Comments on: Knicks Unlikely To Sign Melo In Off-Season

By: Alex David, aka Short White Boy

Alex David, aka Short White Boy — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 05:21:38 +0000

I’m kinda with you in that Melo isn’t quite what this team needs.

By: Alex David, aka Short White Boy

Alex David, aka Short White Boy — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 05:20:12 +0000

Um, I’m not sure where my math is wrong since you didn’t mention any mistakes I made. C’mon, of course I didn’t include Curry or Azubuike (although you’re not fully correct in saying that expiring contracts don’t have cap holds — they do unless you renounce the player, which of course the Knicks will, so it’s irrelevant). I’m not sure if you looked at the #s above, but while Curry & Azu’s salaries do come off the books, everyone else’s salary (except Mozgov) goes up.

You may’ve also missed the part that Chandler’s cap hold will be over $6 million. Yes, if we want to keep him, we can offer a far higher salary (or match another team’s offer) and keep him even if it puts us over the cap, but that’s not the issue. Even if we also renounced the rights to Chandler & Walker, you have the $44+ million # listed above (which’d mean at most a max of $13+ mill) and then when you add in the two “phantoms” it goes over $45 mill, meaning really we couldn’t over Melo/any free agent more than $12+mill.

Oh, and if Donnie were able to get Melo first, of course the Knicks wouldn’t mind THEN going over the cap for Chandler (Dolan’s never minded dishing out cash. Donnie only cut salary bc you need space to sign free agents, but once we add another stud next to Stat, then the organization clearly won’t mind going further over the cap).

Lastly, I was going by what the current CBA is, not projecting what the new one would be. You’re correct, I have no idea what the new one will be. Although since the owners are looking for concessions, we can pretty safely assume that the cap/rules will only go down. That said, maybe they’d change it so that the max salary can only be $12 million and then we’d be golden! But it’s because that is a real possibility that it seems like Melo is now willing to agree to sign with New Jersey. Oh well.

Anyway, if I did make some mistake in the math, I’d love for you to point it out, because you didn’t really mention anything I did wrong.

By: bgalella

bgalella — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 14:29:25 +0000

I’m not sure Carmelo is the piece to put the Knicks over the top. I think if they can get a shooting guard (making Landry Fields the 6th man) and a quality center, the Knicks would be much better off.

No doubt Carmelo Anthony is an All-Star, but he just doesn’t seem to have IT, the factor making him a real superstar.

By: Ron1

Ron1 — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 03:41:27 +0000

My man I have to respectfuully disagree with your math.The Knicks would absolutely have enough to sign Melo simply by not re-signing Curry, or Azubuike. The reason is because once a contract reaches it’s end there are no more cap holds, so even if the cap is around say $58million, there would be enough money to sign Melo. Now, signing Chandler is a different animal because he and Walker do have cap holds. And I have to agree with the media outlets that the Knicks can have him back if they are willing to go over the cap and since he’s restricted, the Knicks would have to match what another team offers or what they propose in a straight up deal. The question is whether Donnie wants to go over the cap.

As far as filling ot the roster, they could do what the Heat did and sign players for the Vet. minimum, or with the MLE. But all this is predicated on the CBA not changing much. But to try to project what the Knicks could do with a different structured CBA is impossible to do when you don’t know what the structure of it will be, which kind of sounds like what you did pal.

By: Alex David, aka Short White Boy

Alex David, aka Short White Boy — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 18:55:28 +0000

No, of course you’re right, that isn’t gutting the team, but the point is more that I think a lot of people feel we can wait until the summer and then have Melo PLUS everyone currently on the team. And sure, if that trade was available, you definitely snatch it up. But it isn’t. And one of the main trade thoughts floated around was trading Curry, Gallo, Fields and then getting a first round pick via another team by trading Anthony Randolph. In other words, the same thing as I mentioned except giving up Fields instead of Ronny. Yet people have been worried that would gut our team. Yes, Fields plays 30-40 minutes and Ronny plays 10-25, but a trade assures us of getting Melo and the other path relies on several things going perfectly right with Melo completely remaining stubborn about going to NYC & doesn’t blink, even if it means he loses $30+ mill in salary during his career. And for all we know, with the new collective bargaining agreement, they could easily decide the new cap will be $52 million to keep owner costs down. Then to get Melo you’d need to get rid of Chandler too.

By: Sir Pickle

Sir Pickle — Sat, 08 Jan 2011 17:15:22 +0000

I hardly feel like loosing Ronny Turiaf, Gallinari and Anthony Randolph for Melo would be “gutting” the team, especially if it happens in the off season. Anthony is a clear upgrade over the Rooster, Randolph doesn’t play now and there’s no telling if he would play next season and Turiaf, while he’s a great energy guy on defense is a role player and can likely be replaced. If that trade works with the cap, and you can keep Chandler, you take it in a quick minute.