Many a time players and agents use the Knicks to gain value and leverage.

Damp has come to Westchester and now professes a longing desire to win and willing to take just a one year deal? This keeps Nazr and KT, two nice trade vehicles to further improve the team. If damp did this, it would make us much better.

But I can't help think this is just another way to get ATL to boast its numbers.

And Vince. Does a vince for Marbs straight up make us better? I doubt Isiah would fry Marbs and exile him to the Raps, but if he did, does anyone see this as a major step forward? Can Crawford be the QB team leader? We know he can take shots, but orchestrate a very good team?

Isiah can listen, and if he can land him for KT, Nazr, TT or some combo of that, why not?

Or is Vince just using us?

forget vince, that's called making up a story and running with it.

as for dampier, i agree, 45 mil is ALOT to be turning down. i'm not gonna even think about him until he signs. it's pointless getting your hopes up, but guess what, even without him, we're gonna be ok.

exactly... I will believe the Dampier thing when I see it. But even without him its a successfull offseason. Just look at how the perception of thise franchise has changed under Isiah. You have all star caliber players openly wanting to come here. You have agents negotiating trades. Its a lot easier to get good players when you have several that WANT to come here.

If he doesn't sign with us at this point and is using us as a negotiating lever (really, that's a pretty feeble tactic, as Atlanta's still negotiating against itself), then I don't want him. Then he proves himself to be money motivated, as his contract-year breakout suggested to many folks.

Don't get me wrong, wouldn't blame him for going to Atl. Would blame him for trying to milk more out of them by feigning interest in NY, especially as it's such a longshot to work on Atl and will just leave NY and Atl. pissed at him.

If he signs with the Knicks for a fraction of what he could get in Atlanta, it should put to rest questions about his motivations IMO. He'll prove himself to be in it to win, just as he said in interviews. Then I'd be looking forward to at least the kind of production he gave GS last year ... and Knicks are a title contender.

Really nothing we can do but sit back and watch it unfold now. Deke's already made the pitch. Ball's in Damp's court. Let's seen what he's made of.