http://games.espn.go.com/nba/tradeMachine?tradeId=4g7u8wv

** This assumes Portland does NOT expect to get out from under Roy's contract via medical retirement. Harrington's remaining 4 years is only 50% guaranteed the last 2 years. They give up Batum, but replace with Gallinari. They give up Fernandez and swap Batum/Gallanari and get massive cap relief with the Harrington/Roy swap.

- Denver gets the young wing they reportedly covet (Batum), a replacement for Smith at low-cost who could excel in their offensive system (Fernandez), major cap relief, can do what they like with Randolph, and the Knicks throw in a pick.

- Sacramento is the x-factor. They have the cap room to absorb Mozgov, who would replace the expiring Dalembert. Knicks might have to pony up $3m to cover most of his 2011-12 salary. They are terrible and aren't going to attract any significant free agents. They gotta amass young talent and hope they get lucky with a few. Perhaps they take a flier?

Minnesota could do it too, but they're already stocked with Eastern European 5's.

- For the Knicks. They get Anthony, get to keep Chandler as a Bird FA, keep their 2011 draft pick, and only give up 2 rotation players (Gallo, Walker). This scenario basically operates under the assumption by adding Melo and keeping Chandler at a market rate contract, Knicks won't have any significant cap room any time during Stat/Melo's final 3 years.

Roy, who again, is assuming will not seek or receive medical retirement gets to take the rest of the year off, and tries to come back as a 6th-7th man, and mentor to Fields.

Understood, it's HIGH risk/iffy high reward, but if he can find a way to recover 75% of what he once was and you don't care how far over the cap the Knicks will be the next 4 1/2 years, it's a crazy but intriquing (to me anyway) thought.

Epilogue: If Paul pulls a 'Melo next deadline, you got Felton and Chandler and try to use as trade bait.

So go head, let me have it, I can take it.

TMS wrote:i'm not sure why Sacramento would even want to get involved here just to get back Mozgov & Rautins, 2 guys that can't even break the rotation... Mozgov is gonna have to prove something first before he brings any kind of value in a trade.

Well, he wouldn't be bringing any value. Rautins is not guaranteed next year and adding $3m to the deal essentially pays for Mozgoz in 2011-2012.

Yes, these aren't rotation players for a 22 win team. Could they be on an 8 win team is another matter.

Knickoftime wrote:

TMS wrote:i'm not sure why Sacramento would even want to get involved here just to get back Mozgov & Rautins, 2 guys that can't even break the rotation... Mozgov is gonna have to prove something first before he brings any kind of value in a trade.

Well, he wouldn't be bringing any value. Rautins is not guaranteed next year and adding $3m to the deal essentially pays for Mozgoz in 2011-2012.

Yes, these aren't rotation players for a 22 win team. Could they be on an 8 win team is another matter.

i see your line of reasoning but personally i don't think they'd be willing to commit $6M over the next 2 years into a player they don't even know is worthy of draft consideration... if they were previously high on Mozgov i could see them doing it, but haven't read any reports associating their interest in Mozgov at all, or any other teams for that matter... also remember they already have a pair of young C's that need development in Cousins & Whiteside, i doubt they'd be looking to take on another one... if anything they'd want a solid vet to bring on that can help groom those guys.

the reports i've been hearing are that the Knicks are interested in Omri Casspi, so any deal w/SAC i think would more likely involve him, maybe as a secondary move after Gallo gets dealt in a different trade?

EwingsGlass wrote:Well that's not entirely true. Depending on how they spend their money, after signing Melo they could still have cap space the following year. It really depends on how they use it, whether they resign guys like Chandler, Felton, Gallo, Randolph.

Oh agreed. This would fall into the "keep Chandler" scenario, which would mean when 2012-13 rolled around, you gotta think Stat/'Mel/Chandler will be making $50m between them. Not to mention Gallo's cap hold is over $12 and Fields will command the average salary.

The Chandler decision has to be made BEFORE the 2012-2013 options likely start coming into focus.

I'm not suggesting the Paul/Williams door has to be closed completely, but I think an alternative path to letting guys go to create cap space is to HOLD onto the drafted core (Chandler-Fields-Gallo) and hope they progress to the point that maybe they can anchor a trade for someone in the 2012 class.

Unless he falls off a cliff, I gotta think the keep Chandler, which makes max cap space in 2012 impossible.