Apr 02, 2010 11:43 AM EST
Donnie Walsh addressed ongoing speculation over why he paid a steep price to dump the contract of Jared Jeffries on the day of the trade deadline in February.

While some have wondered whether the move was made simply to ensure that the Knicks are able to retain David Lee, Walsh pointedly notes that he can now offer two maximum-salary contracts this summer.

"That's the beauty of having the ability to have two," Walsh said with a laugh. "I can't answer every question as to what if this guy does this, and another guy does that. But basically we're in a position where we can go out and make offers, and we will with whoever's out there."

But Walsh says he did not have inside information about any free-agent's intentions that caused him to pull the trigger.

"It was the last day of the trading deadline, and I had to weigh the ability to have another $10 million worth of room, which could be substantial in the summer and also for the future if you regulate it the right way, versus what I gave up," he said. "I didn't want to give up Jordan Hill, and I certainly didn't want to give up a draft choice. So when I went back and forth with myself, I thought the ability to regulate this cap is more important than anything else, and so that's what I did, and I vowed to myself to try to make up for what I lost. We'll see how that goes."

Walsh denies any unspoken agreement between the Knicks and any free-agent-to-be.

"But there’s no understanding, or ‘I know what I’m doing’ as far as specifics. No. We’re like the rest of the world. We have to go in there and try to get the best players we can."

Walsh says he will have several contingency plans in place.

"I'm not telling any plans. I'm not doing that. But look, there's going to be Plan A, B, C, D, E, F and so on. It's going to be like that. I'm not going to write 'em out, no, but they're written out in my head."

Walsh insists that he will only commit to players he feels can turn the team around in short order.

"If you've taken all your flexibility for the next 3-4 years, you got to be damn sure that the guys you're bringing in can do the job."

TMS wrote:i was told never to believe a word Donnie Walsh says.

TMS wrote:i was told never to believe a word Donnie Walsh says.

Did you believe a word Isiah or Layden said?

BasketballJones wrote:We all know he already signed Joe Johnson, and we're mad as hell about it!

I think Walsh has done an excellent job at selling the current group short and making anyone that he gets as an upgrade. Now the question will be can he sell it to the public. It will include actual performance. I wonder what he will do if the Knicks start off slow again with whatever changes he makes.

simrud wrote:Hard to sell the current group short don't you think?

It's hard to say. Is it a product of their abilities or intensity level of the coaching staff. We haven't really seen a staff that has been fighting for their jobs to get the best out of their team. It will be interesting to see next year what will happen.

Pharzeone wrote:

BasketballJones wrote:We all know he already signed Joe Johnson, and we're mad as hell about it!

I think Walsh has done an excellent job at selling the current group short and making anyone that he gets as an upgrade. Now the question will be can he sell it to the public. It will include actual performance. I wonder what he will do if the Knicks start off slow again with whatever changes he makes.

About the only thing this regime has excelled at is the art of excuse making, throwing talent under the bus, and lowering expectations to such a degree that anything will seem like an improvement.

I just dont get why the media has treated Walsh and El Diva with such kid gloves. I think it has a lot to do with the Knicks just being an irrelevant franchise now.

iSergio wrote:Pretty cut and dry for me. If Donnie Walsh does not use the cap room to sign 2 of these MAX FA's - LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, Amare Stoudemire, Joe Johnson - he failed. It's really 'LeBron or Bust' but if Walsh ends up with Bosh and Johnson, I don't think the media or the majority of the fan base will kill him. If he ends up wasting the cap on re-signing David Lee and he adds Johnson and signs a bunch of mediocre players like Marcus Camby or Jermaine O'Neal, the media will and should kill him and the entire fan base should call for his firing. Walsh did his job in clearing cap room but that does not make him untouchable. He MUST finish the plan and come away with 2 Stars.

See I disagree with the "media will kill him" opine. Walsh has consistently floated the idea that trading a chunk of our assets, to rid ourselves of Jeffries, does not necessarily suggest that he's going to sign two max free agents this off-season and that it was done, primarily, for "flexibility.'

So far nobody in the media has really called him on it.

Allanfan20 wrote:

TMS wrote:i was told never to believe a word Donnie Walsh says.

Did you believe a word Isiah or Layden said?

yep, i actually believe Isiah when he says he would have picked Channing Frye #1 overall.