abs wrote:billups will play better with melo and stat then will felton...yes he is older and slower but a much better leader orchestrator distributor and shooter plus his resume has plenty of playoff exp...might even be a better mentor to finally get through to douglas who loves to shoot and create for himself rather than create for others...

i agree w/u, they don't call Billups Mr. "Big Shot" for nothing... the guy is nails in postseason play.

1. i think it is unrealistic to expect that a franchise tag provision will be in effect and control players who negotiated contracts under the prior CBA. i'm sorry. in my opinion, it would be unfair to restrict players who negotiated their deals under the prior CBA. it is just not fair to those guys who did everything they had to do to fulfill their deals and earn their right to be free agents.

2. no matter what the new CBA entails, superstars are gonna get paid. it's not gonna be so drastic that a guy like melo is gonna lose $50M by waiting. i'm under the impression that we'll see a reduction in the MLE and shorter contract maximums (which i'm not even sure really matters since most of the top guys like to have opt outs every few years so they can take advantage as they progress through the increasing payscale)

Finestrg wrote:

TMS wrote:

Finestrg wrote:

TMS wrote:i pretty much agree w/this guy's article:

http://newyork.sbnation.com/2011/2/15/1995384/the-price-isnt-too-high-make-the-trade-knicks

The Price Isn't Too High - Make the Trade, Knicks

By Joe Caporoso - Contributor

The Knicks need to start building their own big three, right now

Feb 15, 2011 - As SB Nation has been covering today, the New York Knicks have the ability to obtain Carmelo Anthony for Raymond Felton, Danillo Gallinari, another starter (likely Wilson Chandler), Eddy Curry's expiring contract (is that his full name now?), and a first round pick in return for Anthony and Chauncey Billups.

The initial reaction of many has been that the price is too steep and the Knicks should walk away from the offer. However, the more you watch this team hover around .500 and the more you realize they are only four games away from not even being a playoff team in the East, the more you need to get on board with this deal.

Yes, Raymond Felton got off to a very strong start but there is no arguing his play has declined in the previous the month, which has concincided with the Knicks being a 5-10 team in that period. Gallinari is young and has plenty of potential but believe it not, you have to give up something to get somebody like Carmelo Anthony on your team. Wilson Chandler would likely be the third piece in the deal and that is fine because you have to part with his fragile self before you let Landry Fields go anywhere.

The approach of waiting until free agency is starting to seem like a crap-shoot, with Anthony now entertaining the thought of signing an extension in Denver. There is also a chance another team, Chicago, Dallas, or Houston jumps in at the last hour before the trade deadline and spends the next few months getting Anthony to pen a long term deal.

If you are the Knicks, you take Billups for the rest of the season, put Anthony with Amare Stoudemaire, Landry Fields, and your collection of bench players (Shawne Williams, Bill Walker, Ronny Turiaf, Toney Douglas) and hope to make some noise in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The younger players will gain some worthy experience, while Anthony and Stoudemaire can get used to playing together in a big spot. After the season, you buyout Billups for 4 million dollars instead of paying his ridiculous 2011 salary and play the waiting game for Chris Paul or Deron Williams who should be counting the seconds until they could join Anthony and Stoudemaire.

If this team ever wants to win a title in a conference shared with the Celtics, Heat, Magic, and Bulls...it is going to take more than what they have now, way more. Raymond Felton is a nice player, but long term it is going to take a big three of Stoudemaire, Anthony, and Paul or Williams supported by an ideal role player like Fields and a young bench that hopefully develops to knock off any of those powers.

