2.) With a supporting cast of players enrolled in the AARP, we still managed to win 54 games and make the 2nd round of the playoffs. With a little stroke of luck with our health, we should be able to duplicate that performance and surpass it.

3.) For all the talk of us lacking flexibility to make trades, we have the means to create sizeable trade exceptions to help re-tool on the fly. Tyson Chandler, Steve Novak and Marcus Camby's contracts total approximately $22 million and could net us a theoretical package for as much as $26 million. Upstart teams like the Blazers or teams that are deluded enough to think that they can make the playoffs (the Cavs), would willing trade for these 3 and have the cap space to not send back any contracts. In fact, there are 16 teams that can at least trade for either Novak or Camby without sending back contracts in return, which bodes well in our favor especially when considering that more than half won't sign their free agent targets and be forced to resort to plan B and C. Add to the fact that we have about $3 million in non-gauranteed contracts to also trade and I think it becomes difficult to contest the fact fact we have options.

4.) As much as Amar'e has been a dud for us, his contract is manageable enough to move to a team looking to gamble. A team like the Nets, with a win-now mandate and a GM with a history of poor, short-sighted decisions would be a perfect partner. It'll come at the cost of Shumpert and future assets but it could be worth it if we have a 2nd tier free agent we could target via a sign and trade. I could see something like Amare, Shumpert and future draft picks for Humphries, Marshon Brooks and either Gerald Wallace or contract filler working.

5.) We seem to have finally established a niche in the foreign markets. Although we could potentially lose a number of key contributors from last season but could easily replace them via this market. Our improved eye in the draft should also allow us to grab a key contributor at 24.

6.) We still have one of the best players in the league (Melo) who has consistently gotten lesser teams to the playoffs. If we ever put a decent no.2 player with him (Igoudala and/or Smith), we can easily make the 2nd round of the playoffs and probably the Conference Finals.

7.) Impact players are constantly waived midseason and is another avenue for us to improve our team.

NardDogNation wrote:1.) For all the negative spin about us not having players that make other players better, we sure have had a number of guys have breakout seasons that get vastly overpaid in their contract years e.g. Jeremy Lin, Landry Fields, Steve Novak and soon enough, Chris Copeland; possibly Pablo Prigioni, Kenyon Martin and JR Smith. Even the guys that aren't overpaid, like Shawn Williams, have generated a healthy amount of league-wide interest in their services when there was none the season before. This trend should definitely encourage players to sign with us in hopes of improving their visibility/future earnings.

2.) With a supporting cast of players enrolled in the AARP, we still managed to win 54 games and make the 2nd round of the playoffs. With a little stroke of luck with our health, we should be able to duplicate that performance and surpass it.

3.) For all the talk of us lacking flexibility to make trades, we have the means to create sizeable trade exceptions to help re-tool on the fly. Tyson Chandler, Steve Novak and Marcus Camby's contracts total approximately $22 million and could net us a theoretical package for as much as $26 million. Upstart teams like the Blazers or teams that are deluded enough to think that they can make the playoffs (the Cavs), would willing trade for these 3 and have the cap space to not send back any contracts. In fact, there are 16 teams that can at least trade for either Novak or Camby without sending back contracts in return, which bodes well in our favor especially when considering that more than half won't sign their free agent targets and be forced to resort to plan B and C.

4.) As much as Amar'e has been a dud for us, his contract is manageable enough to move to a team looking to gamble. A team like the Nets, with a win-now mandate and a GM with a history of poor, short-sighted decisions would be a perfect partner. It'll come at the cost of Shumpert and future assets but it could be worth it if we have a 2nd tier free agent we could target via a sign and trade. I could see something like Amare, Shumpert and future draft picks for Humphries, Marshon Brooks and either Gerald Wallace or contract filler working.

thank you for being optimistic but

1) shawne took more $ from the NETS instead of resigning with us, then had an injury plague season and they brought him out

2)the cavs are getting varejao back, and are probably drafting a big with there #1 pick and nobody on the cavs or balzers roster is worth going after for the likes of ty and shump

3)humphries and brooks were both bench for a good portion of the season because of there motor and lack of defense, wallace is ok but i would rather take my chance with Amare playing 65 games..

NardDogNation wrote:1.) For all the negative spin about us not having players that make other players better, we sure have had a number of guys have breakout seasons that get vastly overpaid in their contract years e.g. Jeremy Lin, Landry Fields, Steve Novak and soon enough, Chris Copeland; possibly Pablo Prigioni, Kenyon Martin and JR Smith. Even the guys that aren't overpaid, like Shawn Williams, have generated a healthy amount of league-wide interest in their services when there was none the season before. This trend should definitely encourage players to sign with us in hopes of improving their visibility/future earnings.

2.) With a supporting cast of players enrolled in the AARP, we still managed to win 54 games and make the 2nd round of the playoffs. With a little stroke of luck with our health, we should be able to duplicate that performance and surpass it.

3.) For all the talk of us lacking flexibility to make trades, we have the means to create sizeable trade exceptions to help re-tool on the fly. Tyson Chandler, Steve Novak and Marcus Camby's contracts total approximately $22 million and could net us a theoretical package for as much as $26 million. Upstart teams like the Blazers or teams that are deluded enough to think that they can make the playoffs (the Cavs), would willing trade for these 3 and have the cap space to not send back any contracts. In fact, there are 16 teams that can at least trade for either Novak or Camby without sending back contracts in return, which bodes well in our favor especially when considering that more than half won't sign their free agent targets and be forced to resort to plan B and C. Add to the fact that we have about $3 million in non-gauranteed contracts to also trade and I think it becomes difficult to contest the fact fact we have options.

