So now, well, what exactly is ‘Sheed going to do for the Knicks this year?

Honestly, expectations for all on-court contributions for Wallace have got to be rather low. He isn’t going to be starting. He isn’t even going to be in the first rotation off the bench. He’s behind the likes of Amar’e Stoudemire, Marcus Camby and Steve Novak in the pecking order of players that could potentially play inside.

I do think Wallace will appear in a good amount of games. Probably more than half. But, if anyone is expecting him for anything north of 15 minutes a night really needs a reality check. At this point in his career, which is getting a total jump-start after a brief retirement, ‘Sheed just isn’t that type of player.

However, the qualities Wallace does bring to this team from a chemistry standpoint cannot go understated. The Knicks front office have made it clear from the first day of the offseason that they wanted to improve the team’s chemistry in the post-D’Antoni era. That’s largely part of the reason why they elected to sign more veterans like Jason Kidd, Marcus Camby and Kurt Thomas, among others.

Like the other vets now on the roster, Wallace has immense playoff experience and knows exactly what it will take to bring the Knicks from contending for a playoff spot to contending for a championship. Remember, the distinction between those two points are critical. We’re typical New York sports fans. A season after making the playoffs, making the playoffs again isn’t enough to quench our collective thirst. We want more. While Wallace may not get the points per game or critical rebounds the Knicks desperately need, he will provide the exact influence in the lockerroom this team has seemingly lacked for a number of seasons.

I, for one, am totally excited just to see Rasheed Wallace roaming the Knicks bench after a huge play. The dude is pure entertainment. He’ll be a strong voice of leadership for this team.

And that’s perfect, considering expectations for this team are higher than ever.

I say all of these things because today, more so than any other day before it, there seems to be some significant stress in the air surrounding almost all of the New York City-area sports teams.

Seriously, let’s think about this, one team at a time.

Starting with the team this site is dedicated to following, the New York Knicks. Simply put, this time frame is the calm before the storm kicks back up. There are so many other sports distractions taking the spotlight off the Knicks after a very hectic summer. Even with the impressive performance by Carmelo Anthony at the 2012 London Olympics, including an Olympic-record 37-point performance, this team still feels like multiple tomato juice baths away from coming close to washing off the Jeremy Lin stench left by his free agent exodus.

The amount of questions this team has to answer heading into the season are alarming. Concerns of this team wanting to improve the locker room morale by adding well-established veterans well past their primes aren’t going to vanish overnight. While there are those who think Jeremy Lin won’t live up to the massive expectations he now has in Houston, I think there are fewer that truly believe he’ll be any worse than the combination of Raymond Felton and Jason Kidd. Not to mention, we still have to see if J.R. Smith can step up and be a good fit at the two-guard, if Carmelo Anthony can build off the Olympics, if Tyson Chandler can be the anchor for another season, if Amar’e Stoudemire has anything at all left in the tank. The questions go on and on and on. And they’re concerning.

Then we turn to the New Jersey Brooklyn Nets. True Knicks fans aren’t at all concerned about them jumping the river and finding a comfortable spot in the city. However, their addition to the new market has to at least concern a few along the edges of the organization. Everybody loves the new and the exciting, and at least for one season, that’s going to be the Nets. By them simply existing in New York and not New Jersey adds an extra level of stress to the traditional area fan’s life, because now they’ll have to deal with Mike Francesca or Stephen A. Smith or someone else clamoring for fans to jump from one wagon to another.

Turn your attention for a second to baseball. Usually, this is a tale of the haves (Yankees) and the have-nots (Mets). However, in 2012, this is a story of the failing (Yankees, again) and the failed (Mets, shocker). The Yankees are currently deep in the heart of a late-season collapse that absolutely nobody that follows baseball closely could have predicted as recently as the All-Star break. Once upon a time, the Yankees had a 10-game lead in the East and seemed to be cruising to the best record in the American League. Slowly, the Yankees started to drop games left and right, while the Baltimore Orioles (yes, those Balitmore Orioles) and the Tampa Bay Rays, who almost predictably start their playoff runs in early August, charged to the top.

Now? Not only do the Yankees find themselves in a dead heat with the O’s, the Rays are only two back in the loss column, knocking on the door to the final Wild Card spot the Yankees currently hold. Even though most of the Yankee fans I know are still in the semi-denial “Oh, we’re just a little rusty, this is no big deal” phase of the fall, this has the potential to get really frightening and borderline embarrassing.

And then there are my beloved Mets. Outside of R.A. Dickey’s continued dominance (won #18 today, first pitcher in baseball to reach that peak) and his chance at a National League Cy Young, there aren’t many reasons for a non-die hard to be watching anymore. I mean, I’ll still watch with blind optimism. But, that’s what happens when you’re in love. You play tricks with your mind and convince yourself one thing is something completely different from what it really is. Maybe next year…

Flip the switch to the NFL, which as we stated is about to kick-off (pun intended) tonight in New York. The defending Super Bowl champion New York Giants will start things off against their NFC East rivals, the Dallas Cowboys. Now, to my deep sports knowledge, I believe this is the least talked about defending Super Bowl champion within the last decade. There is seemingly no pressure what so ever on this team entering this season, partly because this team overachieved last year and partly because there are much bigger story lines throughout the NFL (Peyton Manning’s return, anything Saints related, the ridiculous number of rookies starting at quarterback).

Actually, as far as the mindset of New York sports fans go, Giants fans have to feel the best out of any other fan base. I mean, what do they have to lose? They’ve enjoyed two Lombardi trophies in the last five years. Literally anything else is just a bonus right now. They’re all just strutting around the city with that smug look on their face like they just won the lottery…again. I hate it. But, I digress.

Speaking of bigger story linse in the NFL, there’s the mess that also plays in MetLife Stadium. Want to know why nobody talked about the Giants this off-season? Its because the Jets made all the headlines, none of them seemingly for the right reasons. There’s the fact that people talk more about the Jets new back-up quarterback, Tim Tebow, than their returning two-time AFC Championship Game starter, Mark Sanchez. Or the fact that the first team offense literally didn’t score one touchdown in the preseason. Or the growing tension between the Jets media-happy head coach and media-shy general manager. Or the fact that the Jets might just not be that good this year. Either way, Gang Green is one giant mess. The only good news for Jets fans is that more often than not, Jets fans are also Mets fans. Which means they’ve already been disappointed once this season. Which means they’re better prepared for this upcoming disappointment.

I think.

Oh, and we haven’t even talked about arguably the best team that currently calls New York City home. No, not the Islanders. Its the New York Rangers, who are flying high off their huge off-season trade that landed them Rick Nash to partner up with Brad Richards, Marian Gaborik and Henrik Lundqvist.

Only problem is, this team may never see the ice of Madison Square Garden this year. The NHL is flirting with yet another lockout that could eliminate the 2012-13 season. Meaning, the best team in all of New York may not even play a competitive game this year.

Wow. How did such a huge sports-hungry city like New York get to this point? Is there a light at the end of the tunnel? Is this mostly just an over-exaggeration of a bunch of small problems manifesting into one giant headache? Could everything turn around for the positive in the span of one week?

Reality is, none of us will know until it happens. But, the swagger New York once had not even two months ago seems to be fading away faster than someone can say “quarterback controversy”.

It looks like this “Dwightmare” (corny I know, deal with it) seems to finally be over. Dwight Howard is about to join the list of Hall of Fame big men that have worn the Los Angeles Lakers uniform. He will join superstar Kobe Bryant, a dominant passer in Steve Nash, champion big man Pau Gasol and mental case but a top defender in Ron Artest.

The four-team trade looks to be this:

Lakers receive: Dwight Howard who won’t sign an extension

76ers receive: Andrew Bynum and Jason Richardson

Nuggets receive: Andre Iguodala

Magic receive: Arron Affalo, Al Harrington, Nikola Vucevic, a first-round pick from all three teams, and 76ers first round pick Moe Harkless out of St. John’s.

I really think this is a fair trade for all four teams. The Lakers get the best big man in the game. He is a monster on the defensive side of the ball and with Steve Nash; his potential on offense can be even more dominant. The 76ers give up their All-Star and current first round pick, but get arguably the 2^nd best big man in the game and a consistent scorer and rebounder, something they desperately needed. The Nuggets finally get a big name and with Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, JaVale McGee, and Ty Lawson, the Nuggets have improved their team. The Magic lost their headache and gain a scorer in Affalo and youth and upside with Vuecvic and Harkless.

This was an obvious win right now move for the Lakers who look to get Kobe his sixth ring and more. You really can’t ask for a better offseason if you are a Laker fan in adding Steve Nash and Dwight Howard. A Lakers-Oklahoma City Thunder Western Conference finals would be must watch TV. A Lakers-Heat and Kobe vs. LeBron NBA Finals would be historic.

Let’s just pray Dwight likes LA and doesn’t do this all over again next year. Hollywood, championship rings, life on the beach, and the world’s most beautiful woman. Dwight if you don’t like that we can easily switch lives if you want.

PS:  I call dibs on the Lakers in 2K13.

May 18, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum (17) controls the ball against the defense of Oklahoma City Thunder center Kendrick Perkins (5) during the first half of game three of the Western Conference semifinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at Staples Center. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-US PRESSWIRE

If you are like me, you want this Dwight Howard soap opera to come to an end no matter where the Orlando Magic send the NBA’s most fragile superstar.

The latest, in what seems to be the one millionth different rumor about Howard, has Howard going to the Los Angeles Lakers in a four team blockbuster that also features the Philadelphia 76ers and Denver Nuggets.

The deal would break down like this, according to Yahoo! Sports Adrian Wojnarowski:

There are other players involved in these fluid talks, but a framework of the possible deal includes Howard and Denver forward Al Harrington going to the Lakers, Philadelphia guard Andre Iguodala going to the Nuggets, Los Angeles center Andrew Bynum moving to the 76ers, and Los Angeles forward Pau Gasol and Denver guard Arron Affalo going to the Magic, sources told Yahoo! Sports.

The Magic would also gain draft picks and salary cap relief in the proposed deal and would have a better chance of moving Gasol in another deal to get further assets. That eliminates the risk of Bynum leaving them as a free agent in 2013.

As for how the deal would affect the Knicks, watching Howard leave Orlando is no big deal as the Knicks have had success against Howard, especially in 2012.

However if the Sixers were able to land Bynum, it would create an interesting dilemma.

Philadelphia could be one legit big body away from becoming a legitimate contender in the Eastern Conference. If Bynum would be dealt to Philadelphia, the Atlantic Division would get just that much tougher.

The Knicks would not just have to deal with a rebuilt Brooklyn Nets team and the always tough Boston Celtics. But now the Sixers would be in a position to add a dominant center. Add to that a Toronto Raptors team that is beginning to stockpile some good young talent and the Atlantic could turn into a year round dog fight between all five teams.

