Rk	Player	                Pos	Age	Tm	G	MP	PER	TS%	WS	WS/48 ▾
2	DeAndre Jordan	        C	26	LAC	71	2455	20.5	.641	10.6	.207
6	Marc Gasol	        C	30	MEM	70	2361	21.7	.561	9.1	.185
10	Alexis Ajinca	        C	26	NOP	56	816	20.1	.601	2.7	.162
13	Jeff Withey	        C	24	NOP	35	248	18.1	.570	0.8	.157
14	Bismack Biyombo	        C	22	CHO	51	887	15.0	.578	2.9	.154
15	Jerome Jordan	        C	28	BRK	41	366	16.8	.609	1.2	.151
18	Robin Lopez	        C	26	POR	46	1302	16.1	.564	4.0	.148
30	Enes Kanter	        C	22	TOT	64	1780	19.5	.555	4.8	.130
31	Omer Asik	        C	28	NOP	64	1666	16.0	.554	4.4	.126
37	Kosta Koufos	        C	25	MEM	70	1162	13.6	.525	2.7	.111
40	Joel Freeland	        C	27	POR	37	476	11.0	.495	1.0	.105
3	Jimmy Butler	        SG	25	CHI	56	2180	21.0	.577	9.3	.204
12	Danny Green	        SG	27	SAS	69	2036	16.7	.588	6.7	.157
16	John Jenkins	        SG	23	ATL	18	190	15.9	.689	0.6	.150
19	Wesley Matthews	        SG	28	POR	60	2024	16.1	.585	6.2	.148
22	Anthony Morrow	        SG	29	OKC	63	1504	14.2	.594	4.5	.145
27	Alexey Shved	        SG	26	TOT	42	767	19.5	.541	2.2	.135
29	Goran Dragic	        SG-PG	28	TOT	67	2254	17.7	.580	6.2	.131
41	Marco Belinelli	        SG	28	SAS	51	1165	12.8	.557	2.5	.102
25	Cory Joseph	        PG	23	SAS	67	1273	15.3	.565	3.7	.141
36	Brandon Knight	        PG-SG	23	TOT	62	2013	17.5	.547	4.7	.112
38	John Lucas	        PG	32	DET	12	140	14.9	.472	0.3	.110
4	Jeremy Evans	        SF	27	UTA	28	144	18.1	.586	0.6	.190
5	Kawhi Leonard	        SF	23	SAS	52	1669	21.1	.551	6.5	.186
8	Draymond Green	        SF	24	GSW	71	2258	16.5	.543	7.9	.168
17	DeMarre Carroll	        SF	28	ATL	60	1887	15.1	.594	5.8	.148
39	Jae Crowder	        SF	24	TOT	71	1374	13.9	.513	3.1	.109
1	Brandan Wright	        PF	27	TOT	66	1214	21.6	.681	5.7	.227
7	LaMarcus Aldridge	PF	29	POR	61	2180	22.8	.528	7.6	.168
9	Kevin Love	        PF	26	CLE	67	2296	18.9	.556	8.0	.167
11	Paul Millsap	        PF	29	ATL	67	2218	19.9	.568	7.5	.162
20	Greg Monroe	        PF	24	DET	64	1991	21.0	.548	6.1	.148
21	Tristan Thompson	PF	23	CLE	72	1970	15.6	.577	6.0	.147
23	Lavoy Allen	        PF	25	IND	51	945	16.0	.513	2.8	.144
24	Jeff Ayres	        PF	27	SAS	41	316	13.7	.616	0.9	.144
26	Khris Middleton	        PF	23	MIL	68	2024	15.8	.566	5.8	.139
28	Jonas Jerebko	        PF	27	TOT	63	1016	14.5	.559	2.8	.132
32	Brandon Bass	        PF	29	BOS	70	1633	16.4	.549	4.3	.126
33	Amir Johnson	        PF	27	TOR	68	1810	15.2	.604	4.6	.121
34      Luis Scola	        PF	34	IND	69	1420	16.7	.513	3.6	.121
35	Greg Smith	        PF	24	DAL	40	355	10.6	.614	0.9	.117
It's clear that Phil will have a pretty good group of possible FA's to consider.