Me too but the PG situation concerns me a little bit with this scenario as does this guy's plan for next year..Suppose we do this exactly how this guy outlines it: Take on Billups now and then buy him out for $4M in the offseason to avoid playing him the full $14M. Who's our PG next year?? This guy's basically saying scrap the whole year next season and wait for Paul or D-Will..I don't know if I agree with that...If anything, I'd keep Billups next year and just let him expire normally..Why waste an entire season?? To be honest, I would rather exclude Felton from the deal altogether and sweeten the pot another way -- maybe Moz or Moz and a 2014 1st rounder if necessary (assuming we're already either trading Randolph for a 1 or trading him to Minny and the Wolves then redirecting a 1st rounder + Corey Brewer) in lieu of Felton..So we're looking at:

Gallo, Chandler, Curry's expiring, AR for a pick [AR to Minny who agrees to send DEN Brewer + a 1st rounder], Moz OR Moz and our 2014 1st, $3M cash

What'dya think? Think they'd rather have Felton and save about $7M with Billups or could they be convinced to take Moz/Moz + that 2014 1st? I'd rather the later..Hefty price but I think I'd prefer that and we keep Ray...Then again, I'd love to keep AR outta this and actually PLAY HIM NEXT YEAR (AR slides into the Gallinari role where I think he'd better compliment STAT & Melo) but I have no confidence is ever gonna play him, so I guess he's gotta go..I don't even know any more man..

yeah bro i think u just made a good point about holding onto Billups... only problem w/that is it leaves us with zero cap space to target anyone else, so we'll have to hope that Mozgov develops into a viable fulltime starting C option for next season & we can grab a capable backup PG on a minimum contract... that's not an impossible scenario tho... having Billups as a 1.5 year stopgap is more than fine with me, i don't see him as much of a dropoff from Felton at all... if anything i'd trust his poise & experience in the playoffs over Felton, postseason basketball is a totally different animal i think that's when Billups' value becomes even greater.

I think you could be right about Billups over Felton in a playoff setting. Chauncey's a winner on the biggest stage, proven & experienced - the dude can still play --- last time I looked at his stats he was somewhere around 16 ppg, 6 assts, 45% from 3..That's still very good production..However, crazy as it sounds, I think I'd rather forge ahead with Ray Felton who's younger and at a decent cost (my thinking is that Ray will be here long-term; Billups won't---just thinking about establishing chemisty with Ray, Amar'e and Melo right off the bat and then keeping that intact for awhile)..Then again, do you let Ray Felton hold up a deal to acquire Carmelo Anthony?? Probably not, esp. if YOU ARE getting a PG back in the deal, and a pretty good one...Gun to my head, I think I'd try to sell them the idea of Mozgov by himself or Moz + our 2014 1st in lieu of Ray.. Losing Mozgov is no big deal at all (DEN seems to like him as I've seen him name included in some of the packages, whereas I'd rather get rid of his salary and go with Jerome Jordan or maybe Keith Benson that we pick up in the draft) and losing that 2014 1 shouldn't be a big deal either..We should be a pretty good team by then..DEN supposedly covets picks; we'd be obliging them with an additional one..Think I'd prefer to go this route..Everyone hangs onto their own PGs..

Finestrg wrote:

TMS wrote:

Finestrg wrote:

TMS wrote:i pretty much agree w/this guy's article:

http://newyork.sbnation.com/2011/2/15/1995384/the-price-isnt-too-high-make-the-trade-knicks

The Price Isn't Too High - Make the Trade, Knicks

By Joe Caporoso - Contributor

The Knicks need to start building their own big three, right now

Feb 15, 2011 - As SB Nation has been covering today, the New York Knicks have the ability to obtain Carmelo Anthony for Raymond Felton, Danillo Gallinari, another starter (likely Wilson Chandler), Eddy Curry's expiring contract (is that his full name now?), and a first round pick in return for Anthony and Chauncey Billups.

The initial reaction of many has been that the price is too steep and the Knicks should walk away from the offer. However, the more you watch this team hover around .500 and the more you realize they are only four games away from not even being a playoff team in the East, the more you need to get on board with this deal.

