Posted by BlueSeats:

Briggs, were did you get it in your head that Odom can be had for the MLE?

He's an unrestricted FA and there is very limited money out there this year. LA is already at the 75mm $ mark next year. Because he is 30 he will have to compete with guys who are younger for the small amount of space that there will be--he might get it but usually that goes to younger players. I can't guarantee that he will take 6 years 38mm or whatever it is but it might be his best option in this environment. It's possible he could play for 1 year looking to cash in but then you are leaving 30mm on the table with a lot of risk.

Posted by nyk4ever:

Posted by BRIGGS:

Posted by djsunyc:

you guys want to target a player? go after marion. you put marion + lee at the 3/4 and you are dominating the boards every single night. then you can go a get two big time scorers in the backcourt and go to war with that.

Hey you're getting on board but Lamar is the better fit than Marion--on top of which I think there is high plausibility that Marion will take Raptor money which will be more than the MLE. Lamar has played on a championship level team and is one of the main cogs. He's more versatile than Marion with the bigger body. I really think Lamar here would be very close to 20-10-5-- a player like that with a couple of other sound moves would instantly make us serious players. I know most people don't watch anyone other than the KNicks--believe me Lamar Odom is a great player in his absolute prime and perfect for this system.

Nice. Briggs insulting the board because people don't agree with him about wanting Odom. Yeah Briggs, you're the only one who watches basketball.

nyk--Im not insulting anyone. I watch almost every Laker game since they got Bynum. I know how good Lamar is especially for this system we play. I don't think anyone here watches 60 Laker games a year? Since they injected him back into the starting line up he's played like a 1st team NBA all star. He accepted a lesser role and for the last few years especially this one. BUt make no mistake--in this system--he can average 20-10-5. When I hear somoen call Lamar Odom soft--I know they don't watch him play or atleast havent seen a great deal of him in sometime. He's very very aggressive.

I don't want to subtract from this team--I want to enhance. I'll be the first one to say that I believe in what Don Nelson said about Al--he thinks he's a superstar. Well superstar is a big word but how can we be blind to what Al Harrington has done here? We must keep him--he's great. He's averaging nearly 22 points and 7 rebounds with an efg of 47.8%--try to replace that.

You KEEP
Lee Nate Harrington Chandler Duhon obviously Wilcox and Hughes have cameos next year but I like Wilcox as a back up. I don't know what will happen with Gallinari but lets suggest he will be a competent solid bench player who can grow into a bigger role over 3-4 years until proven otherwise. We certainly cant suggest that we will pencil him in as the starting 4 and we know he will be a great player--he's very very far from anything like that.

So how do the Knicks get better--we could win the lottery and get Griffin--that would take care of the 4 but it's like a 1% chance--and maybe none if we make the playoffs. So why not be smart and attack FA NOW when no one else is willing to spend? LO is a UFA. I really think we can get him or atleast have a great shot at it. I cant think of many players better than LO for this system. You resign Lee and Nate and over an extension to Al. That way our core is set for 4-5 years. You enhance --you don't subtract. This is a good team that needs more and I think we can get it.

[Edited by - BRIGGS on 02-24-2009 6:13 PM]

Posted by BRIGGS:

Posted by BlueSeats:

Briggs, were did you get it in your head that Odom can be had for the MLE?

He's an unrestricted FA and there is very limited money out there this year. LA is already at the 75mm $ mark next year. Because he is 30 he will have to compete with guys who are younger for the small amount of space that there will be--he might get it but usually that goes to younger players. I can't guarantee that he will take 6 years 38mm or whatever it is but it might be his best option in this environment. It's possible he could play for 1 year looking to cash in but then you are leaving 30mm on the table with a lot of risk.

It would be a pay cut of nearly half for a player you say is at the top of his career. If you can get him for the MLE you gotta take that, but it wont happen. Even Nate and Lee will get more than that.

You say he's playing all-NBA caliber and then suggest we can get him for 6M/yr (when he makes 12M now).

Tell ya what, lets just get all the all-NBA players for 6M/yr and call it a day.

You think Al Harrington's value is 8M/yr but Odom will only get 6M?

Posted by CrushAlot:

I like Oden, but I don't think he would sign for the MLE and I believe he is one failed drug test away from being out of the league for good. Coming back to NY might not be in his best interests even though he has obviously matured.

u're about to get sued by greg oden.

I do believe Odom who be perfect for our coach and I would be willing to trade Harrington for him in a S&T in the off season.

for the MLE? done deal

won't happen, Odom will want to get paid

Posted by fishmike:

if there is nothing out there for him a Duhon deal might be an option. If Odom signs here for 2 years he will be 32 and could still get a hefty extension.

or realistically, Odom does a 1 year deal and waits for the flood gates to open in 2010.

Posted by martin:

Posted by fishmike:

if there is nothing out there for him a Duhon deal might be an option. If Odom signs here for 2 years he will be 32 and could still get a hefty extension.

or realistically, Odom does a 1 year deal and waits for the flood gates to open in 2010.

martin--if you were Lamar Odom and the Knicks offered you a 2 year MLE with a player option on year 2 telling him that he will be the starting PF[No Bynum here--he is the 6th man in LA] on an up tempo Dantoni team? Don't you think he would take it--and don't you think that he would be great for the Knicks? Number 1 that does not disrupt 2010 number 2 it makes us much better number 3 it gives LO the best place to do his thing

Posted by knicksbabyyeah:

So wait, you're saying he'll leave 5-8 million on the table to join a rebuilding team that may or may not resign him in the future while he's playing a 6th man role for a championship contender?

We do no have that grabbing power as of yet.

Why would Odom not go with the "show me the money", when there's a major economic downturn and you do not know how the new CBA in 2011 is going to be and there's already talk there might be another lockout.

If you were Odom would you really sign for less, in this current environment?


that's Crazy

Agreed; some team will give him the full MLE or more, which means at least $30 mil of guaranteed money. I don't think he'll give that up just to get a 2 year deal here. It would be a huge gamble.