The Knicks are loaded with talent in the short-term, but so are the other teams. Adding an All-Star center to the division will just make things that much tougher.

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One of the Knicks’ feel good stories of last year was NBA journeyman Steve Novak’s breakout year. He was deadly from three, hitting basically half his shots, shooting a league leading .472 from three-point land. The Knicks committed to Novak as their sharp shooter when they inked him for another four years at $15 million. The question now is will Novak continue his success and be a threat from beyond the arc or will he just be added to the long list of Knicks busts.

The previous five league leaders in three-point field goal percentage have all had decent years their follow up year. Let’s take a look:

2010-2011: Matt Bonner .457 ; 2011-2012: 15^th .420

2009-2010: Kyle Korver .536 (NBA record); 2010-2011: 17^th .415

2008-2009: Anthony Morrow .467; 2009-2010: 5^th .456

2007-2008: Jason Kapono .483; 2008-2009: 12^th .428

2006-2007 Jason Kapono .514;  2007-2008 1^st .483

All league leaders production dropped a tad, but still were very effective and a threat with the ball when standing behind the three point line. I don’t think Novak will finish first again but do think he will hit his threes on a consistent basis, which is all the Knicks are asking for. We saw in the Miami series when a defense plays him hard off the ball it is very hard for him to find an open look. I don’t think defenses will focus much of their time on him night in and night out when you have to worry about other players who can score at any moment.

If the Knicks can get Novak to shoot over 45 percent this year from three and have him score 9-13 points game for them, he will be doing exactly what he is getting paid to do. All three-point specialists are asked to do one thing and that is to make it rain. They aren’t asking him to make the all-defense team, even though any defense out of him would be nice. We are not asking him to get five assists a game.

We just want Steve to spot up in the corner or set up at the top of the key and shoot the hell out of the ball. I think he will repeat his success this upcoming season. He finally has job security and clearly loves playing for New York. All he has to do is shoot and not many like him in the NBA can light up the charts like him.

Get the championship belt ready New York. Novakaine is about to make it rain once again.

Winners:

Brooklyn Nets – Whenever you can lock up your franchise player when he is entering his prime for five more years it automatically makes you a winner. Adding a true scorer in Joe Johnson might give the Nets the best backcourt in basketball. Keeping Brook Lopez, Gerald Wallace and Kris Humphries gives the Nets what most teams are looking for – chemistry. Starting a new life in Brooklyn is just what this franchise needed.

New York Knicks – All the Knicks did was improve this offseason. Their glaring need a point guard was fixed by signing future Hall of Famer Jason Kidd and Amar’e Stoudemire’s pick and roll buddy Raymond Felton. Depth in the frontcourt was also addressed by signing veteran Marcus Camby. Retaining Steve Novak, JR Smith, and head coach Mike Woodson were also good moves, giving the Knicks some familiarity and consistency for once. This team still will only go where Carmelo Anthony takes them, but they did improve this offseason.

Miami Heat – You really can’t lose when you have the best player in the world on your team, but Pat Riley found a way to improve his champion Heat team. Adding the best three-point shooter of all time in Ray Allen will make the Heat even harder to defend. LeBron and Wade will be slashing to the hoop and you will have two choices: double team them and watch them kick it out while Allen sits back like a fat cat in the corner, or watch them slam it on you. Adding another shooter who can just sit in the corner in Rashard Lewis isn’t too bad either.

Losers:

Apr 07, 2012; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Orlando Magic center Dwight Howard (12) during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center. The Magic defeated the Sixers 88-82. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE

Orlando Magic – How can this team give Dwight Howard a uniform and have the PA announcer announce his name with any sort of excitement on opening night? He clearly does not want to play for you so why would you force your fans to watch a big baby try to force himself to like you? Get a package, send the big headache away, and start new. It’s not like you were winning with him anyway.

Chicago Bulls – Without Derrick Rose, the Bulls still had the best record in the East mostly because they had such great chemistry. They didn’t lose any of their core in Rose, Luol Deng or Joakim Noah, but lose key role players in Kyle Korver, Omir Asik, CJ Watson, and Ronnie Brewer. What the Bulls lost in depth, the Knicks gained. I expect the Bulls to take a couple steps back this year. This isn’t the team that can beat the Heat.

West Winners:

Los Angeles Lakers – There was no secret in La-La land that the Lakers needed a guy who can run the show smoothly. A leader who can knows when to give the ball to Kobe and Bynum at the right time. Steve Nash is that guy. Before he was Kobe’s teammate, he terrorized the West and was a nightmare for the Lakers. You would be a fool if you think Nash isn’t still one of the best point guards in the league. Major win for the Lakers. Imagine this team with Dwight? Scary

New Orleans Hornets – Might be a little premature, but you have to put the Hornets as a winner this offseason. Winning the draft alone should give you the title as a winner, thanks to David Stern. I don’t think he will be such a heavy impact as everyone thinks he is going to be because he is as skinny as a pole, but Anthony Davis improves this team. Along with Austin Rivers who has big upside has a smart and gritty player, and retaining Eric Gordon, the Hornets are defiantly winners this offseason.

Los Angeles Clippers – A common trend this offseason was to build a team and depth around your already established superstars, and that is exactly what the Clippers did. Signing a spark off the bench in Jamal Crawford and veteran Grant Hill will help this team. A deal breaker here is Lamar Odom. If he can turn back into the 6th man of the year Lamar Odom since he is back with the Kardashians Lamar Odom and not be depressed, I don’t care about basketball Lamar Odom; the Clippers can make a run in the West.

Losers:

Dallas Mavericks – After striking out on Deron Williams, the Mavericks offseason was all downhill from there. Losing Jason Terry to the Celtics hurts as well as Jason Kidd. Losing 4 main pieces to their championship run when you include Tyson Chandler and JJ Barea, the Mavericks don’t scare anyone. It’s not the losses that hurt; it’s the non-existent addition of players. Yeah OJ Mayo, Darren Collison and Chris Kaman are nice, but they aren’t beating the best teams in the West. Dallas will take major steps back this year.

February 29, 2012; Salt Lake City, UT, USA; Utah Jazz small forward Josh Howard (8) dunks during the second half against the Houston Rockets at Energy Solutions Arena. The Jazz defeated the Rockets 104-83. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-US PRESSWIRE

Josh Howard once looked like the type of player that would have a promising NBA career for years to come, but injuries have slowed Howard’s game down to a crawl since making the All-Star team in 2007.

Yahoo! Sports Marcus Spears reported a couple weeks ago that Howard was close to making a decision on where he would sign and the New York Knicks were one of the teams on his short list.

Jazz free agent forward Josh Howard expected to make a decision soon, source tell Y! Sports. Utah, IND, GS, BK and NY in mix.

— Marc J. Spears (@SpearsNBAYahoo) July 29, 2012

While Howard was once a nice player, he’s one the Knicks should say no to.

Sure Howard would add depth and is a capable defender, but there’s really no fit for him on this Knicks team.

The Knicks bench is currently one of the more dangerous ones in the league with Steve Novak, Marcus Camby, Jason Kidd, Pablo Prigioni, Kurt Thomas, Ronnie Brewer and J.R. Smith (once Iman Shumpert is healthy).

There’s really nowhere for Howard to fit in.

Brewer is an outstanding on-ball defender and while he will play the 2-guard in Shumpert’s absence, he will be able to play the 3 as well.

Howard has lost a step and may have lost his jumper as well, shooting under 40 percent on the season for Utah last year. In fact, Howard hasn’t shot over 45 percent from the floor since the 2008-09 campaign. Because of injuries, Howard lacks the athleticism he once had and can’t slash to the rim effectively anymore.

There’s not a whole lot of minutes to go around as is and by giving minutes to a guy like Howard, all the Knicks would be doing is taking them away from a better player.

The Knicks may be going all-in to win now, but Howard doesn’t make much sense in the short or long-term plans for this franchise.

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April 24, 2012; Oklahoma City OK, USA; Sacramento Kings small forward Donte Greene (20) drives to the basket against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second quarter at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Mandatory Credit: Richard Rowe-US PRESSWIRE

That man could end up being free agent forward Donte Greene.

Greene says that the Knicks, Pacers, and Bulls now make up his “top three” list of potential destinations and the former Sacramento King told TheCDNetworks.com internet radio show that those three clubs are the ones that he is working to get a deal done with.

A little over two weeks ago, Greene said that he hoped to sign with Chicago, but the two sides have yet to hammer out an agreement.  The 6’11″ forward became an unrestricted free agent on June 27th when the Kings declined to extend him a qualifying offer.

The 24 year old averaged 5.4 PPG and 2.5 RPG in just under 15 minutes per contest last season.

Greene has the length to be very good defensively, but is a subpar rebounder and lacks strength. In addition, he loves to hoist up three-point shots. He’s 6’11″ and not a good shooter, but has taken 2.1 shots per game throughout his career from behind the arc, compared to only 3.6 attempts from inside it. He shot only 23.8 percent from three-point range last season, but still loves firing the long ball.

He has the skill set to run the floor, slash to the rim and commit to defending, but through four NBA seasons, Greene has shown no interest in doing so. He’s shot above 70 percent at the rim, so he needs to change his game a ton to really be a good fit with the Knicks. They need a defender and someone who can score at the rim, not someone with the tendency to chuck up awful shots. They already have enough players like that.

Greene played one season at Syracuse in 2007-08 and averaged 17.7 points and 7.2 rebounds for the Orange.

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Atkinson was the Knicks player development coach and who Jeremy Lin credited for his rise to prominence last season.

Atkinson was the only coach from the Mike D’Antoni regime who was kept when D’Antoni resigned last March (Herb Williams was kept but he wasn’t a D’Antoni guy). Instead of promoting Atkinson, Mike Woodson elected to hire Jim Todd and Darrell Walker to fill the vacancies left by Phil Weber and Dan D’Antoni.

The decision for Atkinson to leave could have something to do with the Knicks decision not to match Lin’s offer, but it very well could have more to do with owner James Dolan.

Dolan once wanted Atkinson removed from the coaching staff because he believed he was talking to the media, but former Knicks president Donnie Walsh insisted that Atkinson stay. Later on, Dolan would not allow Atkinson out of his contract to the join the Portland Trail Blazers.

Atkinson is seen a head coaching prospect in the mold of two former Knicks assistant coaches; Jeff Van Gundy and Tom Thibodeau. Woodson will now have to find a player development coach with the energy and dedication Atkinson gave the organization.

It will be very interesting to see how the Knicks replace Atkinson, if they choose to. Atkinson was always regarded as the Knicks’ best advocate for young, developing players, but the Knicks don’t really have many young players anymore, so a “player development coach” might not be necessary.

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The only problem with that theory as I mentioned is that Martin is very unlikely to play for the veteran’s minimum, which is all the Knicks can offer.