Yes, Raymond Felton got off to a very strong start but there is no arguing his play has declined in the previous the month, which has concincided with the Knicks being a 5-10 team in that period. Gallinari is young and has plenty of potential but believe it not, you have to give up something to get somebody like Carmelo Anthony on your team. Wilson Chandler would likely be the third piece in the deal and that is fine because you have to part with his fragile self before you let Landry Fields go anywhere.

The approach of waiting until free agency is starting to seem like a crap-shoot, with Anthony now entertaining the thought of signing an extension in Denver. There is also a chance another team, Chicago, Dallas, or Houston jumps in at the last hour before the trade deadline and spends the next few months getting Anthony to pen a long term deal.

If you are the Knicks, you take Billups for the rest of the season, put Anthony with Amare Stoudemaire, Landry Fields, and your collection of bench players (Shawne Williams, Bill Walker, Ronny Turiaf, Toney Douglas) and hope to make some noise in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The younger players will gain some worthy experience, while Anthony and Stoudemaire can get used to playing together in a big spot. After the season, you buyout Billups for 4 million dollars instead of paying his ridiculous 2011 salary and play the waiting game for Chris Paul or Deron Williams who should be counting the seconds until they could join Anthony and Stoudemaire.

If this team ever wants to win a title in a conference shared with the Celtics, Heat, Magic, and Bulls...it is going to take more than what they have now, way more. Raymond Felton is a nice player, but long term it is going to take a big three of Stoudemaire, Anthony, and Paul or Williams supported by an ideal role player like Fields and a young bench that hopefully develops to knock off any of those powers.

Me too but the PG situation concerns me a little bit with this scenario as does this guy's plan for next year..Suppose we do this exactly how this guy outlines it: Take on Billups now and then buy him out for $4M in the offseason to avoid playing him the full $14M. Who's our PG next year?? This guy's basically saying scrap the whole year next season and wait for Paul or D-Will..I don't know if I agree with that...If anything, I'd keep Billups next year and just let him expire normally..Why waste an entire season?? To be honest, I would rather exclude Felton from the deal altogether and sweeten the pot another way -- maybe Moz or Moz and a 2014 1st rounder if necessary (assuming we're already either trading Randolph for a 1 or trading him to Minny and the Wolves then redirecting a 1st rounder + Corey Brewer) in lieu of Felton..So we're looking at:

Gallo, Chandler, Curry's expiring, AR for a pick [AR to Minny who agrees to send DEN Brewer + a 1st rounder], Moz OR Moz and our 2014 1st, $3M cash

What'dya think? Think they'd rather have Felton and save about $7M with Billups or could they be convinced to take Moz/Moz + that 2014 1st? I'd rather the later..Hefty price but I think I'd prefer that and we keep Ray...Then again, I'd love to keep AR outta this and actually PLAY HIM NEXT YEAR (AR slides into the Gallinari role where I think he'd better compliment STAT & Melo) but I have no confidence is ever gonna play him, so I guess he's gotta go..I don't even know any more man..

yeah bro i think u just made a good point about holding onto Billups... only problem w/that is it leaves us with zero cap space to target anyone else, so we'll have to hope that Mozgov develops into a viable fulltime starting C option for next season & we can grab a capable backup PG on a minimum contract... that's not an impossible scenario tho... having Billups as a 1.5 year stopgap is more than fine with me, i don't see him as much of a dropoff from Felton at all... if anything i'd trust his poise & experience in the playoffs over Felton, postseason basketball is a totally different animal i think that's when Billups' value becomes even greater.

