Posted by djsunyc:
my sources are the ny post and tmz.

With those guys and FOX, what else do you need?

First, fish, let’s get the numbers right. No one is talking about $5 million for Sessions.

If we started him at 4 and the allowable reduction the next year he would be at $3.4 million in 2010. That’s roughly what we would be paying a lottery pick (again, if we had one).

Second, I don’t think anyone denies that adding salary is a risk to the 2010 plan. It’s a risk you weigh against the importance of building a team. DJ thinks we can suck and offer a FA less money and get him because we are in NY. Some other people have their doubts. How much of a draw is playing in D’Antoni’s system if the team plays like they did last season? Not much, I think.

You yourself say you think we will manage to move JJ and/or Curry next season. Two plans might be a) we napalm the roster and sleep-walk through a season with rent-a-players in the hope that we can convince two FAs to sign here because they would be playing with Gallo and we are in NY, or b) we build up enough to establish a system and show the team is going somewhere in order to convince a FA that he will be joining a team, not a ghost town.

In the (a) scenario we stike out and we are left with either picking up scraps or holding out for another year to 2011. In the (b) scenario we strike out we have a team with a bunch of good assets that aren’t being devalued because we suck. When Walsh got here the plan he outlined was (b) and my read is, with his interest in Kidd, Hill, Miller, Sessions, etc that this is what he still trying for. But his testicular fortitude has retracted like the head of a frightened turtle because of the doomsday cap scenario the league laid out.

And we are left in no-mans land in-between.


[Edited by - rembee76 on 09-09-2009 12:44 PM]

Posted by RemBee76:

Posted by djsunyc:
my sources are the ny post and tmz.

With those guys and FOX, what else do you need?

First, fish, let’s get the numbers right. No one is talking about $5 million for Sessions.

If we started him at 4 and the allowable reduction the next year he would be at $3.4 million in 2010. That’s roughly what we would be paying a lottery pick (again, if we had one).

it was my understanding that $4M and the 8% reduction for year 2 with perhaps a team option for that year was exactly what Walsh had intended to offer Sessions; perhaps Sessions was looking for a 4 year guarantee (which makes sense from his agent's perspective).

Posted by RemBee76:

Martin, according to Sessions' agent he and the Knicks had a 4 year deal on the table. It was Walsh who withdrew.

I just can't understand why Walsh can't get D'Antoni a bloody point-guard. The T-Wolves got three while we watched.

there are 2 parts to the story, pre-release of the salary cap #'s and post (possible 5% reduction in 2010 cap to put it at ~$50-53M.) I think late in the 2008-2009 season everyone thought the 2010 cap would be somewhere around $60M - the typical, gradual increase from year to year. The Knicks fans were even talking about being able to sign 2 Max free agents with a little work.

End of 2009 hits and Donnie is looking at JKidd for 3 years at the MLE and possibly Hill for vet min for a year. After rejection from both, Donnie moves on to Sessions and even Sessions' agent says they are close to signing with the Knicks (2 years, 4 years, whatever). And then the salary cap #'s hit and it's a reduction.

Plan B with the off-season signings is put into place, because if the cap is $50M, you can't sign an extra player at $4M and guarantee the ability to sign Max agent and also flesh out a team with anyone else (Lee or Nate or a center, etc).

Posted by kam77:
Max money is a % of the cap. 50 mil or 60 mil... makes practically no difference in the ability to sign two guys.

Except that the contracts we have already on the books aren't a percentage of the cap, Kam. They are what they are.

quote]

Posted by Markji:


Comparing Sessions to Toney Douglas....will have to see how Douglas does. Sessions has obviously improved his game since college. But if you compare Toney Douglas's college game to that of Sessions, Douglas was a far superior college player both offensively and defensively. Plus Douglas is tremendously quick and has excellent basketball sense. So to say Douglas will be better than Sessions after Douglas has 1 year's experience under his belt, I think is a fair evaluation.

Posted by MS:

Comparing Douglas in college to Sessions is just f****** stupid. They are the same age. While Session was playing against men, Douglas was a man 23 playing against 18 and 19 year olds.

Click on TKB.TV window and hear Tommy Dee's take on Sessions and Douglas, comparing their college performances. It seems like I am in good company with others who are "just f****** stupid." Thanks for the compliment!

http://www.theknicksblog.com/category/tkbtv/