That leaves the Knicks in a bind as they could possibly wait until closer to training camp and see if Martin’s salary demands come down, or the club could elect to sign someone sooner, while there are still a couple useful bodies on the market.

Apr 17, 2011; Oklahoma City, OK, USA; Denver Nuggets center Chris Anderson (11) shoots the ball against Oklahoma City Thunder guard James Harden (13) during the first half of game one of the first round of the 2011 NBA playoffs at the Oklahoma City Arena. Mandatory Credit: Mark D. Smith-US PRESSWIRE

So if the Knicks elect to pass on waiting for Martin, here’s a look at potential candidates they could turn to.

Chris Anderson: According to ESPN’s Jared Zwerling, a source close to Anderson said “The Birdman,” is willing to play for the veteran’s minimum. He is a guy that could be useful to the Knicks as he can score inside, rebound and block shots, posting career averages of 5.4 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks. Of course with Anderson you get the baggage and antics as well, but he’s a guy that can provide exactly what the Knicks need of the bench.

D.J. White: I have always like White as a player and would be a solid bench addition, posting career averages of 6.3 points and 3.8 rebounds throughout his four-year career. He’s probably going to be looking to sign for the min-mid level exception though, so he could be out of the Knicks price range.

Andray Blatche: Blatche could be open to signing somewhere for the veteran’s minimum since he’s still getting paid from the Wizards, however he could be looking for a team where he could play a bigger role, looking to cash in on a contract the following season. That’s actually fine with me. There’s no doubting Blatche’s talent, averaging 9.9 points and 5.4 rebounds. He even broke out two years ago, putting up a 16.8 and 8.2 season, but he has a reputation for being lazy and not being a great team guy. Those are the last qualities the Knicks need in their locker room right now.

Louis Amundson: Amundson could be looking to earn a little more than the veteran’s minimum as well and that’s also fine with me, however he is someone who could be on the Knicks radar. I’m not a real big fan of Amundson though. While I do like the fact that he brings energy and is a big man who can block shots and crash boards, he’s a lousy free-throw shooter and has no range from the floor.

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May 11, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Memphis Grizzlies power forward Zach Randolph (50) defends as Los Angeles Clippers power forward Kenyon Martin (2) sets up to dunk in the second half of game 6 of the Western Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at the Staples Center. Grizzlies won 90-88. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

That’s a legitimate backup power forward.

Sure Kurt Thomas can give them some minutes behind Amar’e Stoudemire as could Carmelo Anthony at times, but a legitimate power forward who can spell Stoudemire and play defense and rebound is still needed.

That guy should be Kenyon Martin.

However, while there is mutual interest between the Knicks and martin, especially since he’s friends with both Anthony and J.R. Smith, Martin still wants to be paid well and that’s something the Knicks can’t do as they are down to offering veteran minimum contracts.

According to ESPN’s Jared Zwerling, that’s something K-Mart won’t do.

Regarding Kenyon Martin, out of available PFs, he’d make most sense for NYK. Versatile, knows Melo/JR. But source says won’t sign for min.

— Jared Zwerling (@JaredZwerling) August 2, 2012

However most team’s rosters are about set and most teams are in the position that the Knicks are in and can only offer minimum deals.

That could play in the Knicks favor, as could the fact that Martin’s options are drying up — the Warriors were interested but they signed Carl Landry, and the Clippers have moved on. K-Mart can elect to wait it out until training camp starts, looking for some team to give him a piece of their mid-level exception, but he may have some less than ideal options to choose from when it comes time.

The decision to come to the Big Apple should be an easy one for Martin.

There’s a need for him in New York and he can play a big role on a winning team, something he hasn’t done a lot of in his career. With the Knicks, Martin has the opportunity to potentially contend for a championship, something that has eluded him throughout his career.

Now it’s just a matter of whether or not Martin is willing to sacrifice some money for the opportunity to try and win.

After 12 years in the NBA in which he’s made a total of $110,784,447, you would think winning would be his top priority.

I guess we will have to wait and see.

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ESPN’s Jared Zwerling reports that while the deal isn’t official, it is confirmed.

Chris Smith, J.R.’s younger brother, will be signing with the #Knicks soon.

— Jared Zwerling (@JaredZwerling) August 1, 2012

July 19, 2012; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Toronto Raptors center Daniel Orton (33) guards New York Knicks guard Chris Smith (44) in the second half of the game at the Cox Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

The contract will likely earn the younger Smith an invite to training camp, but  I wouldn’t  imagine there’s much guaranteed money included.

Smith, 24, averaged 9.7 points per game in his senior year at Louisville and played for the Knicks’ Summer League squad in Las Vegas in July.

He wasn’t very impressive in Vegas, averaging 5.2 PPG on .290/.375/.625 shooting and despite the contract, Smith appears to be a long shot to earn a spot on the Knicks’ regular season roster, but is someone the Knicks can sign and send to the D-League for a year, which is what will likely happen.

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With the acquisition of Steve Nash, are the Lakers now the favorite to come out of the Western Conference? Are the Clippers continuing to get better? Could the Warriors make a return to the playoffs?

I take a look at that and much more as I grade the offseason of every team in the Pacific Division.

Golden State Warriors

June 28, 2012; Newark, NJ, USA; Harrison Barnes (North Carolina), right, is introduced as the number seven overall pick to the Golden State Warriors by NBA commissioner David Stern during the 2012 NBA Draft at the Prudential Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-US PRESSWIRE

Players Added

NBA Draft: F Harrison Barnes, C Festus Ezeli, F Draymond Green, C Ognjen Kuzmic
Free Agents: F Carl Landry, F Brandon Rush
Trades: F Edin Bavcic, G Jarrett Jack

Players Lost

Trades: F Dorell Wright

I love the Warriors draft as Barnes can slide right in and become the productive small forward the Warriors have been missing. Ezeli and Green will prove to be nice depth parts. In addition I like the additions of Jack, Landry and the re-signing of Rush. The Warriors are suddenly a very deep team and if Andrew Bogut returns to form, a return to the playoffs should be likely. Grade: A-

Los Angeles Clippers

Players Added
Free Agents: G Chauncey Billups (re-signed), G Jamal Crawford, F Grant Hill, C Ronny Turiaf
Trades: G Willie Green, F Lamar Odom

Players Lost

Free Agents: G Randy Foye, G Nick Young
Trades: F Reggie Evans, F Sofoklis Schortsanitis, G Mo Williams
Waived: F Ryan Gomes (amnesty)

The Clippers signed Blake Griffin to an extension but weren’t able to do the same with Chris Paul. That may put the Clippers in win-now mode. Crawford, Odom, Hill and Billups can all help this team, but it all depends on whether or not Odom wants to play at a high level or quit on his team. I’m going to lean towards Odom being a good pickup for now though. Grade: B+

Los Angeles Lakers

Players Added

Apr 8, 2012; Newark, NJ, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers forward Antawn Jamison (4) argues a referee

NBA Draft: C Robert Sacre
Free Agents: Devin Ebanks (re-signed), F Jordan Hill (re-signed), G Darius Morris (re-signed), G Steve Nash, FAntawn Jamison
Trades: G Darius Johnson-Odom (Draft-day trade with Mavs), G Steve Nash (sign-and-trade with Suns)

Players Lost

Free Agents: G Ramon Sessions

For a team that has been worried about the luxury tax for a year, the Lakers made a huge splash getting Nash. Jamison is a steal at the veteran’s minimum and Ebanks and Hill provide depth. The Lakers are now very dangerous. Grade: A

Phoenix Suns

Players Added

NBA Draft: G Kendall Marshall
Free Agents: F Michael Beasley, G Goran Dragic, F/C Luis Scola, G Shannon Brown (re-signed)
Trades: G Wesley Johnson

Players Lost

Free Agents: G Aaron Brooks, F Grant Hill, G Ronnie Price
Trades: G Steve Nash, C Robin Lopez, F Hakim Warrick
Waived: G/F Josh Childress (amnesty)

The Suns lost Steve Nash and lost out on Eric Gordon, so it’s officially rebuilding time in Phoenix. I like the Suns getting Dragic, who is very good. I’m not real excited about them signing Beasley, who has problem playing team ball and will be playing out of position. Adding a 32-year old Scola is also puzzling for a rebuilding team. Grade: C-

Sacramento Kings

Players Added

NBA Draft: F Orlando Johnson, F Thomas Robinson
Free Agents: G Aaron Brooks, F Jason Thompson (re-signed)
Trades: F James Johnson

Players Lost

Trades: F Orlando Johnson (draft day trade to Indiana)
Waived: C Hassan Whiteside

The Kings have good young talent and just need to learn how to win. Adding a competitor and a winner like Robinson with the No. 5 pick in the draft was a steal. Giving Thompson $6 mil a year was surprising, since he won’t beat out either Robinson or DeMarcus Cousins. Equally puzzling was the signing of Brooks as it decreases the trade value of both Jimmer Fredette and Tyreke Evans. Grade: C

If you missed any part of the six part series, here’s the breakdown of each team’s offseason grade.

A: Los Angeles Lakers, Atlanta Hawks, New Orleans Hornets

A-: Miami Heat, Golden State Warriors

B+: Los Angeles Clippers, Utah Jazz, Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets

B: Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Dallas Mavericks, San Antonio Spurs, Washington Wizards, Detroit Pistons, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Toronto Raptors

B-: Portland Trail Blazers

C+: Memphis Grizzlies, Charlotte Bobcats, Cleveland Cavaliers

C: Sacramento Kings, Minnesota Timberwolves

C-: Phoenix Suns, Houston Rockets, Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers

D-: Chicago Bulls

F: Orlando Magic

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Now I will shift my attention to the Northwest Division and take a look at if playoff teams like the Denver Nuggets and Utah Jazz can close the gap on the Oklahoma City Thunder. Also have the Minnesota Timberwolves done enough to make superstar Kevin Love a happy camper?

I take a look at those questions and many more as I hand out the offseason grades for the Northwest Division.

Denver Nuggets

Players Added

May 12, 2012; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Andrew Bynum (17) and Denver Nuggets center JaVale McGee (34) go for a rebound in the second half of game seven of the Western Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at the Staples Center. Lakers won 96-87. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

NBA Draft: G Evan Fournier, F Quincy Miller, F Izzet Turkyilmaz
Free Agents: G Andre Miller (re-signed), C JaVale McGee (re-signed), F Anthony Randolph

Players Lost

Free Agents: G Rudy Fernandez
Waived: F/C Chris Andersen (amnesty)

Denver added a scorer in Fournier and a potential second-round steal in Miller in the draft. In addition they kept McGee and Miller around. While $44 million may seem absurd for McGee, he did have an impact in the playoffs and could be turning the corner as a player.