I think you could be right about Billups over Felton in a playoff setting. Chauncey's a winner on the biggest stage, proven & experienced - the dude can still play --- last time I looked at his stats he was somewhere around 16 ppg, 6 assts, 45% from 3..That's still very good production..However, crazy as it sounds, I think I'd rather forge ahead with Ray Felton who's younger and at a decent cost (my thinking is that Ray will be here long-term; Billups won't---just thinking about establishing chemisty with Ray, Amar'e and Melo right off the bat and then keeping that intact for awhile)..Then again, do you let Ray Felton hold up a deal to acquire Carmelo Anthony?? Probably not, esp. if YOU ARE getting a PG back in the deal, and a pretty good one...Gun to my head though, I think I'd try to sell them the idea of Mozgov by himself or Moz + our 2014 1st in lieu of Ray.. Losing Mozgov is no big deal at all (I don't think he can play but DEN seems to like him as I've seen him name included in some of the packages, plus I'd rather get rid of his salary and go with Jerome Jordan or maybe Keith Benson that we pick up in the draft---a combination of J Jordan AND Keith Benson could be a real nice C duo for years to come) and losing that 2014 1 shouldn't be a big deal either..We should be a pretty good team by then..DEN supposedly covets picks; we'd be obliging them with an additional one..Think I'd prefer to go this route..Everyone hangs onto their own PGs..

i figure if we're gonna make any kind of play for CP3 or Deron in 2012 then Felton won't be re-signed anyway... for 2011 & 2012, i think that trade makes the Knicks better... after that who knows what happens, i can't look 2 years down the road, i don't even know what i'm gonna eat for dinner tomorrow.

eViL wrote:

Silverfuel wrote:

eViL wrote:

Silverfuel wrote:

eViL wrote:put it to you this way, do you think lebron really entertained signing anywhere but miami? i don't. then why did he host all those recruiting meetings? to give the appearance that it wasn't one big sham. the optimist in me feels like that's what this is. in the end, denver can say they tried to make the deal, NY can say they tried to make the deal, melo can say he kept his options open just like he said he would, and then finally, when he signs, he says "ny was just the best place for me and my family and it gives me the best chance at a title." then everyone but us can hate him for coming here. the end.

that's my explanation to why you hear about Donnie being in trade talks. the alternative is no trade talks and it looks like we've been tampering the whole time.

We have absolutely nothing to discuss then because we are talking about two totally different things. The issue at hand is the trade talks and if the trade talks are a sham then you and anyone else that feels this way can rest assured that NYK players like Gallo, Chandler etc are not going anywhere. If I were to reach that conclusion, I wouldn't even bother with these trade threads.

yeah, that's why i said i kinda feel dumb for even being involved. but then i have to ask, why do you participate in these threads?

thanks. i think you've managed to successfully convince me to stop posting on the forum, to stop talking sports, and to just enjoy the games!

Since you brought up the theory that the whole Lebron, Wade and Bosh summer was a sham, I have a question for you. If you think that FA summer was pre-planned by Wade, Lebron and Bosh, don't you think it would have been better for them if they had just come out in the beginning and admitted they were going to play in Miami? I mean, the media killed them for the next few weeks after the 3 ended up in Miami.

had they admitted that they planned it all along, i think it would have really looked bad for the league. the perception would be that both bosh and lebron had abandoned their teams early (which is still the perception among many, but i think it'd be worse and more widespread had they admitted to their collusion). it was in everyone's best interest to pretend that they were "keeping their options open" the whole time and then WHADDAYAKNOW all 3 good buddies end up on the same team. that was the key phrase for all 3 guys last year "keeping my options open." melo seems to say it a lot too.

Finestrg wrote:

abs wrote:

Finestrg wrote:

TMS wrote:

Finestrg wrote:

TMS wrote:i pretty much agree w/this guy's article:

http://newyork.sbnation.com/2011/2/15/1995384/the-price-isnt-too-high-make-the-trade-knicks

The Price Isn't Too High - Make the Trade, Knicks

By Joe Caporoso - Contributor

The Knicks need to start building their own big three, right now

Feb 15, 2011 - As SB Nation has been covering today, the New York Knicks have the ability to obtain Carmelo Anthony for Raymond Felton, Danillo Gallinari, another starter (likely Wilson Chandler), Eddy Curry's expiring contract (is that his full name now?), and a first round pick in return for Anthony and Chauncey Billups.

