Posted by holfresh:
Are you saying that Nike offered to double Kobe salary to come to New York?...Because he was playing in LA already, so why would they do that?
[Edited by - holfresh on 05-20-2006 11:11 AM]
http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/basketball/knicks/story/209936p-180919c.html
A flight of fancy
Knicks go west to woo Kobe
BY FRANK ISOLA
DAILY NEWS SPORTS WRITER
Kobe Bryant
The Knicks officially entered the Kobe Bryant sweepstakes last night, less than 24 hours after the biggest free agent on the market invited the team's top executives to his home in Newport Beach, Calif.
According to a person close to Bryant, Knicks president Isiah Thomas, Garden chairman James Dolan and Garden president Steve Mills all met with the Lakers' All-Star guard last night.
The Knicks' visit with Bryant came one day after Thomas classified the club's chances of acquiring Bryant as "less than zero" percent. The odds are still stacked against the Knicks, but apparently Thomas, Dolan and Mills will not give up on acquiring Bryant without a fight, as evidenced by the trio's decision to fly cross country at a moment's notice.
It is unclear if any additional meetings are scheduled or if Bryant will visit New York. But the same source revealed that the Knicks are the only Eastern Conference team Bryant will negotiate with. Bryant has already met with the Los Angeles Clippers and Denver Nuggets, although it is widely believed he will eventually re-sign with the Lakers.
Unlike the Clippers and Nuggets, the Knicks are over the salary cap and cannot sign Bryant to a maximum contract. Also, the Lakers have ruled out the possibility of a sign-and-trade.
The Knicks have only their $5 million exception to use for Bryant, which puts them at a distinct disadvantage. However, the fact that Bryant's representatives contacted the Knicks is an encouraging sign for a club that had vowed to do its due diligence this summer.
Bryant's endorsement deal with Nike could play a huge role in his future. It has been reported that Nike may be willing to increase Bryant's deal if he landed in the media capital of the world. The most the Knicks could offer Bryant is a six-year contract worth approximately $38 million. By comparison, Bryant already has an offer on the table from the Lakers worth $140 million.
When asked on Tuesday if Nike could help bring Bryant to Madison Square Garden, Thomas said: "I can't speak for Nike and all those other people, but at the end of the day, I mean, I hope it happens, but I just don't see how this will happen."
That same day, Thomas told beat reporters that he hoped to meet with Bryant next week in Los Angeles when the Knicks' summer-league team heads to the West Coast. Those plans abruptly changed when Bryant's camp contacted the Knicks Tuesday night and asked for a meeting.
For the past few months, the Knicks have been realistic about their chances of signing Bryant, regarded as the best perimeter player in the league. In an interview in April, Dolan said that with Thomas running the basketball operation anything is possible, including landing Bryant. "I don't know what (Thomas) is going to do in the offseason," Dolan said. "I don't know if he knows. But he can count on our support. Sure are some interesting things you guys are bringing up, Kobe Bryant. Maybe we can get Kobe."
In recent weeks, Thomas has made it clear that salary-cap restrictions make it difficult this summer for the Knicks to acquire players such as Bryant and Rasheed Wallace. The Knicks' best chance of upgrading their roster is via a trade. Thomas has exchanged sign-and-trade proposals with the Chicago Bulls regarding free-agent guard Jamal Crawford and also has interest in Mavs forward Antoine Walker.
Toronto's Vince Carter may be on the market, but the Knicks' only chance of making a trade for Carter would be if they offered Stephon Marbury, and that's a trade Thomas is not prepared to make.
Then again, Thomas won't have to trade for an impact player if he somehow defies the odds and signs Bryant.
Originally published on July 8, 2004
5/20/2006 11:55 AM