Theoretically we could go with signing Gasol and Courtney Lee, re-signing Gallo and Thomas.

Gasol/O'Quinn/Hernangomez
Porzingis/Thomas
Melo/Thanasis
Afflalo/Lee/Galloway
Calderon/Grant

What could Lopez fetch via trade? If it's a starting caliber 2 or 1, we've got something going. Much stronger playoff ability roster there. Could easily see us switch places with Chicago in the standings and move within the top 4.

Interesting to see what they do in the summer.

newyorker4ever wrote:

NardDogNation wrote:....I also don't think that Al Horford is a lock to re-sign with the Hawks. He's old enough where he'd be thinking about championships and as crazy as this sounds....I think the Knicks can get closer to one than the Hawks ever will since we have Melo, KP and have the ability still to bring in another guy. PLUS, he is Dominican and we got a boatload of those f**kers here in NY, lol (I'm half Hispanic so I guess that comment's okay, lol).

I like this scenario because we could come to a sign-and-trade agreement using Robin Lopez to offset his incoming max-salary and still retain a lot of our flexibility moving forward. And with Mike Muscala having shown promise in the past and Tiago Splitter already on the team, the Hawks might be fine with letting him go. Afterall, there is talk of them looking to go young: dumping Jeff Teague and promoting Dennis Schroder to starter.

STARTERS
PG: Mario Chalmers
SG: DeMarr Derozan
SF: Carmelo Anthony
PF: Kristaps Porzingis
C: Al Horford

ROTATION
G: Jerian Grant
G: Langston Galloway
F: Lance Thomas
F: Derrick Williams
C: Nene/Lou Amundson

....with a puncher's chance of getting Russell Westbrook in 2016 (and me liking the scenario a little more because of how close we'd be to being legitimate contenders).

Well i have to say that you have a great imagination to be able to come up with some great scenarios and all 3 of these teams you came up with and the ways you have us making them happen are great but they're also pretty unrealistic. If we could come away with this 3rd team you made up we'd be competing in the east right away and competing for a championship. If we could get D.Derozan, A.Horford, M.Chalmers and NeNe Hilario...................oh my goodness i'd be ecstatic.

Why is it unrealistic? The money works if we manage to dump Jose and O'Quinn, while sending Robin Lopez to the Hawks. We'd effectively have $54 million in cap space to spread between DeMar Derozan ($20 million), Al Horford ($25 million), Mario Chalmers ($8 million) and Nene ($5 million via the mini-mid level exception).

NardDogNation wrote:

nyknickzingis wrote:Going to add to my previous post in this thread. I had forgotten about Knicks drafting a Spanish young big guy in Hernangomez who is a powerful block player. Quite a good compliment to what Porzingis likes to do. Factor we have Calderon. If Pau wants, he can get a really nice situation here going to be a mentor for both a young Spanish player and KP. Play with Jose, and in the offense he has had the most success with. Now the note I'm going to add, is if we still have O'Quinn, and are able to sign Pau - who would be like signing an all-star level free agent - the Knicks now can move Lopez. I really like Lopez, he is a heck of a role playing big man. However if Hernangomez can play even 10-15 minutes a game next year, signing Pau allows the Knicks to move Lopez via trade for some guard/perimeter help. I do believe Lopez on the contract he is on is a valuable trade chip. I really like the guy though, and think he's a good partner for Porzingis/Melo as well. My scenario is based on Knicks not being able to sign Conley/Batum/DeRozan. If not, then the best guy available talent wise who would fit on offense is Pau. We may already be loaded in this spot, but he can do things no one else on the current roster can. Great post player. Great passer. Very smart player. Great mentor for Porzingis/Hernangomez as well.

Theoretically we could go with signing Gasol and Courtney Lee, re-signing Gallo and Thomas.

Gasol/O'Quinn/Hernangomez
Porzingis/Thomas
Melo/Thanasis
Afflalo/Lee/Galloway
Calderon/Grant

What could Lopez fetch via trade? If it's a starting caliber 2 or 1, we've got something going. Much stronger playoff ability roster there. Could easily see us switch places with Chicago in the standings and move within the top 4.

Interesting to see what they do in the summer.

Robin Lopez for Wes Matthews?

Gasol/O'Quinn/Hernangomez
Porzingis/Thomas
Melo/Parsons
Afflalo/Lee
Grant/Galloway/Calderon

That team is about 10 wins better than this one, at the very least. You could also play really smaller quicker highly skilled lineups like Porzingis or Gasol at 5, Melo at 4, Parsons at 3, Galloway at 2 and Calderon or Grant at 1.

Think we should look at it from outside the box - look at good fits with the most talent as opposed to the generic "positional" basketball needs. Yes Conley, Batum or DeRozan all make sense to a degree, but tons of teams are after them and they'll get huge offers. We may not be in position to get any of them. So instead of paying players who have been career 5th options or backups - starter money - we go out and make our strengths (front court) even stronger with Gasol/Parsons, improve our effectiveness in the Triangle/offense, and hope that with some development from Grant, less minute load on Afflalo (by signing a guy like Lee) we don't run into the same issues we're seeing this year. With Gasol we'll have a legit post up option, with Parsons a really good triple threat player who can fill in when Melo is hurt, and there's some realistic hope that Porzingis can elevate into a better scorer next year.