The initial reaction of many has been that the price is too steep and the Knicks should walk away from the offer. However, the more you watch this team hover around .500 and the more you realize they are only four games away from not even being a playoff team in the East, the more you need to get on board with this deal.

Yes, Raymond Felton got off to a very strong start but there is no arguing his play has declined in the previous the month, which has concincided with the Knicks being a 5-10 team in that period. Gallinari is young and has plenty of potential but believe it not, you have to give up something to get somebody like Carmelo Anthony on your team. Wilson Chandler would likely be the third piece in the deal and that is fine because you have to part with his fragile self before you let Landry Fields go anywhere.

The approach of waiting until free agency is starting to seem like a crap-shoot, with Anthony now entertaining the thought of signing an extension in Denver. There is also a chance another team, Chicago, Dallas, or Houston jumps in at the last hour before the trade deadline and spends the next few months getting Anthony to pen a long term deal.

If you are the Knicks, you take Billups for the rest of the season, put Anthony with Amare Stoudemaire, Landry Fields, and your collection of bench players (Shawne Williams, Bill Walker, Ronny Turiaf, Toney Douglas) and hope to make some noise in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The younger players will gain some worthy experience, while Anthony and Stoudemaire can get used to playing together in a big spot. After the season, you buyout Billups for 4 million dollars instead of paying his ridiculous 2011 salary and play the waiting game for Chris Paul or Deron Williams who should be counting the seconds until they could join Anthony and Stoudemaire.

If this team ever wants to win a title in a conference shared with the Celtics, Heat, Magic, and Bulls...it is going to take more than what they have now, way more. Raymond Felton is a nice player, but long term it is going to take a big three of Stoudemaire, Anthony, and Paul or Williams supported by an ideal role player like Fields and a young bench that hopefully develops to knock off any of those powers.

Me too but the PG situation concerns me a little bit with this scenario as does this guy's plan for next year..Suppose we do this exactly how this guy outlines it: Take on Billups now and then buy him out for $4M in the offseason to avoid playing him the full $14M. Who's our PG next year?? This guy's basically saying scrap the whole year next season and wait for Paul or D-Will..I don't know if I agree with that...If anything, I'd keep Billups next year and just let him expire normally..Why waste an entire season?? To be honest, I would rather exclude Felton from the deal altogether and sweeten the pot another way -- maybe Moz or Moz and a 2014 1st rounder if necessary (assuming we're already either trading Randolph for a 1 or trading him to Minny and the Wolves then redirecting a 1st rounder + Corey Brewer) in lieu of Felton..So we're looking at:

Gallo, Chandler, Curry's expiring, AR for a pick [AR to Minny who agrees to send DEN Brewer + a 1st rounder], Moz OR Moz and our 2014 1st, $3M cash

What'dya think? Think they'd rather have Felton and save about $7M with Billups or could they be convinced to take Moz/Moz + that 2014 1st? I'd rather the later..Hefty price but I think I'd prefer that and we keep Ray...Then again, I'd love to keep AR outta this and actually PLAY HIM NEXT YEAR (AR slides into the Gallinari role where I think he'd better compliment STAT & Melo) but I have no confidence is ever gonna play him, so I guess he's gotta go..I don't even know any more man..

yeah bro i think u just made a good point about holding onto Billups... only problem w/that is it leaves us with zero cap space to target anyone else, so we'll have to hope that Mozgov develops into a viable fulltime starting C option for next season & we can grab a capable backup PG on a minimum contract... that's not an impossible scenario tho... having Billups as a 1.5 year stopgap is more than fine with me, i don't see him as much of a dropoff from Felton at all... if anything i'd trust his poise & experience in the playoffs over Felton, postseason basketball is a totally different animal i think that's when Billups' value becomes even greater.

