http://hoopshype.com/salaries/new_york.htm

Assuming we don't make any trades involving us giving up an expiring for a big salary, we should be way under the cap going into the 2010/2011 season. The NBA salary cap has gone up roughly 3 million dollars every summer, so taking that into account, the salary cap should be about $64 million. With that said, we can throw around $19 million around lebron right now. BUT, there is going to be a first round draft pick this year (none next year -- marbury trade to Utah) which will add on about 3 million a year. So that leaves us with $16 million. If we do the proposed deal for harrington, that will cut off $11 million dollars, which would leave us with 27 million. Now this is the radical part of the idea. I say we trade Crawford, Jeffries, and our #1 pick for $17 million in expiring contracts. That trade would leave us with $44 million in cap space. There are tons of excellent unrestricted free agents that summer, more than I realized. We should not be going just for one, but more than one. There are so many first tier players, that I believe the second tier guys are going to be a bit "overlooked".

Look at this free agent class, amazing!
Lebron James
Kobe Bryant
Dwayne Wade
Amare Stoudamire
Yao Ming
Chris Bosh
Dirk Nowitzki
Tony Parker
Paul Pierce
Michael Redd

I think these are the guys that are going to be overlooked
Caron Butler
Tyson Chandler
Pao Gasol
Al Horford (restricted)
Samuel Dalembert
Richard Jefferson
Tayshaun Prince
Josh Howard
Mike Dunleavy
Peja Stojakovic
TJ Ford


Lebron is probably going to command around $26 million dollars, which would leave us with $18 million dollars. Assuming we get lebron, our lineup would be:
PG-?
SG-Chandler
SF-Lebron
PF-Danilo
C-Zach

Here's a stretch, with that lineup, we are a point guard a way from a championship, and we MIGHT be able to convince Dwayne Wade to sign here for $18 million dollars (or convince lebron to take a little less and give wade a little more). There is not going to be a huge bidding war for wade, considering he is hurt a lot and there are so many options at SG/PG (kobe, parker, redd, caron butler, pierce) so donnie might just be able to pull it off, but he has to trade our pick to get rid of crawford and JJ2, and god knows every knick fan is going to bitch about it, but we have to see the big picture. Is our first round pick really going to be better than Dwayne Wade, and this draft class coming in is nothing special.

We would have to call ourselves the big 5!!! In 2010 Wilson Chandler is going to be nearing All-Star status (not elite but all star), Zach will be in his prime (hes only 26), and Danilo will be in the league for 3 years (I have no idea how that translates because he has played 4 minutes). And then add Lebron and Wade to that! If we dont win the championship I think the entire knick fan base should create a colt, and perform the largest mass suicide ever.

Donnie would be my hero if this came true, he would be Danny Ainge V2.0. And it is possible because of the depth of the class. There is going to be a third world war over lebron james. Greece and other countries will be throwing $50 million a year at him. We will be throwing $26 million and Donnie will be saying "do you really want to go over to Greece? Come here and win a championship. P.S. lebron, we are also getting dwayne wade, but keep that on the DL." Plus, he wants to play in NY or the Bronx so we already have the upper hand. The next target on most teams list is Kobe Bryant, then Amare Stoudamire and some teams might have parker or bosh ahead of wade. So after signing lebron, Donnie has to call up Dwayne, say "hey Dwayne, did you hear we just signed lebron for a long long time? I know you and lebron are kinda tight from that whole olympics thing, so why don't you sign here and win a few championships for us? We only have 18 million big ones left, but hey, you and lebron will be kings here, everything will be free and New York will love you two. The whole world will love you. So what do you say, I have your plane ticket ready and lebron will pick you up in our private jet. Dwayne: ummm, well I just saw teams throw all their money at Kobe and Amare and Bosh, and I only got one other call from the minnesota timberwolves for 23 million, but who wants to play in Minnesota? So yeah, I'm now a knick. Donnie: Sounds great Dwayne, glad to have you. Here's lebrons cell number (I'm not allowed to give that out -- lebron will kill me) and give him a call when your at the airport. Great doing business" Donnie hangs up the phone and than says "Jesus Christ I'm good at this ****".

I think most everyone is in agreement that we will not squander any moves this time, that we are on a two year plan and that Lebron is our main target.

I thought all of this was very possible when Donnie came aboard and here we are. Don't count on just trying to sign Lebron on. This line-up can look very, very different in a few more years. And at this point realistically' the only sure stays may in fact be Nate and Chandler. Because basically, everyone else either and/or has too many complaints against them or are still a question mark as to health.

Nice post.

I like the fact knowing that management is not going to do an Isiah move just to get talent. I really trust them for the most part.
Again, once we get that first move done, things will become much much clearer.
Looking forward to that move and have a feeling it will be sooner rather than later.

where did you get your FA list and cap situation. according to realgm the cap and free agents are as i said.

also off is what the cap number has increased. The economy is slowing, and league revenues are going to be going down. The cap number might flatten out over the next couple years.

haha dam. thats what i get for using realgm and hoopshype