-Melo is becoming a leader and a player we are comfortable building around, and has put up steady all-nba numbers the past 3 years.
-Chandler has consistently been a top defender and center each season.
-Stoudemire recovered to nicely the first 2 seasons, but declined again in his 3rd season and is now a steady role player.
-Shumpert has emerged as an all-nba defender and capable scorer in the Andre Igoudala mold.
-Felton has become a steady performer as the starting PG and fit in nicely the past 3 seasons.

We have the cap space and are intent to resign Anthony, Chandler, and pick up Shumpert's option. Felton has a player option as well but it is unknown if he will stay another year. It appears as if we have just enough space to sign one max FA after resigning Anthony and Chandler because both take slightly less than market value so we can add that one player.

Would you prefer that one player to be Kevin Love who is unhappy with the direction of Minn and interested in coming to the most attractive situation with max space, or Kyrie Irving, who is very interested in returning to the tri-state area to join the Knicks? Let's assume both players are healthy, continue to improve, and are both well-worth max money. Which would you choose and why?

CashMoney wrote:Sign me up for Kevin Love. He'll be 27, stretches the floor, can post up, solid from the line and is a beast on the boards.

Got to go with the Love Man. Rebounds are forever. Nice jumper. Could be a DeBusschre re-incarnate.

VCoug wrote:

Knixkik wrote:This is a hypothetical scenario, how about playing along. I think this is very realistic given the fact that we will remain competitive without rebuilding. Only change would be if Stoudemire is dealt in his final year. Either way we are reloading around Melo, Chandler, and Shumpert by adding hopefully one more star and continuing to upgrade the supporting cast.

We won't have the cap space to keep those players and sign Love to a max deal. Tyson and Melo will have a combined cap hold around $38M and we'll owe Felton, Shumpert, and Novak a little under $4M apiece which would bring our cap level to around $49M. And that's assuming we don't resign JR to a longer deal sometime in the next two offseasons. It also assumes that none of our draft picks in the next three years are on the roster.

You are probably right but will the cap remain the same?

Sign and trade? We might have a few first rounders to trade by then.

VCoug wrote:

mrKnickShot wrote:

VCoug wrote:

Knixkik wrote:This is a hypothetical scenario, how about playing along. I think this is very realistic given the fact that we will remain competitive without rebuilding. Only change would be if Stoudemire is dealt in his final year. Either way we are reloading around Melo, Chandler, and Shumpert by adding hopefully one more star and continuing to upgrade the supporting cast.

We won't have the cap space to keep those players and sign Love to a max deal. Tyson and Melo will have a combined cap hold around $38M and we'll owe Felton, Shumpert, and Novak a little under $4M apiece which would bring our cap level to around $49M. And that's assuming we don't resign JR to a longer deal sometime in the next two offseasons. It also assumes that none of our draft picks in the next three years are on the roster.

You are probably right but will the cap remain the same?

Sign and trade? We might have a few first rounders to trade by then.

It definitely won't remain the same and I have to believe that it would increase by then. But, based solely on contract we currently have, we have only $9M in space based on the current cap.

Yeah - it can only happen via trade.

I am a huge KLove fan and as it stands today, is the perfect fit for this team. Swap him for Amare (not to diss Amare) and we are really the beasts of the east.

gunsnewing wrote:

VCoug wrote:

Knixkik wrote:This is a hypothetical scenario, how about playing along. I think this is very realistic given the fact that we will remain competitive without rebuilding. Only change would be if Stoudemire is dealt in his final year. Either way we are reloading around Melo, Chandler, and Shumpert by adding hopefully one more star and continuing to upgrade the supporting cast.

We won't have the cap space to keep those players and sign Love to a max deal. Tyson and Melo will have a combined cap hold around $38M and we'll owe Felton, Shumpert, and Novak a little under $4M apiece which would bring our cap level to around $49M. And that's assuming we don't resign JR to a longer deal sometime in the next two offseasons. It also assumes that none of our draft picks in the next three years are on the roster.

Sounds like an exciting next 3yrs while Miami, LA, OKC rack up championships. You would think James Dolan is our owner

If you asked me 3 years ago if I would expect the knicks to be in the situation with the team they have going into next year, I could not have dreamed that this would be possible - with the way things were then.

Half Full

VCoug wrote:

mrKnickShot wrote:

gunsnewing wrote:

VCoug wrote:

Knixkik wrote:This is a hypothetical scenario, how about playing along. I think this is very realistic given the fact that we will remain competitive without rebuilding. Only change would be if Stoudemire is dealt in his final year. Either way we are reloading around Melo, Chandler, and Shumpert by adding hopefully one more star and continuing to upgrade the supporting cast.

We won't have the cap space to keep those players and sign Love to a max deal. Tyson and Melo will have a combined cap hold around $38M and we'll owe Felton, Shumpert, and Novak a little under $4M apiece which would bring our cap level to around $49M. And that's assuming we don't resign JR to a longer deal sometime in the next two offseasons. It also assumes that none of our draft picks in the next three years are on the roster.

Sounds like an exciting next 3yrs while Miami, LA, OKC rack up championships. You would think James Dolan is our owner

If you asked me 3 years ago if I would expect the knicks to be in the situation with the team they have going into next year, I could not have dreamed that this would be possible - with the way things were then.

Half Full

Neither did I and this is still the best team we've had since Ewing was playing. Still, Melo, Amare, and Tyson didn't look like they could play at the same time at all last season. So, unless those three figure it out or Amare moves to the bench, I'm not too optimistic about our chances to win a title. I'm also not too optimistic about blowing up our team and rebuilding again. It'll look really bad if we have to give up after 3 seasons and I don't have faith that Dolan et al will be able to convince another great player to take another shot on us.

I share the same fear. However, I do believe that we were be contenders if not for Lebron and Miami. I don't think anyone can contend with them, not even the Lakers. Kobe is on the downside of his career, Howard's back is a question mark and Nash is going to be 40.

OKC is stacked and they did not do better against Miami than we did and we did not even have a PG. Stat punched himself out and Tyson had a pretty bad series.

We can only be better.

Knixkik wrote:When all of our players are FAs and we are about to reload:

- Tyson Chandler tears his MCL and faces a tough year of rehab

- Amar'e Stoudemire has lefranc surgery

- Iman Shumpert develops a jumper and averages 21.6 a game

- Ray Felton averages 9 assists and is named Captain

- Carmelo Anthony retires unexpectedly to pursue a film career

- After two disappointing years in Houston, Jeremy Lin - following treatment for depression - and a year of rumors, gets a second chance in New York

"dese guys don;t do nuttin da easy way"

Bonn1997 wrote:Dolan does a complete roster purge every 2 years. Looking at our roster now and speculating on 3 years from now is pointless.

Yes, but as recent patterns also show, we eventually get Knicks who were traded years back traded back to us. Which former Knicks do you want returning in 3 years? Gallinari a Knick again? The Mayor?