I think you could be right about Billups over Felton in a playoff setting. Chauncey's a winner on the biggest stage, proven & experienced - the dude can still play --- last time I looked at his stats he was somewhere around 16 ppg, 6 assts, 45% from 3..That's still very good production..However, crazy as it sounds, I think I'd rather forge ahead with Ray Felton who's younger and at a decent cost (my thinking is that Ray will be here long-term; Billups won't---just thinking about establishing chemisty with Ray, Amar'e and Melo right off the bat and then keeping that intact for awhile)..Then again, do you let Ray Felton hold up a deal to acquire Carmelo Anthony?? Probably not, esp. if YOU ARE getting a PG back in the deal, and a pretty good one...Gun to my head, I think I'd try to sell them the idea of Mozgov by himself or Moz + our 2014 1st in lieu of Ray.. Losing Mozgov is no big deal at all (DEN seems to like him as I've seen him name included in some of the packages, whereas I'd rather get rid of his salary and go with Jerome Jordan or maybe Keith Benson that we pick up in the draft) and losing that 2014 1 shouldn't be a big deal either..We should be a pretty good team by then..DEN supposedly covets picks; we'd be obliging them with an additional one..Think I'd prefer to go this route..Everyone hangs onto their own PGs..

so if moz goes where is the height on this team which already has shown they are poor defensively dont rebound well and who in playoffs this year do you think we beat playing small ball without moz

Just fleshed out my thoughts a little further up top --- for the rest of this year, I'd go with Turiaf at C, or Amar'e at the 5 if need be (a guy like Jeff Adrien is only a phone call away if we wanna go that route. We will have a couple of extra roster spots open after this trade goes down in all likelihood)..Then for next year we incorperate 7'1" Jerome Jordan, a guy I consider a better player than Mozgov, and seriously think about drafting 6'11" Oakland C Keith Benson.

Next year's lineup in the revised version where we keep Felton:

5 - Jerome Jordan/Keith Benson/Turiaf
4 - Amar'e Stoudemire/Jeff Adrien
3 - Melo/Shawne Williams
2 - Landry Fields/Walker/Rautins
1 - Ray Felton/TD

It won't work out like this I'm sure but I'd go to war with that team in a second..12 deep, star power, more size, improved rebounding and defense...Every one of those 12 guys can play..I think they'd all complement each other very well..

tkf wrote:

TMS wrote:

tkf wrote:

TMS wrote:

OldFan wrote:

TMS wrote:i pretty much agree w/this guy's article:

http://newyork.sbnation.com/2011/2/15/1995384/the-price-isnt-too-high-make-the-trade-knicks

The Price Isn't Too High - Make the Trade, Knicks

By Joe Caporoso - Contributor

The Knicks need to start building their own big three, right now

Feb 15, 2011 - As SB Nation has been covering today, the New York Knicks have the ability to obtain Carmelo Anthony for Raymond Felton, Danillo Gallinari, another starter (likely Wilson Chandler), Eddy Curry's expiring contract (is that his full name now?), and a first round pick in return for Anthony and Chauncey Billups.

The initial reaction of many has been that the price is too steep and the Knicks should walk away from the offer. However, the more you watch this team hover around .500 and the more you realize they are only four games away from not even being a playoff team in the East, the more you need to get on board with this deal.

Yes, Raymond Felton got off to a very strong start but there is no arguing his play has declined in the previous the month, which has concincided with the Knicks being a 5-10 team in that period. Gallinari is young and has plenty of potential but believe it not, you have to give up something to get somebody like Carmelo Anthony on your team. Wilson Chandler would likely be the third piece in the deal and that is fine because you have to part with his fragile self before you let Landry Fields go anywhere.

The approach of waiting until free agency is starting to seem like a crap-shoot, with Anthony now entertaining the thought of signing an extension in Denver. There is also a chance another team, Chicago, Dallas, or Houston jumps in at the last hour before the trade deadline and spends the next few months getting Anthony to pen a long term deal.