4.) As much as Amar'e has been a dud for us, his contract is manageable enough to move to a team looking to gamble. A team like the Nets, with a win-now mandate and a GM with a history of poor, short-sighted decisions would be a perfect partner. It'll come at the cost of Shumpert and future assets but it could be worth it if we have a 2nd tier free agent we could target via a sign and trade. I could see something like Amare, Shumpert and future draft picks for Humphries, Marshon Brooks and either Gerald Wallace or contract filler working.

5.) We seem to have finally established a niche in the foreign markets. Although we could potentially lose a number of key contributors from last season but could easily replace them via this market. Our improved eye in the draft should also allow us to grab a key contributor at 24.

6.) We still have one of the best players in the league (Melo) who has consistently gotten lesser teams to the playoffs. If we ever put a decent no.2 player with him (Igoudala and/or Smith), we can easily make the 2nd round of the playoffs and probably the Conference Finals.

Your banking on past trends to continue. I suppose there are other teams doing similar things that we are doing.

Last year we did it very well. JR Smith for the money was the best value in the.

Reasons to be pessimistic have not presented itself yet, as for optomistic future, we also know way too little to be there either.

Lets see what smith does, and how we draft.

Be nice to return our core and think Amare will give us 70 games and give us 15-7. Chandler was good last year, he just got the flu "Again"!

Its the bench, as Briggs said, our back ups are yet to be seen.

knicks1248 wrote:

NardDogNation wrote:1.) For all the negative spin about us not having players that make other players better, we sure have had a number of guys have breakout seasons that get vastly overpaid in their contract years e.g. Jeremy Lin, Landry Fields, Steve Novak and soon enough, Chris Copeland; possibly Pablo Prigioni, Kenyon Martin and JR Smith. Even the guys that aren't overpaid, like Shawn Williams, have generated a healthy amount of league-wide interest in their services when there was none the season before. This trend should definitely encourage players to sign with us in hopes of improving their visibility/future earnings.

2.) With a supporting cast of players enrolled in the AARP, we still managed to win 54 games and make the 2nd round of the playoffs. With a little stroke of luck with our health, we should be able to duplicate that performance and surpass it.

3.) For all the talk of us lacking flexibility to make trades, we have the means to create sizeable trade exceptions to help re-tool on the fly. Tyson Chandler, Steve Novak and Marcus Camby's contracts total approximately $22 million and could net us a theoretical package for as much as $26 million. Upstart teams like the Blazers or teams that are deluded enough to think that they can make the playoffs (the Cavs), would willing trade for these 3 and have the cap space to not send back any contracts. In fact, there are 16 teams that can at least trade for either Novak or Camby without sending back contracts in return, which bodes well in our favor especially when considering that more than half won't sign their free agent targets and be forced to resort to plan B and C.

4.) As much as Amar'e has been a dud for us, his contract is manageable enough to move to a team looking to gamble. A team like the Nets, with a win-now mandate and a GM with a history of poor, short-sighted decisions would be a perfect partner. It'll come at the cost of Shumpert and future assets but it could be worth it if we have a 2nd tier free agent we could target via a sign and trade. I could see something like Amare, Shumpert and future draft picks for Humphries, Marshon Brooks and either Gerald Wallace or contract filler working.

thank you for being optimistic but

1) shawne took more $ from the NETS instead of resigning with us, then had an injury plague season and they brought him out

2)the cavs are getting varejao back, and are probably drafting a big with there #1 pick and nobody on the cavs or balzers roster is worth going after for the likes of ty and shump

3)humphries and brooks were both bench for a good portion of the season because of there motor and lack of defense, wallace is ok but i would rather take my chance with Amare playing 65 games..

Regardless of how Shawne Williams performed after leaving the NYK, he still had a breakout season with us that increased his visibility and future earnings. We have consistently managed to help do this with players, which should serve as an excellent recruitment tool.
About Chandler to POR, I wouldn't take anything back but draft picks. I'd only do this if we had a real shot at making a sign and trade for another 2nd tier player like Igoudala and/or Josh Smith; trade for Pau Gasol.
About Amare, I'd much rather trade him to the Nets and be done with him. He simply makes too much and is hampering our ability to bring in players that can help. In an offseason where so many teams have cap space, I'd immediately try to pedal off the smaller contracts we'd receive for more flexibility and an opportunity to build with this free agent class.

Keeps coming up as if it was "Your" decision.

We are all about the here and now and taking on draft choices in most cases is a luxury one must make investments which need time.

To me, we can keep using our "credit cards" to keep this going but at some point we don't replenish the assets with a youthier mix we gonna pay a steep price. I agree with you but my take is we not trading Tyson. Limited as his offense is, I just don't see an higher upside in the short term.

I doubt we "rebuild" after a 54 win season.

CrushAlot wrote:I am optimistic but no one is taking on Amare's deal. The Knicks have the worst contract in professional sports on their roster.

At least its only for 2 more seasons. One more year of trying to fit him into the mix then next year he becomes a big expiring contract we will have options with.

CrushAlot wrote:I am optimistic but no one is taking on Amare's deal. The Knicks have the worst contract in professional sports on their roster.

yes thus far, but I'm optimistic about Amare, and his contract is not the worst contract in sports, IT'S NOT EVEN THE WORST CONTRACT IN NY.... that my friend goes to AROD.

AnubisADL wrote:Tyson can be moved on draft day if the Knicks really want another pick. I dont see it unless we are getting a center back in return.