I'd pursue Batum, DeRozan and Conley (and flirt with Durant obviously, knowing he's likely not coming) - and also touch base with Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard. Both guys are major league talent, despite being in their 30's. Making your strengths even stronger isn't a bad thing. Even if your weaknesses don't improve as much, instead of being a team that can score 100 a night (on average) you're now capable to score 103 or 104. That's going to help as well. Just upgrade, period. Doesn't have to be at the weaker positions even tough obvious where we need the most help is at SG/PG.

nyknickzingis wrote:Not Matthews, but I'd see if I could get a sign and trade for Parsons, perhaps. Parsons would be a great fit in the Triangle and type of offense we do. Good bench guy.

Gasol/O'Quinn/Hernangomez
Porzingis/Thomas
Melo/Parsons
Afflalo/Lee
Grant/Galloway/Calderon

That team is about 10 wins better than this one, at the very least. You could also play really smaller quicker highly skilled lineups like Porzingis or Gasol at 5, Melo at 4, Parsons at 3, Galloway at 2 and Calderon or Grant at 1.

Think we should look at it from outside the box - look at good fits with the most talent as opposed to the generic "positional" basketball needs. Yes Conley, Batum or DeRozan all make sense to a degree, but tons of teams are after them and they'll get huge offers. We may not be in position to get any of them. So instead of paying players who have been career 5th options or backups - starter money - we go out and make our strengths (front court) even stronger with Gasol/Parsons, improve our effectiveness in the Triangle/offense, and hope that with some development from Grant, less minute load on Afflalo (by signing a guy like Lee) we don't run into the same issues we're seeing this year. With Gasol we'll have a legit post up option, with Parsons a really good triple threat player who can fill in when Melo is hurt, and there's some realistic hope that Porzingis can elevate into a better scorer next year.

I'd pursue Batum, DeRozan and Conley (and flirt with Durant obviously, knowing he's likely not coming) - and also touch base with Pau Gasol and Dwight Howard. Both guys are major league talent, despite being in their 30's. Making your strengths even stronger isn't a bad thing. Even if your weaknesses don't improve as much, instead of being a team that can score 100 a night (on average) you're now capable to score 103 or 104. That's going to help as well. Just upgrade, period. Doesn't have to be at the weaker positions even tough obvious where we need the most help is at SG/PG.

And as I said, if you can land someone like Gasol/Howard/Horford, you can then trade RoLo for a guard. This team getting a player like Horford or Gasol or Howard would help them, in a way upgrading from Calderon to Mario Chalmers or Affalo to Brazemore wouldn't. My first objective would be to sign Conley, Batum or DeRozan. But if all 3 don't land here, I wouldn't blow my cap money on role players.

newyorker4ever wrote:

NardDogNation wrote:

newyorker4ever wrote:

NardDogNation wrote:....I also don't think that Al Horford is a lock to re-sign with the Hawks. He's old enough where he'd be thinking about championships and as crazy as this sounds....I think the Knicks can get closer to one than the Hawks ever will since we have Melo, KP and have the ability still to bring in another guy. PLUS, he is Dominican and we got a boatload of those f**kers here in NY, lol (I'm half Hispanic so I guess that comment's okay, lol).

I like this scenario because we could come to a sign-and-trade agreement using Robin Lopez to offset his incoming max-salary and still retain a lot of our flexibility moving forward. And with Mike Muscala having shown promise in the past and Tiago Splitter already on the team, the Hawks might be fine with letting him go. Afterall, there is talk of them looking to go young: dumping Jeff Teague and promoting Dennis Schroder to starter.

STARTERS
PG: Mario Chalmers
SG: DeMarr Derozan
SF: Carmelo Anthony
PF: Kristaps Porzingis
C: Al Horford

ROTATION
G: Jerian Grant
G: Langston Galloway
F: Lance Thomas
F: Derrick Williams
C: Nene/Lou Amundson

....with a puncher's chance of getting Russell Westbrook in 2016 (and me liking the scenario a little more because of how close we'd be to being legitimate contenders).

Well i have to say that you have a great imagination to be able to come up with some great scenarios and all 3 of these teams you came up with and the ways you have us making them happen are great but they're also pretty unrealistic. If we could come away with this 3rd team you made up we'd be competing in the east right away and competing for a championship. If we could get D.Derozan, A.Horford, M.Chalmers and NeNe Hilario...................oh my goodness i'd be ecstatic.

Why is it unrealistic? The money works if we manage to dump Jose and O'Quinn, while sending Robin Lopez to the Hawks. We'd effectively have $54 million in cap space to spread between DeMar Derozan ($20 million), Al Horford ($25 million), Mario Chalmers ($8 million) and Nene ($5 million via the mini-mid level exception).

I'm not saying the money couldn't work i'm saying that it's unrealistic to do everything you have us doing while adding two really good/great players and a decent point guard and NeNe. That's a lot of good pieces for any team to add in one off season.....it's unrealistic.

The Miami Heat managed to acquire LeBron James, Chris Bosh and (primed) Mike Miller in just one offseason.

Cleveland then re-acquired LeBron James and traded for Kevin Love in one offseason.

The Boston Celtics traded for Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett in one offseason. Then proceeded to sign James Posey, PJ Brown and a host of solid role players in the process.

The Lakers, that same season, managed to acquire Pau Gasol and Trevor Ariza midseason. And if I'm not mistaken Derek Fisher in the previous offseason.

Was all that unrealistic?