VCoug wrote:

Rk	Player	                Pos	Age	Tm	G	MP	PER	TS%	WS	WS/48 ▾
2	DeAndre Jordan	        C	26	LAC	71	2455	20.5	.641	10.6	.207
6	Marc Gasol	        C	30	MEM	70	2361	21.7	.561	9.1	.185
10	Alexis Ajinca	        C	26	NOP	56	816	20.1	.601	2.7	.162
13	Jeff Withey	        C	24	NOP	35	248	18.1	.570	0.8	.157
14	Bismack Biyombo	        C	22	CHO	51	887	15.0	.578	2.9	.154
15	Jerome Jordan	        C	28	BRK	41	366	16.8	.609	1.2	.151
18	Robin Lopez	        C	26	POR	46	1302	16.1	.564	4.0	.148
30	Enes Kanter	        C	22	TOT	64	1780	19.5	.555	4.8	.130
31	Omer Asik	        C	28	NOP	64	1666	16.0	.554	4.4	.126
37	Kosta Koufos	        C	25	MEM	70	1162	13.6	.525	2.7	.111
40	Joel Freeland	        C	27	POR	37	476	11.0	.495	1.0	.105
3	Jimmy Butler	        SG	25	CHI	56	2180	21.0	.577	9.3	.204
12	Danny Green	        SG	27	SAS	69	2036	16.7	.588	6.7	.157
16	John Jenkins	        SG	23	ATL	18	190	15.9	.689	0.6	.150
19	Wesley Matthews	        SG	28	POR	60	2024	16.1	.585	6.2	.148
22	Anthony Morrow	        SG	29	OKC	63	1504	14.2	.594	4.5	.145
27	Alexey Shved	        SG	26	TOT	42	767	19.5	.541	2.2	.135
29	Goran Dragic	        SG-PG	28	TOT	67	2254	17.7	.580	6.2	.131
41	Marco Belinelli	        SG	28	SAS	51	1165	12.8	.557	2.5	.102
25	Cory Joseph	        PG	23	SAS	67	1273	15.3	.565	3.7	.141
36	Brandon Knight	        PG-SG	23	TOT	62	2013	17.5	.547	4.7	.112
38	John Lucas	        PG	32	DET	12	140	14.9	.472	0.3	.110
4	Jeremy Evans	        SF	27	UTA	28	144	18.1	.586	0.6	.190
5	Kawhi Leonard	        SF	23	SAS	52	1669	21.1	.551	6.5	.186
8	Draymond Green	        SF	24	GSW	71	2258	16.5	.543	7.9	.168
17	DeMarre Carroll	        SF	28	ATL	60	1887	15.1	.594	5.8	.148
39	Jae Crowder	        SF	24	TOT	71	1374	13.9	.513	3.1	.109
1	Brandan Wright	        PF	27	TOT	66	1214	21.6	.681	5.7	.227
7	LaMarcus Aldridge	PF	29	POR	61	2180	22.8	.528	7.6	.168
9	Kevin Love	        PF	26	CLE	67	2296	18.9	.556	8.0	.167
11	Paul Millsap	        PF	29	ATL	67	2218	19.9	.568	7.5	.162
20	Greg Monroe	        PF	24	DET	64	1991	21.0	.548	6.1	.148
21	Tristan Thompson	PF	23	CLE	72	1970	15.6	.577	6.0	.147
23	Lavoy Allen	        PF	25	IND	51	945	16.0	.513	2.8	.144
24	Jeff Ayres	        PF	27	SAS	41	316	13.7	.616	0.9	.144
26	Khris Middleton	        PF	23	MIL	68	2024	15.8	.566	5.8	.139
28	Jonas Jerebko	        PF	27	TOT	63	1016	14.5	.559	2.8	.132
32	Brandon Bass	        PF	29	BOS	70	1633	16.4	.549	4.3	.126
33	Amir Johnson	        PF	27	TOR	68	1810	15.2	.604	4.6	.121
34      Luis Scola	        PF	34	IND	69	1420	16.7	.513	3.6	.121
35	Greg Smith	        PF	24	DAL	40	355	10.6	.614	0.9	.117

I fixed your formatting and bolded the guys who can become RFAs.

Ah thanks!

Someone has to be on the roster to show Zinger how to survive and thrive being a big man in the NBA. You can't just draft a guy and throw him into the ocean and see if he swims, you need to build a SUPPORT STRUCTURE around him.

I've been saying for a long time now, Chuck Hayes and Luis Scola are two solid veterans, likely to be inexpensive pickups, whom have played together even, who can help a young big man reach his potential while still helping the back end of the roster.

