GT2AM wrote:NYKBocker wrote:So if we get a top 3 pick. Do you still think we should trade it for Booker? I would if we give them Spinover King and DSJr.
I'm more inclined to do that because DSJ has a less defined rotation spot. I don't trust him fully with even the backup PG role. Frank can even be a starter and handle it. So if its DSJ its not such an issue with putting holes in the roster. Let me explain with a senario if the trade was as proposed Randle, Frank, and a low first this year.
The Knicks right now have a balanced roster. 3PGs, 2 PF, 2c, 2SG , and 2 SF. They can improve all over but there are no holes. So the Knicks are not forced to make any moves this off-season. Hence they have leverage. If this deal goes down as proposed it will put holes in positions that MUST be filled. Power forward. Randle is gone and Portis will hopefully be gone. And Point Guard will be Payton and DSJ and maybe the late first. This was Randle's last guaranteed year. But now the Knicks will be forced to give either Gallinari/Wood/Bertans a deal and they'd need to get at least 2 years if not more, because the Knicks won't have leverage. They might even be an upgrade over Randle and I'm sure many guys would go for that. But they wil get money into 2021. Then the Point Guard. We would have drafted the hopefully PG of the future. Now we either have to ride with Payton and DSJ this year. Payton isn't the PG of the future or the Knicks. Or the Knicks will have to go all in on Fred VanVleet to get set at the PG position. Knicks would have to close to max him to get him over. Or ride Payton this year and have to sign a PG free agent next year (2021) to at least a medium contract. These moves take the Knicks out of a second Max in 2021. The team is:
Booker ($30m)
Bertans ($20M)
FVV ($25M)
Mitch ($1.6)
Barret ($8m)
Bench
DSJ ($6m)
Knox ($4.5m)
Bullock ($4m)
Brazdekis ($1.7m)
All together thats $100.8 million. Basically at the cap. Starters look good. Bench looks very weak. They'd have to add some veterans on midlevel exception. Now the starters are pretty good. The Knicks might make it to the 6 seed with this. But they are stuck there. This lineup isn't bringing gold here. But it will get draft picks 15-20 range for years. And no real second star to go with Booker. And a bunch of medium sized contacts that might get traded to dig our selves further.... This Sound Familiar? I'm more cautious. Let's take the rebuild route slow. Lets try to get PG of the future locked up for years with a rookie contract. Slow and steady. No Starphucking. Trading 2 young players Frank, and lets say Ball is giving up 2 YEARS of our pain. I'd rather hold steady. Trust the Process. Maybe sign a star in 2021 or trade only draft picks for a star along the way.. Maybe we get a star in Barret, Mitch, and/or Ball. On Rookie contacts. Get other serviceable draft picks who can be role players. All young. Then sign everybody worth it in a few years when , because of restricted FA/Bird rights we can go over the cap to Keep all these guys.
That's why I think this trade is a honey trap. I might do it. But I would just be very carefull. This type of thing is the exact reason the Knicks have been mediocre/ sucked for since the day they traded Patrick Ewing.
On a side note. If the Knicks play their cards right they can put themselves in a seperate stratosphere of cap bracket than the whole league. By signing many of their draft picks to extentions above the cap in 3 or 4 plus years, by going over the cap in excercizing Bird rights. Example: Draft Ball. In 2021 sign 1 star(ish) FA player to a max. Trade for 1 star with many draft picks.
Star 1 signed max in 2021 - $30 million
Star traded max $30 million
Big contract Frank $15M
Max Barret $30M
Max Mitch $30M
Max Ball $30M
=$165 million salary cap. The rest of the league plays at $115. Most teams have room for only 2 max players on their roster. The Knicks can have room for 4 or 5 or more. Every contact extention given to a draft pick ups the Knicks cap bracket. Knicks will be in luxury tax hell but they can afford it. They are probably the only team in the league that can pursue this strategy. [Golden State is playing this way ($145 million in 2021, $152 Million in 2022) but they are probably stressed out about the luxury tax. They were over the cap but they still were able to get Durant, Russell, Wiggens. And they can play this way because they Drafted all their core stars.] Once your cap is what it is you can still make trades to improve , you just need to send out matching salary. (But you'll never sign a free agent again, except for exceptions, vet minimums etc.)