I also like the Randolph signing. Its low-risk at only $2 million and his PER numbers suggest he has an impact when he’s on the floor. At only 23, maybe he can start to put it together in Denver. Overall I like what Denver did to keep their up-and-coming team intact and added a pair of nice pieces in the draft for the future. Grade: B

Minnesota Timberwolves

Players Added

NBA Draft: F Robbie Hummel
Free Agents: G Alexey Shved, F Andrei Kirilenko, G Brandon Roy
Trades: F Chase Budinger, F Dante Cunningham, C Brad Miller (retired; contract reacquired), G Jerome Dyson

Players Lost

Free Agents: F Michael Beasley
Trades: G Wayne Ellington, G Wesley Johnson
Waived: C Darko Milicic (amnesty), F Anthony Randolph, G/F Martell Webster

April 21, 2011, Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Brandon Roy (7) puts up a shot agaisnt the Dallas Mavericks in the second quarter of game three of the first round of the 2011 NBA playoffs at the Rose Garden. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-US PRESSWIRE

I don’t know if this is what Love had in mind by improving the team. Losing out on Nicolas Batum hurts and the rest of the offseason is really a roll of the dice. If Roy and Kirilenko show they can still be major contributors then the wolves suddenly become a nice team. That’s a big if though because if they don’t then it’s hard to make a case for the Wolves as a legitimate playoff team in a tough Western Conference. Grade: C

Oklahoma City Thunder

Players Added

NBA Draft: F Perry Jones III
Free Agents: C Hasheem Thabeet

Players Lost

Free Agents: C Nazr Mohammed

The Western Conference champs didn’t need much and they got a gift on draft night when an athlete the caliber of Jones III fell to them. Other than that, the Thunder were their usual conservative selves. It’s easy to be that way when you don’t have many holes to fill in free agency and it was wise to save the money as they will have to try and keep both James Harden and Serge Ibaka in a Thunder uniform.

Thabeet is actually a nice low-risk signing. He will add some length and be able to block shots. Grade: B

Portland Trail Blazers

Players Added

NBA Draft: G Will Barton, C Meyers Leonard, G Damian Lillard, G Tyshawn Taylor
Free Agents: F Nicolas Batum (re-signed), F Victor Claver, F Joel Freeland, F J.J. Hickson (re-signed), GRonnie Price
Trades: C Dan Gazuric, F Jared Jeffries, F Kostas Papanikolaou, G/F Sasha Pavlovic, F Giorgos Printezis

Players Lost

Free Agents: G Jamal Crawford
Trades: G Tyshawn Taylor (draft-day trade to Nets), G Raymond Felton, F Kurt Thomas, G Job Diebler

July 19, 2012; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard (0) drives in the first half of the game against the Atlanta Hawks at the Cox Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

I loved the Blazers draft, getting both Lillard and Leonard, who have enormous upsides. Re-signing Batum and Hickson were the right moves as well although Batum turned out to be costly.

In addition, the Blazers were able to get rid of most of their dead weight and start over. They won’t be a playoff team in 2013, but they are going about rebuilding in the right way. Grade: B-

Utah Jazz

Players Added

NBA Draft: G Kevin Murphy
Free Agents: F Jeremy Evans (re-signed), G Randy Foye
Trades: F Shan Foster, G Mo Williams, F Marvin Williams

Players Lost

Trades: F Tadija Dragicevic, G Devin Harris

The Jazz have quietly built themselves into a decent team. After making the playoffs last season, GM Kevin O’Connor used his assets to add depth to his roster. He turned Mehmet Okur’s trade exception into a starting point guard and turned Harris’ expiring deal into Marvin Williams.

I like the Randy Foye signing and the second-round selection of Murphy, who was one of the best scorers in college basketball last season. He has deep range on his jumper and could give the Jazz a nice scoring bump off the bench.

Utah has significant assets going forward, with expiring contracts in Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson along with the Warriors’ 2013 first-round pick. If the Jazz want to make another big deal mid-season, they have the tools to get it done. Grade: B+

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Looking at the Southwest Division, did the Dallas Mavericks do enough to make themselves contenders again? Do the San Antonio Spurs have one more run in them? Are the Memphis Grizzlies about to become legitimate contenders for a championship?

I look at that and much more as I grade the Southwest Division.

Dallas Mavericks

Players Added

May 9, 2012; Memphis, TN, USA; Memphis Grizzlies shooting guard O.J. Mayo (32) drives the ball up the court during the second half of game five in the Western Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs against the Los Angeles Clippers at FedEx Forum. The Memphis Grizzlies defeated the Los Angeles Clippers 92-80. Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden-US PRESSWIRE

NBA Draft:, G Darius Johnson-Odom, C Tyler Zeller
Free Agents: F Elton Brand, C Chris Kaman, G O.J. Mayo, G Delonte West (re-signed)
Trades: F Jae Crowder, G Jared Cunningham, C Bernard James (draft day trade from Cavs), F Tadija Dragicevic, G Darren Collison, G Dahntay Jones

Players Lost

Free Agents: G Jason Kidd, G Jason Terry
Trades: G Kelenna Azubuike, G Darius Johnson-Odom, C Tyler Zeller (draft day trade with Cavs), F Lamar Odom, F Shan Foster, C Ian Mahinmi
Waived: C Brendan Haywood (amnesty)

Give Mark Cuban and the Mavs credit for quickly switching to Plan B. They sacrificed the 2012 season to land Deron Williams and Dwight Howard. That didn’t happen and they also lost Kidd and Terry.

However they added three young pieces in the draft, quickly added Kaman and Mayo to reasonable deals, pulled off a deal for Collison and claimed Brand when Philadelphia used the amnesty clause on him.

They will be much better next season. I don’t think they got back into title contention, but they will be a good team. Grade: B

Houston Rockets

Players Added

NBA Draft: G Jeremy Lamb, F Terrence Jones, F Royce White
Free Agents: C Omer Asik, G Jeremy Lin
Trades: F Furkan Aldemir, F Jon Brockman, G Job Diebler, G Toney Douglas, F Gary Forbes, C Josh Harrellson, G Shaun Livingston, F/C JaJuan Johnson, C Jerome Jordan, G E’Twaun Moore, F/C Sean Williams

Players Lost

Free Agents: G Goran Dragic
Trades: F Chase Budinger, C Samuel Dalembert, G Courtney Lee, G Kyle Lowry, C Marcus Camby
Waived: F/C Luis Scola (amnesty), F Jon Leuer

Mar 21, 2012; Philadelphia, PA, USA; New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin (17) during the second quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center. The Knicks defeated the Sixers 82-79. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE

The Rockets are still players for wither Dwight Howard or Andrew Bynum, which could change this grade drastically.

They gutted their roster and gave out bad contracts to Lin and Asik and I love the three guys they got in the first round in Lamb, White and Jones, but they lost Lowry, Scola, Lee, Dragic, Camby, Dalembert and Budinger.

I have to think they aren’t done otherwise they are looking at Lin, Asik and a handful of first and second year players to start the season. There has to be a plan and right now given what they won’t have on the roster, the Rockets took a huge step backwards. Grade: C-

Memphis Grizzlies

Players Added

NBA Draft: G Tony Wroten Jr.
Free Agents: G Jerryd Bayless
Trades: G Wayne Ellington, F D.J. Kennedy

Players Lost

Free Agents: G O.J. Mayo
Trades: F Dante Cunningham, G Jeremy Pargo

The Grizzlies didn’t need to do much as they have their core intact. I would have liked to see them add some additional shooting other than Ellington, but that wasn’t in the cards.

They did though get Wroten in the draft, who’s not NBA-ready, but has the chance to be a top five player in this draft class after he develops. Losing Mayo isn’t going to be a big deal. Grade: C+

New Orleans Hornets

Players Added

NBA Draft: F Anthony Davis, F Darius Miller, G Austin Rivers
Free Agents: G Eric Gordon (re-signed)
Trades: F Ryan Anderson, F Edin Bavcic, C Robin Lopez, F Hakim Warrick

Players Lost

Free Agents: G Marco Belinelli, C Chris Kaman
Trades: F Trevor Ariza, C Emeka Okafor, F Gustavo Ayon, G Jarrett Jack, F Darryl Watkins, C Brad Miller(retired; contract sent to Minnesota), G Jerome Dyson
Waived: F Rashard Lewis

I love what the Hornets have done and getting Davis by winning the lottery is a big part of that. But they also get rivers and Miller in the draft and re-signed Gordon, plus added length in Lopez and Warrick.

Then Dell Demps made deals to acquire the sweet-shooting Anderson and clear cap space by dealing Okafor and Ariza. The Hornets are now a team loaded with young talent and enough cap flexibility to make major moves in the future. Grade: A

San Antonio Spurs

Players Added

NBA Draft: G Marcus Denmon
Free Agents: F Boris Diaw (re-signed), F/C Tim Duncan (re-signed), G/F Danny Green (re-signed), G Patrick Mills (re-signed)
Trades:

Players Lost

None

As it is every year with the Spurs, you have to ask yourself if they are too old, but it’s hard to break up a team that finished with the best record in the NBA a season ago.

They didn’t do much but they re-signed Duncan, Diaw and Green and more importantly they stayed under the luxury tax. Only Kawhi Leonard represents a young talent to build with on this team, but if it isn’t broke then I guess it doesn’t need fixed. Grade: B

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Did LeBron James and the champion Miami Heat do enough to repeat? Will the Washington Wizards and Charlotte Bobcats be as woeful as they were a season ago?

Let’s take a look at that and much more as I dive into my offseason grades for the Southeast Division.

May 23, 2012; Philadelphia, PA USA; Philadelphia 76ers point guard Lou Williams (23) reacts after making a shot against the Boston Celtics during the second half of game six of the Eastern Conference semifinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at the Wells Fargo Center. The 76ers defeated the Celtics, 82-75. The 76ers tied the series at 3 games each. Mandatory Credit: Eric Hartline-US PRESSWIRE

Atlanta Hawks

Players Added

NBA Draft: G John Jenkins, F Mike Scott
Free Agents: G Lou Williams
Trades: G Devin Harris, F Kyle Korver, G Johan Petro, F Anthony Morrow, F Jordan Williams, F DeShawn Stevenson

Players Lost

Free Agents: C Jason Collins, G Kirk Hinrich, F Vladimir Radmanovic, G Jerry Stackhouse
Trades: F Marvin Williams, G Joe Johnson
Waived: G Jordan Farmar

Is it too early to give Danny Ferry the Executive of the Year Award?

Just two weeks on the job, Ferry found the only general manager in the league willing to give up expiring contracts for the remaining $89 million left on Johnson’s contract, got another expiring contract for Marvin Williams, picked up a free-agent bargain in Lou Williams and suddenly has the team poised to be a serious player in the free-agent market of 2013.

Theoretically, the Hawks could add both Dwight Howard and Chris Paul next year. They’ll have just three players under contract. Even if they can’t persuade either All-Star to come to Atlanta, they’ll still have major room to attract other top-tier free agents.

