Hicks And Knicks Are No Mix. Newsday. 05-25-07. (Blog)
By Alan Hahn

This has to be the worst time of year for any of the non-playoff teams. You have to sit through this purgatory and wait until you can finally make moves again and get your team ready for the coming year.

But it might be a long wait, kids. I know you all are thirsty for rumors - legit ones, I mean - but let's get real. The Kevin Garnett talk is media-driven, from what I'm told and, to be honest, there's little chance the Knicks would be a front-runner to land him if he were on the market. Pau Gasol would be the next-best fit, but the Knicks, again, don't really have anything to offer to interest the low-budget Grizzlies, who are not about to take on a major salary, at least not for a player in his 30s.


And if you're Larry Bird, would you trade your franchise player -- we're talking Jermaine O'Neal now -- to not just Isiah Thomas, but the hated Knicks?

Yes, Bird told NBA.com that the Pacers would be interested in acquiring a first-round pick to replace the one they lost to Atlanta as a result of the Al Harrington deal (clearly a worse deal than Isiah's deal for Eddy Curry). The Knicks have a pick at No. 23 and would be willing to part with it in a package for O'Neal.

But, again, why make the Knicks better at your expense? What's the best the Pacers can get from the Knicks? Just to make the salaries match, you'd have to start the bidding with Stephon Marbury and the No. 23 pick for J-O. I don't think fans in Indiana would be happy about that, though Marbury's image -- what with the Starbury line and his recent feature on Oprah --would be a dramatic improvement to what the Pacers have had there in recent years.

I've been told that, despite their close relationship, Isiah still would consider dealing Marbury, especially if it improved the team. I also feel that Marbury might be ready to get out of New York and away from the media scrutiny that has dogged him. But where would that leave the Knicks in the backcourt? Sure, they'd be stronger in the paint - though it remains to be seen if O'Neal and Curry could mesh their games - but while I have confidence in Mardy Collins, I'm not sure he's ready for a 40-minutes-a-night role. Is Steve Francis the guy you put at the point with Mardy off the bench? Possibly.

Let's just assume, as Ken Berger reported last week, that Isiah has no plans to buy out Francis and let him float down to Houston at a discount. So as far as you know, Francis is going to be a Knick next season because, as some of you correctly noted, no way Houston picks up that salary in a trade.

Marbury and O'Neal have almost identical salaries in the next two years. Marbury has a player option after next season and his deal is up after 2008-09, which saves the Pacers one year off O'Neal's deal. I removed Channing Frye from this equation for several reasons, including the fact that Indiana has Troy Murphy who is pretty much the same type of player. Frye has some post-up potential, but both are soft defenders. Murphy is a better rebounder.

But this is all just fantasy league chatter, because Bird dealing O'Neal to the Knicks would be as likely as Isiah dealing Curry to Michael Jordan and the Bobcats. You know how much Isiah loves Michael.

Ah, to dream the impossible dream.

Posted by franco12:

this is no different than the trade proposals we have made- only this guy got paid to write it.

Story of our lives.

Bird may not have much of a choice in terms of trading partners. JO is going to be making about 19.7, 21.3 and 22.9 mil over the last 3 years of his contract. Man that's a lot of cash for any team to want to absorb and RISK on a guy that tends to get injured lately. He may just have a more healthy season next year, but do teams really feel comfortable taking that chance? JO will likely want some kind of extension at some point soon too. The Knicks are one of the few teams that will absorb such a hit and not blink.

I still don't see Steph being a part of that trade. I just don't get the idea that Isiah wants to send him away at this point. Others have proposed deals that would work financially and would clear the right players from our roster.

Thats the thing,
we have been doing this sort of thing for the past 7 years. Why get a player that is questionable with injuries, especially one that is due that much money. I like JO's game as long as he can prove that he can stay healthy. Maybe playing along side Eddy Curry would mean he doesnt have to bang as much. But that is still alot to gamble with.

If I had to choose between Jo and Carter. I would probably choose JO.

this is just a rationalization for trading steph, i can't see indiana wanting to have two overpaid NY point guards.