This is a very interesting way to keep Lee by using the qualifying offer. Check the full article for the details but here is a bit and the steps (Beginning is missing):

So, one way for the Knicks to re-sign David Lee while also signing two marquee free agents and not somehow getting rid of Eddy Curry would be the to have enough space left under the cap, notwithstanding Lee’s cap hold, to sign two free agents and then Lee, who I’m assuming in this exercise will take the Knicks one year qualifying offer this summer.

What’s that you say? David Lee’s cap hold would have to be pretty thin to fit under the cap after signing two max players and still having Curry eat the cap like so many big-macs? Well, I’m here to tell you that Lee’s cap hold under this scenario will be just $6,973,329.

David Lee’s cap hold is calculated by applying the scale set forth by the collective bargaining agreement and multiplying by the “free agent amount“, which for Lee will be 300% of his salary. As the 30th pick in the 2005 draft, Lee makes $1,788,033 this season, his fourth year option year, as mandated by the rookie scale. The qualifying offer is 30% higher than this years’ salary. The cap hold is 300% of your expiring players’ salary (if that salary is less than the league average). In this case, Lee’s salary under the qualifying offer is $2,324,443. 300% of that is $6,973,329.

And what is Jared Jeffries scheduled to make in 2010? The answer is $6,883,400. Clearly, then, the key in this scenario is to trade Jeffries for an expiring deal. Doing that, combined with the expected relief of losing Stephon, Q, Jerome, Harrington, Thomas, Malik, Duhon, and Roberson should create the space necessary to sign 2 max free agents despite Lee’s cap hold.


So, here is how the scenario plays out:

1. The Knicks trade Jeffries for an expiring deal.

2. David Lee does not sign an extension this summer, nor does he sign as a restricted free agent with another team. This would make him an unrestricted free agent in 2010.

3. The Knicks sign two marquee free agents in 2010, preferably LeBron James and Chris Bosh.

4. Under a conservative estimate, the Knicks have between $9-$10 million left under the cap, enough to fit Lee’s salary cap hold so that they can go over the cap to sign him. Heck, they could even give him the max!

5. The Knicks sign a RJ or a Rudy Gay or a Mike Miller or Randy Foye to the full mid-level.

6. The Knicks sign Steve Nash to the veterans’ minimum.

7. The Knicks sign Ray Allen to the bi-annual exception.

8. The Knicks field a team of Stephon Curry, Mike Miller, LeBron James, David Lee, Chris Bosh, Wilson Chandler, Danilo Gallinari, Ray Allen, Steve Nash, Eddy Curry (the new Jerome) and maybe Nate Robinson or whoever he is traded for.

Now, this assumes that Lee will play along by not demanding an extension this summer and not sign an offer sheet with another team. It’s unlikely, bit it does happen, as with Ben Gordon this past summer (though Gordon did not want it that way). Nor can Lee pull a Boozer on the Knicks and flee the scene when he’s unrestricted after entering into a wink wink deal.

But anyway, that’s how you keep Lee without having to trade Curry.

Fin.

http://www.knicksfan.net/

EMS

Then Lee has a career ending injury and loses out on $60 mil?! No human will take that risk. He may like the Knicks enough to give them something like a 10% hometown discount but no one should expect more than that.

Posted by Bonn1997:

Then Lee has a career ending injury and loses out on $60 mil?! No human will take that risk. He may like the Knicks enough to give them something like a 10% hometown discount but no one should expect more than that.

Yeah, there's no shot in hell Lee takes the QO, and nor should he be obliged to. He's earning every dollar he's going to make.

I can understand why Nate might do it, but even though since he's a little man, I wouldn't take the QO. With the way he plays, one big fall from him, and he could be toast, in terms of his career.