They may be a little worse this season, but still have the talent to contend for a playoff spot, but this has been a very productive offseason for the Hawks. Grade: A

Charlotte Bobcats

Players Added

NBA Draft: F Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, F Jeff Taylor
Free Agents: G Ramon Sessions, C Brendan Haywood (amnesty awarded)
Trades: G Ben Gordon

Players Lost

Free Agents: G D.J. Augustin
Trades: F Corey Maggette
Waived: F Jamario Moon

The Bobcats had a nice draft adding MKG and Jeff Taylor and upgraded the point guard spot by essentially swapping D.J. Augustin for Ramon Sessions. But while they needed some shooting, taking on the $25.6 million still owed to Ben Gordon. While most rebuilding teams clear cap space, Michael Jordan just continues to add bad salaries. Grade: C+

Miami Heat

Players Added

Feb. 20, 2012; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Washington Wizards guard Rashard Lewis during game against the Phoenix Suns at the US Airways Center. The Suns defeated the Wizards 104-88. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-US PRESSWIRE

NBA Draft: C Justin Hamilton
Free Agents: G Ray Allen, F Rashard Lewis

Players Lost

None

The champs lost no one and added two vets in Allen and Lewis. While they are both past their primes, in this Heat lineup they will be asked to just spot up and shoot 3′s, something both do very well. Grade: A-

Orlando Magic

Players Added

NBA Draft: F Andrew Nicholson, C Kyle O’Quinn
Free Agents: G Jameer Nelson (re-signed)
Trades: F/C Gustavo Ayon

Players Lost

Trades: F Ryan Anderson
Waived: F Von Wafer

The Magic added nothing and lost Ryan Anderson. In addition the Dwight Howard saga is completely out of control. It’s going to be a long way back for the Magic. Grade: F (could change if they get a nice haul for Howard).

Washington Wizards

July 18, 2012; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Washington Wizards guard Bradley Beal (3) during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at Cox Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

Players Added

NBA Draft: G Bradley Beal, G Tomas Satoransky
Free Agents: F Cartier Martin (re-signed), G A.J. Price
Trades: F Trevor Ariza, C Emeka Okafor

Players Lost

Trades: F Rashard Lewis
Waived: F Andray Blatche (amnesty)

I wasn’t crazy about the deal for Okafor and Ariza. The Wizards sacrificed cap space for the future for two bad contracts. Teams that aren’t ready to win shouldn’t be making win-now type of trades. With that being said, a front-line of Nene-Okafor-Ariza could be pretty good and I love Washington getting Brad Beal in the draft. Washington could be a sleeper playoff team this season. Grade: B

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With that being said, let’s take a look at all of the movement in the NBA’s Central Division.

Chicago Bulls

Players Added

NBA Draft: G Marquis Teague
Free Agents: G Kirk Hinrich, F Vladimir Radmanovic, Nazr Mohammed

Players Lost

Free Agents: C Omer Asik, G Ronnie Brewer, G C.J. Watson
Trades: F Kyle Korver

The Bulls wisely didn’t match the offer sheet to Asik, but overall it has been a lousy offseason for the Bulls. Adding Hinrich, Radmanovic and Mohammed does nothing to make them better and the losses of Korver, Brewer and Watson will be felt from a depth perspective.

It was nice that Teague fell in their laps on draft night but he’s not ready for major NBA minutes yet. Grade: D-

July 17, 2012; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Cleveland Cavaliers guard Dion Waiters (3) during the game against the Phoenix Suns at the Thomas and Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-US PRESSWIRE

Cleveland Cavaliers

Players Added

NBA Draft: G Dion Waiters, C Tyler Zeller
Free Agents: F Luke Harangody (re-signed), F Jon Leuer
Trades: G Kelenna Azubuike

Players Lost

Free Agents: C Semih Erden, F Antawn Jamison
Waived: G Manny Harris
Retired: G Anthony Parker

The Cavs added Waiters and Zeller to a good young core that features Kyrie Irving and Tristian Thompson already. However they are still a bunch of parts away from competing. The future looks bright though and now that they are in the middle of the Dwight Howard saga, they have the chance to add a huge part for the future in Andrew Bynum. If they do, then this grade is much better. Grade: C+

Detroit Pistons

Players Added

NBA Draft: C Andre Drummond, G Kim English, F Khris Middleton
Free Agents: F Kyle Singler, F Vyacheslav Kravtsov
Trades: F Corey Maggette

Players Lost

Trades: G Ben Gordon

The Pistons moves won’t have impact on the team this season, but instead planted the seeds for the future. They finally got their athletic big man they desperately needed when Drummond fell to them during the draft. Whether he becomes Dwight Howard or Kwame Brown though is yet to be determined.

They also found a sucker team in Michael Jordan’s Charlotte Bobcats to take on Ben Gordon’s contract, so they get a little bit of salary cap relief going forward. I love their second round picks of English and Middleton, so the Pistons are starting to rebuild nicely. Grade: B

Indiana Pacers

May 20, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Indiana Pacers shooting guard George Hill (3) dribbles the ball along the baseline against the Miami Heat in game four of the Eastern Conference semifinals at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. Miami defeated Indiana 101-93. Mandatory credit: Michael Hickey-US PRESSWIRE

Players Added

NBA Draft: G Orlando Johnson, F Miles Plumlee
Free Agents: G George Hill (re-signed), G/F Gerald Green, G D.J. Augustin, C Roy Hibbert (re-signed)
Trades: F Ian Mahinmi

Players Lost

Trades: G Darren Collison, G/F Dahntay Jones

The loss of Larry Bird was felt on draft night as I hated the Miles Plumlee pick. In addition, they overpaid for Hibbert and brought back Hill, so their starting five is intact, which is fine.

Then they traded Collison, their playoff PER leader for the right to pay Mahinmi $16 million? They could have likely signed him as an unrestricted free agent for half the price and wouldn’t have had to include Collison.

But they countered with Augustin, who’s more of a pure point guard than Collison, even though Collison was statistically better across the board and they added some bench scoring in Green. However looking back at the point guards, Augustin can’t guard anyone and they are paying him $1.3 million more than they would have paid Collison.

Overall I think Indiana got worse. Grade: C-

Milwaukee Bucks

Players Added

NBA Draft: F John Henson, G Doron Lamb
Free Agents: F Ersan Ilyasova (re-signed)
Trades: C Samuel Dalembert

Players Lost

Free Agents: C Kwame Brown
Trades: F Jon Brockman, F/C Jon Leuer, G Shaun Livingston

I like what the Bucks did. They re-signed Ilyasova and brought in a pair of big men in Dalembert and Henson who can make Milwaukee very tough to score on in the paint. Lamb gives them another shooter and when he’s feeling it, the kid is lethal from the perimeter.

They may have improved enough to sneak into the playoffs this season. Grade: B

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Carmelo Anthony has started and came off the bench for Team USA in the exhibitions, but his best performance easily came yesterday against Spain. With Team USA struggling to find their rhythm in the first half, Coach K brought Anthony in off the bench, and he simply exploded. ‘Melo dropped in 23 of his team-high 27 points in the first half and righted the ship for the team heading into halftime. His dominant performance all but solidified his role on Team USA as the de facto sixth man, or occasional starter, depending on the opponent.

However, there are some important factors to remember when evaluating Carmelo’s performance on the international stage. For one, the international game is a completely different beast from the NBA. In all likelihood, Anthony will flex between playing small forward and power forward with the emphasis on international play moving away from dominant inside big men. For example, its not uncommon for Coach K to use Kevin Durant or LeBron James at the center position and not just get away with it, but dominate with that line-up.

Will there be scenarios next season when the Knicks play small and put ‘Melo into the power forward slot? Absolutely, especially if Amar’e Stoudemire finds himself hurt for any period of time. But, even with that being said, anything that happens at these Olympic Games for ‘Melo need to be taken with a grain of salt. The absolute best result that could come from London is Carmelo Anthony re-focusing his game mentally, as he did after the 2008 Beijing Games. That, more than anything else, is what Knicks fans should be most excited about.

As for Tyson Chandler, the Big Man in the Middle serves one purpose on Team USA: size. Especially against Spain’s towers of the Gasol brothers and Serge Ibaka. We saw the need for a healthy Chandler yesterday and how important he will be to this team. He’s the only true center on the team, and will be needed against Spain.

Chandler had to sit early in yesterday’s game after picking up two quick fouls, and Spain immediately responded by pounding the ball inside to Ibaka, who feasted on the smaller line-up Team USA was running against them. Chandler will need to stay out of foul trouble in order to protect the rim for his teammates. Coach K will never need him to score in bunches or be a major factor on offense outside of setting high picks.

Nevertheless, Tyson Chandler may be one of the most critical pieces to the hopeful gold medal Team USA has set their sights on. Either way, one thing is for sure: the two Knicks in London will be playing some of the most important roles on the team.

April 26, 2012; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bulls shooting guard Ronnie Brewer (11) shoots the ball against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the first quarter at the United Center. Mandatory Credit: Rob Grabowski-US PRESSWIRE

The New York Knicks have been in the market for another shooting guard with only J.R. Smith and the injured Iman Shumpert on the current roster to begin the 2012-13 season.

It looks like they may have found their man in former Chicago Bulls guard Ronnie Brewer.

TNT’s David Aldridge (via Twitter) reported, the former Bull will sign with New York on a one-year deal, which figures to be for the minimum salary.

Knicks continue to build backcourt, agreeing 2 terms with ex-Bull Ronnie Brewer on one-year deal, per source. Check the Hang Time Bkog soon.

— David Aldridge (@daldridgetnt) July 24, 2012

Brewer was released by the Bulls earlier this month, and was set to earn $4.37 million, so he’ll take a significant pay cut in joining the Knicks. Having spent their mid-level exception and with no means to sign-and-trade for Brewer, the Knicks can only offer the veteran’s minimum for a player with Brewer’s experience, which will be $1,069,509.

Brewer represents a solid addition to a backcourt that is heavy on point guards, but thin on 2-guards.

Shumpert is out until at least January, so Brewer will likely split time with  Smith at shooting guard until Shump is healthy enough to return. He also could see a little bit of time at the three as well.

Brewer is 6’7” with long arms, giving him excellent size for the shooting guard position. He is a terrific defender and will fill the defensive void created by the loss of both Shumpert and Landry Fields.

He averaged 6.9 points, 3.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists in 24.8 minutes per game this past season, but is regarded as a very unselfish and team oriented player. Those qualities, along with his defensive abilities should fit in very well on a Mike Woodson coached team.

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That gives me a chance to look at what each team has accomplished, or failed to accomplish so far this summer,as I will look at each division separately in articles throughout the week.

With that being said, here’s a look at how all the teams in the Atlantic Division grade out so far this offseason.

