ESPN INSIDER says:
Kurt Thomas, Charlie Ward and Travis Knight, Knicks
Their names came up again as part of the Walker trade. Apparently, Scott Layden offered Thomas, Ward and Knight to the Celtics in return for Walker . Layden also offered this combination to the Mavs for LaFrentz and to the Warriors for Nick Van Exel . Clearly all three are still in play. Ward has a $2 million buyout on his $6 million contract this season. Knight is in the last year of his deal. The Knicks need to trim a roster spot or two, so expect Layden to keep working the phones to make something happen. With Dikembe Mutombo in the fold, apparently Thomas is now expendable.

im happy the knicks didnt make the trade for walker, because i dont think he is a team player or a good defender. but it is good to see layden trying to make something happen. i would have liked to get lafrentz i think he would do great next to deke. also he can strech the defense with his shooting. that would also give us to legit shot blockers with him and deke.

You guys probaly won't even give him credit if he continues pulling off trades to continue to better this team huh? It's called forgiveness, we had 15 straight good playoff years.

Good points made Bernard! We think everybody wants to work in NY.

"He had an aging, overpaid team that was in inevitable decline. He had a management that didn't want to rebuild, he had a press corp and fan base that for some reason I'll never understand refused to embrace our superstar, and he had a superstar who therefore wanted out."

This is where you are wrong, and why Layden is a BAD GM. A good GM would recognize the state of his roster (old and declining) and see the inevitable coming and do something about it.

An example of GOOD GM is in Indiana. Walsh knew the core of Antonio Davis, Dale Davis, Jalen Rose, Reggie Miller, Rik Smits and Derrik McKey wasnt going to win a title. So rather then adding MORE OLD players to a declining core he did the opposite. He traded Dale Davis for Jermaine Oneil. He didnt trade his draftpicks for players like Othella, and instead drafted a HS kid named Al Harrington. He traded his best player in Rose for young moveable players like Mercer, Miller and Artest. He drafted and brought in YOUNG players like Bender and Foster and all he has to show for it is one of the more talented rosters in the NBA.

Ernie Grunfeld recognized the Knicks plight and lack of athletecism and traded fan favorite Oakley for Camby. He traded OLD guys like Starks, Cummings and Mills for a then 27 year old Sprewell.

Layden has been terrible. You dont run a team based on fans and media, you do it based on what best for the team. Rather then just letting Ewing's $20 million expire and actually give us cap space he turned that into Rice, Longley, Knight, Anderson, and Eisley. Great way to rebuild.

He traded picks away for guys like Othella and Eric Strickland, at a time when we had NO young players.

Half of being a GM is NOT LUCK. Its all about having a plan. Granted, some plans dont work out, the MAgic's plan was get under the cap and sign 2 max level studs. Good plan. TMac has been great, GHill...not so great. The fact that Hill got hurt doesnt take away from the plan was solid.

What's LAyden's plan? McDyess was NOT a good gamble. He was coming off major surgery and cost us too much. On top of that he was part of a roster that had 6 guards and 7 PFs. Good plan.

He drafts 2 PFs this year. Ok, I can live with just taking the best players available, and Sweetney and Lampe were arguably those players. Thats fine. So please explain to me why you then trade Spree for ANOTHER POWERFORWARD. Another good plan Scottie. Thomas, McDyess, KVH, Spoon, Harrington, Lampe, Sweetney all PFs. Knight and Doleac might as well be also. Good plan Scottie.

Somebody please tell me why NOT screwing up the draft constitutes "steps in the right direction"

This guys is total garbage and has PLENTY of chances to chage the make up of this team. Offering Ward and Thomas for every all star in the league and getting hung up on is NOT a good effort.

This is a touchy subject with Knick fans. Layden has definitely screwed up, and he has also made attempts at correcting it. However - I stress the term ATTEMPTS. Nothing has panned out yet, yes we have a center now (he might suck) yes we have 2 draft picks now (they might not get any playing time) yes we got rid of Spree for someone younger (nobody wants him, he could be decent).

Layden has been shopping the combo of KT, Ward and Knight since last season - nobody wants them. We have a team overloaded with PF's nobody wants or needs. McDyess...please guys, come on - lets be realistic for once about him. He has been no good for this team, all of our hopes are on his bum knee. I would love nothing more then to see the guy come back and be a 20-10 type of player but I am just not that optomistic. He shouldnt even be in the team equation until he can prove that he can come back and remain durable. Everyone who lists him as our starting PF is only kidding themselves. He might take that job someday but that is a huge if - and I wouldnt gamble a franchise on it.

Overall I would let Layden finish this year, cut him some slack - and see what Layden v3.0 can produce on the court. Another losing season and he should be fired - a decent season and maybe he's got another year left in him to prove more.

I agree with you Fish...great post

Fish:

I'm with you on the step backward today for 2 steps forward tomorrow. There's a good deal of risk in doing this as who knows what Dallas #1 next year or Welsh will turn into, but you don't become a top-level team without taking some risk and making some good and lucky calls. I see the Spree/KVH deal as a variation on the 1 step, 2 step cha cha: a step back today vs. 2 steps back tomorrow.

I'd prefer to be stocking up with players that are improving rather than just getting rid of ones that are declining. Don't know what was available for Spree ... certainly tried to shop for him long enough that I suspect it wasn't much. And if we had trouble getting value for spree, what will we get for the overpaid, over-the-hill gang we've got left.

One thing's for sure: I'd rather write off Travis than have to watch him get any run.

Sounds to me man that you've been spoiled by Steinbrenner too much. Remember there aren't too many Owners in sports like him, so to compare him with others would be unfair. The nets haven't won squat yet but conf titles , knicks did that already.

Ok I feel you on that, Layden help screw the team up , but now who's gonna give him ample time to straighten things out?

Posted by playa2:

Sounds to me man that you've been spoiled by Steinbrenner too much. Remember there aren't too many Owners in sports like him, so to compare him with others would be unfair. The nets haven't won squat yet but conf titles , knicks did that already.

yea playa but under the ownership of George and he isn't as involved in the nets as much as he is with his pet team the yankees, has already turned the nets from the ridiculous to the sublime and they are young and will compete for years to come, the knicks have not done that in a long time bro..