Vmart wrote:http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?page=FreeAgents-10-11

Thanks--I wonder if we could add Craig Smith on the cheap? He's a guy who matches up very well off the bench as a 4 and has shot 56+ his whole career. That is the type of guy who brings you production toughness and energy off the bench and if need be can start if there is injury. Can he be had for the LLE? He'd be a nice little get.

Kurt Thomas (3.8mil)
Craig Smith (2.3 mil)
Earl Watson (2.8 mil)

I do think LLE would work on at least two guys. Watson plays good defense and you can't have enough guys like that out there.

BRIGGS wrote:

EwingsGlass wrote:We don't have the LLE or the MLE to the extent we have cap space.

Thats what I thought unfortunately--we could use that LLE

I guess if we could swing full value sign and trades for two max free agents (including the trade exceptions), we would never be under the cap, so we would retain rights to any of our other FAs and our MLE and LLE. So, if you can convince other teams to take back re-signed combinations of Lee, McGrady, Harrington, or Duhon, in exchange for their max contracts, then we can retain the MLE and LLE. Until we renounce our players, we are still over the cap. But once we have verbal commitment from two max fa's, economically their former teams should scramble to get something in return.

My perfect (on crack) offseason would be

1) Obtain a 1st round pick and 2 more second rd picks.
2) S&T David Lee at $14M to Cleveland for Lebron maxed (under Larry Bird exception). This works under the 125% + 100k trade exception).
3) S&T Al Harrington at $9M per, Toney Douglas ($1.2M per), JR Giddens ($1.1M) and Wilson Chandler $2.1M) to Toronto for Bosh maxed (under Larry Bird exception). This also works under the 125% + 100k trade exception)
4) S&T McGrady to Orlando for pretty much any of their players (Gortat, Pietrus, Bass, a re-signed Redick)or any other team that can give use back an asset. Or re-sign him (if he promises to keep his mouth shut).
5) If there are any takers on S&Ts for Eddie House, Duhon, etc... just see if you can get anything in return. We could decide to keep House to fill out the bench.
6) Sign _________ to the MLE at $5.8M per year
7) Sign _________ to the LLE at $2M per year
8) Trade Eddy Curry for ________. (Take back up to $14.1M in salary).
9) Offer Sergio Rodriguez the Qualifying Offer (which he will turn down since he is returning to Spain, but this makes him an RFA if and when he ever returns)

You might call this a starphuck all over again, but you could put up a devastatingly amazing team but staying over the cap.

The differences this way, if it worked, versus renouncing FAs and using cap space are:
1) Bron and Bosh would get Larry Bird contracts
2) We could buy additional 1st rd picks without concern for the salary cap implications
3) We lose Chandler, TD (and any other assets it might take to get it done)
4) We can spend an additional $5.8M and $2M this year
5) We have the benefit of the rights to any other Knick FAs
6) We can retain rights to Sergio Rodriguez