Apr 20, 2012; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks shooting guard Jason Terry (31) reacts after making a three point shot during the game against the Golden State Warriors at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks defeated the Warriors 104-94. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-US PRESSWIRE

Atlantic Division

Boston Celtics

Players Added

NBA Draft: F Kris Joseph, C Fab Melo, F Jared Sullinger
Free Agents: F Brandon Bass (re-signed), C Jason Collins, F/C Kevin Garnett (re-signed), G Jason Terry, F/CChris Wilcox (re-signed), Jeff Green (re-signed)
Trades: G Courtney Lee

Free Agents: G Ray Allen
Trades: F/C JaJuan Johnson, G E’Twaun Moore, G/F Sasha Pavlovic, F/C Sean Williams

Danny Ainge was able to improve the Celtics with the likes of Bass, Garnett, Terry and Lee. Depending how Sullinger pans out, the Celtics could be much deeper and bigger than they were a season ago. The loss of Allen hurts, but not nearly as much as people would like to believe. Boston will be tough in 2013. Grade: B+

Brooklyn Nets

Players Added

NBA Draft: F Ilkan Karaman, F Tornike Shengelia, G Tyshawn Taylor
Free Agents: G Keith Bogans, F Kris Humphries (re-signed), C Brook Lopez (re-signed), G/F Jerry Stackhouse, F Mirza Teletovic, F Gerald Wallace (re-signed), G C.J. Watson, G Deron Williams (re-signed)
Trades: F Reggie Evans, G Joe Johnson

Free Agents: G/F Gerald Green
Trades: G Jordan Farmar, F Anthony Morrow, G Johan Petro, F DeShawn Stevenson, F Jordan Williams

The Nets lost out on Howard for now, gave up a top lottery pick for the right to overpay Wallace, got stuck with Johnson’s ridiculous contract and overpaid Lopez. But this was still a very good offseason as no team in the NBA improved as much as Brooklyn.

They kept Williams and added parts around him. while I still don’t think they are title contenders, they will be very good and may even be a team that can get out of the first round in 2013. Grade: B+

New York Knicks

May 3, 2012; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks point guard Jason Kidd (2) drives the ball past Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Derek Fisher (37) during the first half of game three in the Western Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-US PRESSWIRE

Players Added

NBA Draft: F Kostas Papanikolaou
Free Agents: G/F James White, G Jason Kidd, F Steve Novak (re-signed), G J.R. Smith (re-signed), G/F Chris Copeland, G Pablo Prigioni
Trades: C Marcus Camby, G Raymond Felton, F Kurt Thomas

Free Agents: G Jeremy Lin (restricted), G Landry Fields
Trades: G Toney Douglas, C Josh Harrellson, C Jerome Jordan, F Jared Jeffries, C Dan Gadzuric, F Kostas Papanikolaou

The Knicks let Jeremy Lin walk and committed $15 million to Novak (who scored a total of 12 points in the playoffs) and committed close to 420 million more to aging vets like Camby and Kidd.

The message is simple and that’s the Knicks are going for it. I like the Felton trade, but don’t know if the Knicks did enough to contend. They will likely still add a 2-guard, but it may not be enough. Grade: B

Philadelphia 76ers

Players Added

NBA Draft: F Maurice Harkless, F Arnett Moultrie
Free Agents: F/C Lavoy Allen (re-signed), F/C Spencer Hawes (re-signed), G Nick Young, C Kwame Brown
Trades: F Darryl Watkins, F Dorell Wright

Free Agents: G Lou Williams
Trades: F Edin Bavcic
Waived: F Elton Brand (amnesty)

The Sixers did well to add parts of the future in Harkless and Moultrie, two of the best athletes in the draft, but losing Williams (leading scorer) and Brand (second leading rebounder) may be tough to replace in the short-term.

Young adds some needed shooting, but I really don’t know if the Sixers got much better than what we saw in 2012. Grade: C-

Toronto Raptors

Players Added

NBA Draft: F Quincy Acy, G Terrence Ross, F Tomislav Zubcic
Free Agents: G Landry Fields, Aaron Gray (re-signed)
Trades: G Kyle Lowry

Free Agents: G Jerryd Bayless
Trades: F Gary Forbes, F James Johnson

The Raptors got better with the additions of Fields, Lowry, Ross and Acy. Don’t forget that Jonas Valanciunas will be making his way to the NBA this season, so that’s just like having an additional first round pick.

They lost out on Steve Nash and Jeremy Lin, but getting Lowry for a first was a steal. Add Lowry, Fields and the rookies to Andrea Bargnarni and DeMar DeRozan and the Raptors should be much more competitive in 2013. Grade: B

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Oh the humanity! Jeremy Lin is no longer a New York Knick.

Whatever happened to the Knicks claiming, “we’ll match any offer up to a billiondollars,” as reported by Marc Stein of ESPN? How did we get here?

We got here because it turned out that the Knicks front office just did not believe in “Linsanity”. They preferred to let Jeremy Lin go, not so much of it because it was a “financial decision”, but out of spite, because he held up team owner Jim Dolan for more money and because in the end, that they didn’t really believe in Lin.

Mar 21, 2012; Philadelphia, PA, USA; New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin (17) during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center. The Knicks defeated the Sixers 82-79. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE

The New York Knicks didn’t match an offer to sign Jeremy Lin, AKA “Linsanity”, that was reportedly, $5 million in the first year, $5.225 million in the second and $14.8 million in the third. That was the revised, final offer given to Lin by the Houston Rockets after their initial lower offer. If the Knicks had matched the Rockets’ revised and final offer, they would have to pay a luxury tax in the third year, because they’d be over the NBA salary cap in 2014-15. It’s that third year “poison pill” of $14.8 million that angered Dolan and his staff.

Dolan felt “betrayed” and “deceived” by Lin when the player went back to the Rockets and said, “the Knicks will match your offer”. The Rockets then revised the initial offer to include the $14.8 million in the third year, and Dolan, known for being egotistical, stubborn, and very very rich doesn’t like to be topped or challenged by anyone. His ego won’t allow him to be.

So Lin goes to Houston, where another Asian player, Yao Ming became a star. They’ve got the infrastructure to plug Lin in where Yao was and cash in on all their Asian contacts in China, though Lin is actually Taiwanese, not Chinese. Taiwan is an island off the coast of China, but China still claims him as a national hero.

Either way, Lin calls Yao his “big brother” and maintains a close relationship. One that will only grow stronger in the years to come, since Lin is now a Rocket.

It’s strange though that Lin, who rose to prominence so quickly, performing at a star level over 27 or so NBA games, could be so discounted by the Knick front office, and by many of their fans now, when just a few short months ago, he could do no wrong. The whole world knew his name, and he was as popular a worldwide star as anyone at the time. Now it seems he is thought of by many as no more than a backup. How did this happen? How did Lin fall from grace?

Whether it’s a film, a show, a music group, an actor, a book, a team, a player or any form of entertainment, when something becomes “hot”, or “viral”, if it does so quickly, it seems to “burn out” just as quickly in the public’s eye, whereas if it rises slowly, becoming popular over a number of years, it seems to fade slowly as well. Why is this?

Sociologists believe that humans are by nature, social creatures. People want to fit in. Most people are not leaders, but followers, and as such, most follow what “influencers” (leaders) believe. Many influencers happen to be in the media. One only needs to look at twitter to find “followers” number in the tens to hundreds of thousands for top media influencers.

People, for the most part follow what they are told is popular, because “if it isn’t good, it can’t be popular.” Many people also think that if they like what others like, they will be more in touch with others. This in turn will make them popular as well. So people find reasons to follow what’s popular.

When something or someone becomes popular, literally overnight, as Lin did, it “goes viral”. Popular culture grabs on to this viral image and it spreads. Such was the case with Lin.

If we focus in on a person as the viral “image”, after this image becomes viral, there comes a high point where the image is either accepted as someone worthy of all the adoration or not. If this image continues great performance, the crowd generally accepts this image as worthy of its adoration. If the image stumbles, however, the crowd discounts him/her as a flash-in-the-pan or as a “one hit wonder”. The image then is downgraded back to an ordinary human.

A one hit wonder is usually used as a term to describe a music group that has one song that goes viral, or becomes “a hit”, but it applies to sports too.

Derek Anderson looked like a football star in 2007 for the Cleveland Browns, but after that one season, he faded into the crowd. in 1998, star rookie Shane Spencer, as a member of the New York Yankees hit 10 home runs in the month of September, and again faded out. There are any more examples in the annals of sports history. Could Lin follow in their footsteps?

In the form of stumbling, Lin was injured. But nonetheless, this clouded people’s opinion of him. If he was really worthy of all that adoration, if he really was “Linsanity”, someone almost superhuman, wouldn’t he play even though he was hurt? Would he actually stop playing? No, he would rise above a simple human injury and do something no one else could. He would perform just as admirably as before, but become even more of a hero, because he did what was expected of a hero and proved himself worthy.

Expectations of Lin grew with his legend. He no longer was a kid who rose out of obscurity to become a good player. He was now a superhero. The media literally animated him as such, featuring him in cartoons as someone superhuman.

So when he wasn’t a superhero after all, when he showed he was vulnerable, and got hurt, society discounted him as another tease, another one hit wonder, a disappointment.

Mar 17, 2012; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Fans sitting behind the New York Knicks bench hold up signs supporting Jeremy Lin during a game against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. New York defeated Indiana 102-88. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-US PRESSWIRE

Even before he was hurt, Linsanity was over. Back pages of New York newspapers declared
that Linsanity was dead. The Knicks themselves began discounting Lin, instead focusing on their best known player, Carmelo Anthony. At the time, the talk was Carmelo Anthony is coming back from injury. Now Lin will have to play cater to him. Lin will have to fit in to what Anthony wants.

While it’s true that Lin was a product of former Knick coach, Mike D’Antoni’s system, new Knicks coach Mike Woodson never seemed to be enamored of Lin. The injury just made it easy for the braintrust of the team to discount Lin.

So now in retrospect, many people think Lin was never that good to begin with. That Linsanity was a sham, Lin was a product of the system and was never as good as advertised. Many are angry that he didn’t play while hurt. Angry that he led us on. Angry that “he LIED to us” by not fulfilling his superhero promise. Such is the case when expectations skyrocket and a human being is regarded as more then human.

We build up our heroes, and if they fall, they fall hard, and no one wants to help them up. After all, they’re heroes aren’t they? They should be able to get up by themselves.

Linsanity was created by people, and destroyed by people. It grew out of spontaneity, and was destroyed by expectations. Whether it will rise again in Houston is anyone’s guess. But it could be the best thing for Lin as a player. He’ll be getting a fresh start, and not be under the glare of the New York media. He can be Jeremy Lin, the man, not the superhero.

May 9, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; New York Knicks power forward Amare Stoudemire (left) with small forward Carmelo Anthony (right) after Stoudemire fouls out of the game during the second half of game five in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals against the Miami Heat of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at the American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

New York Knicks forward Amar’e Stoudemire has been applauded this offseason for his decision to work on his post-game with Hakeem Olajuwon.

