I think the key to getting back on top is figuring out how to ship Allan out. Everyone who likes H20 please don't post a bunch of stuff about him improving his game. The salary structure of the NBA has changed. 5 years ago Indy would have signed B. Miller and had a pretty dominating front line. Now if you are not making a run why pay a dollar for dollar luxury tax? We have to move Allan. Period. I'm thinking New Jersey. The Nets are the worst Shooting team, and we all know the one thing Allan can do is shoot the ball. Also they don't need Dikembe. At this stage of his career Collins and Williams are good enough to back up Zo. NJ gets the outside shooting they desperatley need. They give up a center they don't need. Their payroll goes down. They will have to take on a longer contract but they will be still over the cap long after H2O contract is up. We might have to through in draft pick. We would have to take Dikembe massive contract. Which would increase our payroll. The good news is it's only for 2 more seasons (counting the upcoming season). So at the end of next season.
Allan contract is gone
Dikembe
McDyess
Ward
Thomas
Knight
Othella
and....Doleac
all, all, of them come off our cap!
This puts us under the cap. The lineup may look something like this:
C Varnes
PF Sweetney /Weatherspoon
SF Van Horn/Lampe
SG Anderson
PG Williams/Eisley/Milos
I know the lineup is kind of a pipedream. Varnes, Lampe, Milos could all be a bust, but that's irrelevant. The point is we would be under the cap the same year Kobe (if not in jail) will be a free agent. Other free agents that year will be Marbury, D. Stoudamire, Kenyon Martin, Spree, Desmond Mason, Stromile Swift, Payton, Malone, Camby, Steve Nash, Illgauskas, Darius Miles, Donyell Marshall, Antoine Walker, Shareef Abdur-Rahim, Theo Ratliff.
My guest is this will put us 12 mill under the cap. Plus midlevel exception of 5 mill, and veterens exception of 2 million. We will have enough money to sign two of these guys. One big guy one second tier guy. My pick Kobe/ Illgauskas. If Kobe' in jail then it's Shareef/Illgauskas
Real GM trade # 1158253

I don't think it's much of a pipe dream b/cuz LayDown is stupid enough to do this. It would be even worse of a nightmare for LaYDown to cut our throats and get the nets over the hump to possibly win a damn title.

Although you ripped up my trades, I won't return the favor even tho trading Dikembe for Allan would be all too easy. It's all only tossing around ideas, like I said when to you when you ripped my Allan for Sheed trade.

It's kind of a strange thing, this world of the luxury tax.

It makes it virtually impossible to keep a good team together--- and very difficult to add free agents. Everyone has the MLE... but only a handful teams have been bold enough to tap into it.

Indiana's trade was pretty sad-- they pretty much conceded to get worse (on paper) this season for the sake of keeping the team profitable. Pollard is not even close to Brad Miller; he's more like a modern day Chris Dudley, one step above being a stiff. Danny Ferry?!! Ack. This was a team that dominated for stretches during the regular season.

Atlanta's trade was pathetic as well. They traded a former all-star in his prime for a first round pick and a chance at profitability.

Both of these trades are fundamentally wrong-- they're trades in the name of business, not in the name of improving one's team.

In as much as this is happening, why can't players be traded for cash?

I for one hate this.

Posted by knixphan:

I gotta admit, I'd also do Sheed first. Just my take. Don't want to help the crosstown rivals.

Of course you would. It would be great for the Knicks. Very, very, bad for Portland. Trades only happen when both sides feel they've won. You don't give up the second best PF in the game for Allan Houston and KT or anyone on the Knicks.

C'mon people!! Knicks won't never get rid of Allan's contract, not for a looong time. THey luv the guy especially since he's their poster boy. To the Owners and front office, Allan is everything they want that represents the knicks organization. For ex. He's their good boy whose married,a father and no bad press. These stupid owners of Cablevision feels as long as he shoots the ball and doesn't get any negative press, he's alright with them. That's why they've been marketing him. Even though NJ desperately need a shooter, knicks would never give them their best shooter which would make Nets a hell of a team.

the knicks are not trying to get under the salary cap.