Level? If it does, we have to find a way for the Mid Level to be used on both Lin and Novak, while asking the big guys to restructure so we can retain JR.

I don't think they can restructure any longer. I don't think we have Bird rights yet on Lin, so he will get our MLE. I don't think there is any chance for us to keep Novak and Smith. It's a shame, but that's how it goes.

Moonangie wrote:

MSG3 wrote:The only realistic play we'd have of keeping all of them is if the big 3 restructure. To be honest I would let Fields walk if we had an indication we could keep Lin, Novak and Smith. But I think more than anyone Novak has played himself into a solid hunk of change. Definitely more than Shawne Williams got from the Nets. And JR should be a 7-8M/year guy anyway.

What are the rules on Lin's Bird rights? We can match anything even if we're over the cap, but does that eat into our Mid Level? If it does, we have to find a way for the Mid Level to be used on both Lin and Novak, while asking the big guys to restructure so we can retain JR.

I don't think they can restructure any longer. I don't think we have Bird rights yet on Lin, so he will get our MLE. I don't think there is any chance for us to keep Novak and Smith. It's a shame, but that's how it goes.

I thought a new part of the CBA was that a player can restructure his deal downward if he chooses, no?

Rookie wrote:

Anji wrote:Let's see what Lin get's offered. Im sorry, but the guy is coming off a knee injury and he couldn't stick in the league for a reason.

Let's see who is throwing money at Lin at the end of the season. I wouldn't sign him for the full MLE.

agree with you there...also Shump is probably a better fit if by chance we happen to adopt the triangle offense If we don't sign Lin, I think we have a good shot at keeping Novak

IrishKnickFan wrote:

Rookie wrote:

Anji wrote:Let's see what Lin get's offered. Im sorry, but the guy is coming off a knee injury and he couldn't stick in the league for a reason.

Let's see who is throwing money at Lin at the end of the season. I wouldn't sign him for the full MLE.

agree with you there...also Shump is probably a better fit if by chance we happen to adopt the triangle offense If we don't sign Lin, I think we have a good shot at keeping Novak

A little surprised that some are willing to let lin walk. the guy has proven he is a goo dplayer when he gets playing time. as much as i love novak thsi team need s a good young point guard and lin has proven that.

All three players are worth more then they are currently being paid. I don't think we can keep all three much as I'd like to see all three stay. We are kind of effed with the salary cap. If we can keep 2, I think it's still a win

Next year, JR Smith is definitely gone.

Novak I figured we'd keep, but the way folks are talking here, he could also be gone.

Improvement from Lin - yes, he played at times like a superstar.

But depth wise & quality, I don't see us having as deep a team in the future with this group...

franco12 wrote:I've been meaning to post this- but I think this is the most loaded team that Melo, Stat and Chandler are going to have, so its this year or maybe never.

Next year, JR Smith is definitely gone.

Novak I figured we'd keep, but the way folks are talking here, he could also be gone.

Improvement from Lin - yes, he played at times like a superstar.

But depth wise & quality, I don't see us having as deep a team in the future with this group...

franco12 - Nice try at playing the boogey man but think of it this way. During Summer League, Glen Grunwald uncovers a running buddy to back up Jeremy Lin who is neither disabled or on his last legs. Baron Davis and Mike Bibby take a hike.

Iman Shumpert spends summer refining his jumper armed with the confidence of playoffs experience.

Landry Fields reinvents himself in the role of John Havlicek as our sixth man.

Mike Woodson is dapped up with the respect of the fans and a new contract to go along with his new title.

The draft yields another international surprise at center.

Timofey Mozgov claims homesickness for New York.

Josh Harrellson and Jerome Jordan tour Africa and play pickup games with Hakeem Olajuwon's 6'11 nephew Simi in Nigeria.

It only gets better.

Here's my prediction (and I would bet anyone here money this will come true)

Lin gets 5 year (full MLE level) contract with opt out after year 3 setting him up for a max payday in 3 years

Fields will get a 3 year $10mm contract. Nice change for a role player. If he turns it down Knicks probably match something close. Hard to see him getting more than 4 years $12mm

JR is playing like its a contract year. Im happy he's doing it for the Knicks. Usually we sign these guys to 5 year deals and they stink. Let me just say this... JR has played great, but hes never played this well and he's auditioning every night. The shooting has always been there. The defense and rebounding have not. If I had our full MLE I would certainly happily use it on JR, but its not in the cards.

Novak... man, who knows with him. He was kind of MDA's guy and Im not sure Woody feels the same, but he's another full MLE type as well. Again, buyer be ware as he's never played this well this long. I could see the Lakers offer him their full MLE. Think of the space he creates for Bynum/Gasol.

None of this is bad.... it will be a bit of a setback, but I expect that to be balanced with considerable improvement from Shump and Lin over the next couple years. These guys are our current and future backcourt and thats a damn good and lucky thing.

Bonn1997 wrote:If we have to use the MLE and LLE on these guys (none come just with Bird's rights), then it's Lin for the MLE and the LLE offered to Novak. If he declines, then it's the LLE for Fields.

This is pretty much right. We will have the Bird rights to Lin for his max deal, so if he pans out like it seems he might, we have our PG of the future AND our 3rd star player. Fields took a major nose dive in shooting ability this year. If he doesn't make some scoring noise in the playoffs I think the LLE is likely his income ceiling. If another team offers more, we offer it to Novak.

I do not see Novak as an MLE level player. He only does one thing well: Shoot 3s. He also can only hit shots in rhythm. He takes one dribble and his percentage goes way down. He is a limited player and doesn't deserve $25 mil. Fields is a much more complete player, despite his shooting setback (which he hopefully fixes this summer).