He’s training twice a day since May and down to 245 pounds, which is encouraging to hear for Knicks fans.

However his recent comments during a summer league telecast have set high goals for the 2012-13 Knicks team.

“Anything less than a championship,” the power forward said on MSG Thursday during Knicks’ Summer League broadcast from Las Vegas, “is a waste of a season.”

While it’s nice to see that STAT has high goals for this team, are they actually realistic goals?

Even though they’ve added the likes of Jason Kidd, Marcus Camby, Kurt Thomas and Raymond Felton, are the Knicks championship contenders?

They will be better for sure, but still have  ways to go before winning a championship.

This is still a team that have won a grand total of one playoff game since 2001. It’s still a team whose best player, Carmelo Anthony, has managed to get out of the first round only one time in his career.

I love the enthusiasm from Stoudemire, but there are steps to take before winning a title and winning a series or two in the postseason needs to come first.

In addition to his championship dreams, STAT also said he said he’s strong, healthy and ready to go, and is thrilled with the trade for Raymond Felton. The two worked well in their short time together before Felton was dealt to Denver as part of the Carmelo Anthony trade.

“Awesome, awesome acquisition with Raymond,’ Stoudemire said. ‘He’s a phenomenal player. He’s one of those guys you know is going to bring his ‘A’ game. Hes going to play extremely hard on both ends of the court and hes ready to win.’”

While it is nice to talk about championships, remember that this is July and the Knicks will still have a lot of questions to answer before the 2013 playoffs begin.

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The positive thing though is that the Knicks are an interesting option for free agents. For one, the Knicks are contenders on paper, and two, there’s immediate playing time available with Iman Shumpert on the shelf for at least the season’s first two months.

Before I get into available options, let’s look at how the Knicks roster shapes up right now:

C- Tyson Chandler, Marcus Camby

PF- Amar’e Stoudemire, Kurt Thomas, Chris Copeland

SF- Carmelo Anthony, Steve Novak, James White

SG- J.R. Smith, Shumpert (out until January)

PG- Raymond Felton, Jason Kidd, Pablo Prigioni

There’s a definite hole at the shooting guard spot that needs addressed before the season begins and here’s a look at who could be on the Knicks radar.

Apr 07, 2012; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers guard Jodie Meeks (20) passes the ball during the fourth quarter against the Orlando Magic at the Wells Fargo Center. The Magic defeated the Sixers 88-82. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE

Jodie Meeks: Meeks is on the Knicks radar and is a guy who can knock down more than his share of shots from the perimeter. He shot 39.7 percent from behind the arc in 2011, before seeing that number dip to 36.5 percent in 2012.

Marco Belinelli: I like Belinelli, who averaged 11.8 points per game in 2012, but he also offers up very little on the defensive end of the floor.

Ronnie Brewer: I like the prospects of potentially adding Brewer, who is also on the Knicks radar. He’s a guy who will accept his role and will commit to playing defense, although he’s not a great shooter, knocking down only 27.5 percent of his three-point attempts in 2012.

Maurice Evans: The nine-year pro out of Texas can play the 2 or the 3, although he’s only 6’5″. He is a veteran who would also accept his role and has made 36.3 percent of his career attempts from behind the arc.

Carlos Delfino: He would be a great fit on this Knicks team, but can likely get a better financial offer from another team. He can play the 2 or the 3, is a solid defender and can knock down open shots.

Sonny Weems: Weems is on the Knicks radar but an option I don’t like. He has the size and athleticism to be a solid defender but just floats on defense and is focused on scoring. However he’s a lousy shooter, knocking down only 24.1 percent of his perimeter shots in his three-year career.

May 3, 2012; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks point guard Jason Kidd (2) drives the ball past Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Derek Fisher (37) during the first half of game three in the Western Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-US PRESSWIRE

The Knicks added veteran Jason Kidd and brought back Raymond Felton. One man will start, but who will it be?

The Kidd signing came after the Knicks failed to acquire Steve Nash, who will now run the show in Laker Land.  Kidd is one of the best point guards ever and has proven at his age and the later part of his career he can lead a team to a championship ring. He is respected and is an unquestioned leader. He isn’t going to give you the 16 points and 10 assists like he did in his Jersey days, but he will get the ball to his superstar teammates, hit his shots when he’s open, and won’t turn the ball over.

Kidd will be a liability on defense especially against the Eastern Conference stud point guards in Deron Williams, Derrick Rose, Rajon Rondo and Kyrie Irving. He isn’t going to give you major starter minutes but will most likely be in there at the end of the game. Kidd helped a veteran Dallas team beat Miami and win a championship; can he do the same thing with the Knicks two years later?

Felton is also back in a Knicks uniform for the second time in three years. He by far had his best year of his career in New York, but those were the Mike D’Antoni run and gun days. In a more half-court offense, the same that coach Mike Woodson runs, Felton averaged 11 points and 6 assists last season.

I feel like he will be more inspired and happier in New York playing with Carmelo Anthony and pick and roll buddy Amar’e Stoudemire. The one knock on Felton is that he can fall out of shape, but I don’t expect him to come to camp or start the season like that. He has to realize the Knicks are in a win-now mode and I don’t think the likes of Tyson Chandler, Marcus Camby and Kidd will allow their point guard to be chubby.

So who gets the edge?

I believe the Knicks should start Felton this upcoming season. Kidd has already expressed that he wouldn’t mind coming off the bench as long as he is on the court for clutch time. Even though Kidd said this when we all thought Jeremy Lin was going to return, he still has that mindset that he is ready to come off the bench, so you know he won’t complain.

I think Felton can keep up with more starters in the league and will fit well with Melo and STAT. Also Kidd should have the advantage over almost all backup point guards in the league.

Felton, JR Smith (Iman Shumpert when he comes back), Carmelo, Stoudemire, and Chandler is a sold starting five. A bench of Kidd, Camby, Steve Novak and Kurt Thomas is a very savvy bench. As long as Felton starts and Kidd finishes, the Knicks point guard spot is looking great for this upcoming season.

May 6, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) dribbles the ball against the Miami Heat during the second half of game four in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 89-87. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE

The actions of the last five months made by the Knicks brass has directly been decided in Carmelo’s good grace. Don’t be fooled, Anthony surely had a hand in the firing of Mike D’Antoni and the decision to let Jeremy Lin leave for the Houston Rockets.

Before this was Melo’s town and right before that when it was Amar’e Stoudemire’s town, James Dolan, Donnie Walsh, and Knicks brass had a blueprint to bring major superstars to the Garden. Leading up to the summer of 2010 Knicks fans had dreams of a duo of LeBron James and Chris Bosh, LeBron and Joe Johnson, Johnson and Bosh, LeBron and Stoudemire, the list goes on and on.

The Knicks ended up with Amar’e Stoudemire and had the star they wanted with a talented young nucleus of Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler, Landry Fields, and Raymond Felton.

As the season went on, Amar’e was dominating and gave Knicks fans hope of a bright future. Of course when they struck out on the big fish of LeBron James, the names of Carmelo and Chris Paul joining STAT to form their own Big Three was now the current pipe dream. Melo held the Denver Nuggets hostage saying he will only sign long-term in a trade to the Knicks. Both dreams came true, Carmelo was playing where he always wanted to play- in New York and the Knicks got their top-tier superstar they always wanted.

This wasn’t Stoudemire’s team anymore; it was now Carmelo’s.

After a half year of trying to gel, getting swept in the first round by Boston wasn’t much of a letdown. After a successful offseason where they acquired their defensive stud of a center in Tyson Chandler and drafting Iman Shumpert, the Knicks were starting to finally build their team they dreamt of in 2010. Adding sharp shooter Steve Novak and spark off the bench J.R. Smith only gave Knicks fans more hope.

Then on a Saturday in February, a journeyman got the start against the New Jersey Nets, outplayed All-Star Deron Williams with 25 points, seven assists and five rebounds. This journeyman of course was Lin and the rest is history. He outscored Kobe Bryant with 38 points to Kobe’s 34, beating the Lakers, and won Player of the Week with his first week starting in his career, averaging 27.3 points and 8.3 assists and going 4-0 with the Knicks.

When you thought it couldn’t get better, he hits a buzzer beater three to beat the Raptors. Linsanity was in full effect and caught the sports universe by storm. He was on the cover of Time and Sports Illustrated twice. He was buzz of every sports talk show in the whole country. Lin was the face of the Knicks, hell maybe even the league. There was one problem with all of this; Dolan already had his face of the franchise and it was Anthony.

No one believed that Melo had nothing to do with D’Antoni’s exit. Before Linsanity began the Knicks were the definition of underachieving. I remember like it was yesterday losing to the Bobcats at home and I made my Facebook status “Can Phil Jackson start looking for apartments in New York?” It clearly wasn’t working, and when you give up the farm for Carmelo, you listen to what he has to say. When he can’t play under this coach’s system and when the team is failing, you get rid of the coach. This was Carmelo’s first flex his muscle and power in the Knicks organization.

The end of Linsanity I believe would be his second.

I was never a big Lin fan but of course I rooted for him. My Knicks were on the verge of being again the laughing stock of the league and he single handily saved their season and so much more. But I hated when people were comparing him to the best point guards in the league, I viewed it was a slap in the face to those players. Russell Westbrook and Tony Parker were so overlooked in the beginning of the season and these guys have put up great numbers in their careers. People were saying Lin was better than them. He got very hot vs. mostly bad competition, but hey he did what he had to do.

Once he hurt his knee I knew his 15 minutes were up. The team would return back to its rightful owner in Carmelo. I didn’t want to Knicks to bring back Lin when he said he was 85 percent healthy but couldn’t play in the playoffs against the Miami Heat. You think Baron Davis was 100 percent when he gave it his all? IMAGINE Carmelo announced he was 85 percent but couldn’t play. Derek Jeter? Tom Brady? Peyton Manning?

Mar 7, 2012; Milwaukee, WI, USA; New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin (17) during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Bradley Center. The Bulls defeated the Bucks 106-104. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-US PRESSWIRE

I think the twitter universe would shut down if LeBron James said he was 85 percent healthy but couldn’t get on the court. But this was Jeremy Lin, America’s hero, the little guy who everyone saw themselves in.

Sorry everybody, he played the Knicks like a fiddle when he said that. He knew he was about to get paid, and that he did. If he played and got hurt, his stock would have plummeted. Also I believe he knew he couldn’t stop Miami, we all saw when he couldn’t do anything against Mario Chalmers in a regular season game, imagine playing them when LeBron had his team focused on winning it all to shut the whole world up?

When Lin signed the Houston Rockets offer sheet of three-years $25 million, Carmelo said what was all on our mind, calling it a ridiculous contract.

Translation: “He isn’t worth the money because I am and this is my time I don’t want to share the spotlight with an unproven 23-year-old with 25 starts.”