Hayes was a plus defender and simply grinded and bled his way onto an NBA roster, then the rotation, then the starting lineup. I believe there's something to be learned from a good locker room guy, a guy the fans will love ( have any fans anywhere not loved the Chuckwagon?) and get some needed positivity and leadership on the team.

Scola was one of the best low post players of the modern era. Just watching his footwork and timing and instincts with the ball in traffic/close contact is a clinic in how a NBA big should work the low post. Given how the game shifted under Stern, I'd wager Scola's experiences and performance is even more impressive. NBA veteran, battle tested, played for several successful franchises and overseas. There's a lot of old man wisdom and big man skill to be passed on to Zinger here.

The Knicks need someone to work the perimeter with enough length and speed to shut down penetration and the passing lanes and someone to defend the rim. Desperately.

jbeachboy wrote:hayes and scola have been terrible past few years, and wes matthews wants highest bidder

Hayes and Scola have long accepted that they will stay in the NBA only as bench veterans, playing only sparse minutes and are going to be kept around as quasi coaches/mentors and good locker room guys. They also know they won't be pushing for a starting spot, and won't be able to get much in terms of salary.

They aren't asked to be here to give the Knicks a solid 20 minutes a night each, they will be here to actually teach Zinger how to be an NBA big and prepare and play the right way. ( They sure aren't going to get that from Melo)

David West however will likely demand 10-12 million plus a year, will enter his decline phase, and will likely fight the reality of his decline phase by demanding to be in the starting lineup.

Leadership is going to have to come from somewhere on the roster.

Sorry guys, but this is a "tax" on Melo's failures as a leader/team player. It can either cost the Knicks cap space (on a gross overpay) or it can cost them back end roster spots, but it's going to cost them somewhere.

Also, no offense, I think a lot of guys here are grossly overestimating the actual free agent choices the Knicks will have. Tier 1, 2 and 3 free agents will likely go elsewhere. If the money is the same, but the winning situation is much better in once place versus the other, players will take the money and winning. At any point where the Knicks are offering about the same money, odds are that player is going to a team with a better chance of winning. If the Knicks don't want to OVERPAY, then they will be shopping in the Tier 4 and Tier 5 levels of free agency.

If you were Wes Matthews, and your bargaining leverage was shot up because of injury, and you couldn't get 15 million a year, but more like 10-11, which opened up your number of suitors, would you sign with the Knicks? Aging leader with no previous front office experience with one foot out the door, gutted of assets, lousy ownership, severe media scrutiny, overpaid chucker of a player who will trash you on the court or in the press, directly or indirectly if you dare do anything like play hard and have the fans love you. All to go a team likely to miss the playoffs and no real hope for the lifetime of your contract to even be a consistent playoff team. Plus with the least talented roster in the league, you'll have to burn out heavy minutes. For 15 million a year, maybe Matthews does that if the next best offer is 11 a year. But once the money equalizes, why even bother with NY?

To be fiscally responsible, the top 70 percent of free agency with better choices will take said better choices ( i.e. combination of most money plus ability to win )

CrushAlot wrote:^^^^I think Calderon will provide leadership next year if he healthy. He has been praised for that in the past by his teammates and coaches. Also, I like Hayes a lot and thought he was an amazing player on the Rockets but that was a long time ago. The Knicks tried to have Malik Rose be a leader in a bench role and while he was a good guy to have around I think ideally you need leaders on the court. If you get a guy like Hayes for a vet minimum end of the bench role that is fine. But maybe just keeping Lou around would be better. He knows the system and has a tremendous work ethic. Seems like that was what was being said about Scola in Indy.

StarksEwing1 wrote:

CrushAlot wrote:^^^^I think Calderon will provide leadership next year if he healthy. He has been praised for that in the past by his teammates and coaches. Also, I like Hayes a lot and thought he was an amazing player on the Rockets but that was a long time ago. The Knicks tried to have Malik Rose be a leader in a bench role and while he was a good guy to have around I think ideally you need leaders on the court. If you get a guy like Hayes for a vet minimum end of the bench role that is fine. But maybe just keeping Lou around would be better. He knows the system and has a tremendous work ethic. Seems like that was what was being said about Scola in Indy.

leadership is nice but not for that contract. I definetly understand why phil took a chance on him and im Sure phil knows it was a mistake. Thankfully he got grant who is a upgrade over calderon on a rookie deal

CrushAlot wrote:

Hoops Rumors ‏@HoopsRumors · 7m7 minutes ago
Caron Butler has interest from the Bulls, Clippers, Spurs, Lakers, Knicks, per

He is too old