If you are the Knicks, you take Billups for the rest of the season, put Anthony with Amare Stoudemaire, Landry Fields, and your collection of bench players (Shawne Williams, Bill Walker, Ronny Turiaf, Toney Douglas) and hope to make some noise in the Eastern Conference playoffs. The younger players will gain some worthy experience, while Anthony and Stoudemaire can get used to playing together in a big spot. After the season, you buyout Billups for 4 million dollars instead of paying his ridiculous 2011 salary and play the waiting game for Chris Paul or Deron Williams who should be counting the seconds until they could join Anthony and Stoudemaire.

If this team ever wants to win a title in a conference shared with the Celtics, Heat, Magic, and Bulls...it is going to take more than what they have now, way more. Raymond Felton is a nice player, but long term it is going to take a big three of Stoudemaire, Anthony, and Paul or Williams supported by an ideal role player like Fields and a young bench that hopefully develops to knock off any of those powers.

So you make this trade and you're still a superstar and a defense away from being a contender. Sound like a plan.

as opposed to your plan which is to develop Gallo & Wilson into the superstars we need to take us to the title?

I think people are ignoring the last part.. a young bench that "hopefully" develops.. haha so we are banking on williams, walker, turiaf and douglas becomming a championship bench, but can't bank on chandler and gallo becomming allstar talents... and they are closer to allstar level than those other guys are to championship bench ability..

the point of the article was to say you need the stars & have the bench around them to win a title... it didn't put any onus on our bench guys developing into stars themselves... if u don't think guys like Williams, Walker, Turiaf & Douglas can become a championship worthy bench then tell me how guys like Leon Powe, Trevor Ariza, Luke Walton, Eddie House, etc. have championship rings on their finger.

good question.. here is my answer.. ariza, walton had the best player in the world on their team... we don't and we won't.

Powe, and house had the big 3, who collectively are as good as any 3 in the league... We don't and we won't....

so if you don't have a kobe, or a wade, or a KG, or a pierce and ray allen, your bench has to be that much better..

the Pistons' championship squad had role players like Darvin Ham, Lindsey Hunter, Corliss Williamson & Elden Campbell... they didn't & never did have the best players in the league... they didn't even have any players close to Melo & Amare's level.

"now" implies fear of regret. "Now" implies "before its too late"!

fans make lousy traders because your doing it on emotions.

Here is what I know to be one fact that should drive Donnie and thats market value. Lebron and Bosh set the market price.

Any player that wants to join forces with another star takes a pay cut. The going rate is about 14-15 mil per year. Win and your endorsement stock goes up. Do it in NY its higher.

So while I would honor Melos salary for next year at 18mil that 65 mil extension for 3 years is a cap killer. I don't know a think about the future CBA so I can't comment on it.

there are other deals to make and other ways to improve the team. Starphuching "NOW" is fear mongering. Nalod don't play the fear game.

The implication of wanting "guarantee's" by the pro Melo for Gallo camp kind of shows the fear is in place for some of you. Watching Yankee fans piss in their pants over CC's quote and Cliff Lee's non signing as some kind of freak out. Yankee fans don't want to watch the games or "win" a championship, they want the season to "confirm" a championship won on paper. Yankee core was build on the minor leagues and the core of Jeter, Mariano, Posada, and Petite. Put Bernie in there also. The rest were added.

Donnie has his core picked out. If melo is on it and thinks 1+1=3 then he'll choose the role players.

If he is wrong what is the worst thing that happens?

Keep the picks, keep adding assets and good things will happen.

Im for bringing in Melo at the expense of assets not in our core and for market price. Im ok with the market price for Amare but market price now for all-star players has dropped. If melo wants the money he should stay in Denver. If he wants a depleted team he goes to Nets. If he is serious, he Becomes a Knick.

Same writers that are mongering the "NOW" are the same that are gonna be all over the teams ass if they don't live up to expectations and spew the same fear and loathing as usual.

Want guarantees? But a Certificate of Deposit (CD) from your favorite bank. No risk.

In Donnie we Trust