When he signed the offer sheet all you heard was that the Knicks would match an offer sheet if it were a billion dollars. Don’t feed into the luxury tax BS and the Knicks didn’t want to pay. Lin would have paid for his own salary in merchandise and MSG stock. Poison Pill? That is a tic-tac for James Dolan who has a history of giving out and taking on bad contracts. May I remind you?

Jerome James – 5 years, $30 million, who averaged 4.3 PPG in his career
Eddy Curry – 6 years,$60 million who needs no explanation
Malik Rose – 7 years,$42 million
Tracy McGrady – $23 million

None of these players had nearly the impact that Lin had on the Knicks during their tenure. Carmelo wants this to be his team. He pulled strings to get D’Antoni out of town and don’t be fooled that he didn’t have a say in Lin’s exit as well. When have you heard of a player calling a potential teammate’s contract ridiculous?

P.S. Chris Paul and Melo are becoming really close during these Olympics don’t you say? Paul said in a recent interview that New York is in the back of his mind but he is now focused a member of the Clippers. CP3 has always expressed playing with Carmelo in New York, and for him to say New York is in the back of his mind is intriguing to say the least.

This is Anthony’s team. It is his time to shine. His time to win. He has what he wants.

However now that he has it his way, all the pressure is on him to deliver.

Mar 7, 2012; Milwaukee, WI, USA; New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin (17) during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks at the Bradley Center. The Bulls defeated the Bucks 106-104. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-US PRESSWIRE

With the way he captivated Knicks fans for  small 25 game stretch and the impact he made not only on the court but for the city, many still believed that the Knicks would change their minds and match the three-year, $25 million offer sheet.

However it wasn’t to be and the Knicks must now move on without the 23-year old phenom.

Whether the decision to let Lin walk was a basketball one or a financial one remains to be seen but James Dolan has accomplished one thing and that’s he has successfully alienated his fan base. A fan base that came together once Lin was given the keys to the car.

On the court, the Knicks will be in good hands with Raymond Felton and Jason Kidd splitting point guard duties for the short-term.

However if this was a basketball decision deeming Lin not worthy of handling the point guard duties that’s one thing, but it definitely wasn’t a basketball decision with an eye on the bigger picture.

If this was purely a financial decision it’s a little easier to take given the luxury tax penalties under the new CBA. It’s easy to look back and criticize Dolan for all the bad contracts the Knicks took on the past few years with no eye on the future, but that was before the new CBA was signed and the penalties are much more severe now.

Time will tell if this ends up being a good basketball decision, but strictly from a marketing standpoint, it’s a horrible move. The possibilities with the Knicks brand and Lin’s name together were endless.

On the court for the 2012-13 season, the Knicks project to be a middle of the road playoff team. That ceiling would have been much higher with Lin in the fold.

It’s a sad day to watch a kid walk out the door. One we barely had the time to get to know.

As it stands now, the lights have been turned off on a sequel to the Linsanity. The book has been closed on what turned out to be the best stretch of Knicks basketball in a really long time, even though it was only a two month stretch.

Lin will have the same impact in Houston that he did in the Big Apple. He is just a young and humble kid that captivates everyone. In this age of sports where big money and egos turn many people off, he is a guy worth rooting for. Those type of players don’t come along very often.

The Rockets will prosper both on and off the floor, while Knicks fans are once again left holding the bag.

Dolan is going to have some explaining to do to explain why the one young man that gave this team hope is wearing a different uniform. There’s no guarantee that the Knicks would be a championship contender with Lin, but they certainly aren’t as good without him.

For the next three years, Knicks fans are going to be asking the “what if,” question a lot and sadly they will never get the opportunity to see how this all would have worked out.

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According to Howard Beck of the New York Times, the Knicks have ended deliberations and will not match the three-year, $25 million contract offer, allowing Lin to become a member of the Rockets. The deadline to match Lin’s offer-sheet isn’t until 11:59 p.m. EDT, but apparantly the New York brass has made up their minds.

Posting momentarily to nytimes.com: Lin will be a Rocket. Knicks deliberations over.

— Howard Beck (@HowardBeckNYT) July 17, 2012

I have been on record saying I thought the Knicks took the wrong approach with Lin’s pending free agency from the start. Allowing him to set the market for himself

Mar. 20, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks point guard Jeremy Lin (17) shoots a free throw during the second half against the Toronto Raptors at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 106-87. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE

was the wrong move. had they come in with some type of offer from the start, this could have played out differently. Even if Houston still made Lin the offer, the attempt to show him that he wanted could have given the Knicks some leverage.

It has been a crazy couple of weeks it has been for the Knicks and Lin.

All along, everyone thought there was no way the Knicks would allow Lin to walk, especially after winning his Bird rights.

Head coach  Mike Woodson said Lin would definitely be back in a Knicks uniform next season and went as far as naming him the starting point guard.

Then the Rockets made Lin  a deal that reportedly included a $14.8 million salary in the third year.

With the Knicks are so close to the luxury tax line, they couldn’t match such a deal without incurring a financial penalty.

It just shows where the Knicks are right now. It wasn’t that long that long ago when they would have taken on any amount of money if they thought it would improve the team on the court.

Now, they don’t want to invest heavily in a player who has unlimited marketing capabilities after 25 successful games.

Knicks fans will be angry and disappointed at owner James Dolan. When you love a player, you love a player, no matter how many games he’s played.

Yet while the impact will be felt off the court, there’s no guarantee that Lin would progress to the level of player the Knicks need him to become. Nor is there any guarantee he performs at a level that warrants that amount of money.

On the court, the Knicks are in good hands for the short-term with Raymond Felton and Jason Kidd.

How the Knicks came from a team willing to match any offer for Lin to allowing him to walk in such a short time is a mystery.

Is their some resentment towards Lin for turning his back on the one organization that gave him a fair chance? Are the Knicks angry at Lin for not giving it a go in the playoffs when he said he was at 85 percent?

Whatever the reasons, if the report from Beck is indeed true, the Knicks organization has a lot of answering to do.

The Knicks fan base will demand nothing less than knowing why their fan favorite will be in a Houston Rockets uniform in 2013.

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This week we look at the upcoming Jeremy Lin deadline and what impact that losing Lin will have both on and off the court.

In addition, we look at the acquisitions of Raymond Felton, Kurt Thomas, Jason Kidd and Marcus Camby and what type of impact they should bring to the 2012-13 Knicks.

Is the pressure now on Carmelo Anthony? We talk about that and much more on Buckets Over Broadway Radio.

You can listen to this week’s episode by clicking the link at the bottom of the page. Also check out FanSided Radio to listen to all of the great programming around the FanSided Network.

Adding experience is one thing. Adding aging veterans is another issue altogether.

May 3, 2012; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks point guard Jason Kidd (2) drives the ball past Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Derek Fisher (37) during the first half of game three in the Western Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-US PRESSWIRE

Signing a 38-year old Steve Nash, who is still playing at a high level, was viewed as a risk. Instead the Knicks added a 40-year old Kidd, a 40-year old Kurt Thomas and a 38-year old Marcus Camby. These guys make the Knicks a better team, but they are also guys who have seen their best days in the NBA pass them by.

On paper, the Knicks could be too old to contend for a championship.

If the Knicks lose Jeremy Lin, which is a possibility, only guard Iman Shumpert will be under the age of 25 and he’s out until at least January. That’s a problem.

However, while it would be nice to have some good young athletes to keep up with some of the younger more athletic teams in the NBA, the age of the Knicks shouldn’t be the problem that some are making it out to be.

Only Camby, Kidd, Thomas and Pablo Prigioni right now are over the age of 30 and they won’t be playing major roles on the 2012-13 team. Camby and Thomas make the second unit much tougher to score on and Kidd gives Mike Woodson an outstanding decision maker with the ball.

Looking at the rest of the Knicks: Amar’e Stoudemire is 29, although his body would suggest he is 45. The you have Carmelo Anthony (28), Tyson Chandler (29), Raymond Felton (28), Steve Novak (29), J.R. Smith (26), Shumpert (22), James White (29) and Chris Copeland (28).

Age shouldn’t be a huge issue with this Knicks team.

If I have one problem with this roster, it’s not age, it’s athleticism. But the Knicks should be better in just about every aspect of the game than they were a year ago.

Does that make them title contenders?

I won’t go that far yet, but if this Knicks team doesn’t contend for a championship in 2013, it won’t be because they are too old. It will be because they aren’t good enough to do so.

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Well, there is one clear way to move past all the uncertainty, and that’s by forecasting. At this point in time, I think Knicks fans are split down the middle on the Jeremy Lin situation. Some are willing to move forward without the dynamic point guard, while others still believe matching the offer is the best course of action for the team. Me? Personally, I understand both sides of the story. I’m totally going to remain on the fence. You can convince me to choose a side, but until you do, I’ll let the pundits do what they do best, which is letting their opinions be known

For me, I’m more obsessed with trying to figure out how Mike Woodson is going to play the pieces he does have. Just what will his rotation look like moving forward in 2012-13?

Keep in mind, Iman Shumpert is likely to miss the beginning of the season after having knee surgery during the 2012 Playoffs. So, for the sake of this article, he will start the season on the end of the bench, and we will look at who will be in orange and blue come opening night.

The Starters - 

Point Guard – Jason Kidd – 2011-12 numbers: 6.2ppg, 5.5apg, 4.1rpg, 36.3 FG%, 28.7mpg (with Dallas Mavericks)

Kidd was brought on to be the stabilizing force in the Knicks rotation. He has played with a wide variety of players, and has historically been a winner in his career. Many believe Kidd will find the perfect balance between getting Carmelo Anthony his touches, while re-energizing Amar’e Stoudemire’s game inside. Add in the fact that Kidd is still a sharp-shooter from deep (35.9% from 3 last year), J-Kidd should be able to provide the defense and leadership while playing crunch time minutes for the Knicks.

Shooting Guard – J.R. Smith – 2011-12 numbers: 12.5ppg, 2.4apg, 3.9rpg, 40.7 FG%, 27.6mpg

Smith slides into a starting spot for the Knicks because of the injury that will sideline Shumpert at the beginning of the season. Smith’s going to be destined for the Sixth Man on this team, as he is the perfect Irrational-Confidence-Guy that can come off the bench and score in bunches. He’s a bit of a dead end as far as ball movement goes, but I think a full year with the team and practicing with the regulars, he should be able to find his niche easily.

Small Forward – Carmelo Anthony – 2011-12 numbers: 22.6ppg, 3.6apg, 6.3rpg, 43.0 FG%, 34.1mpg

This may be the make-or-break season for ‘Melo. The Nets are talking a big game in Brooklyn, and he’s already called the contract Jeremy Lin received from Houston “ridiculous”. At times, the media blamed a lot of the Knicks problems last season on Carmelo’s play. This will be his first true full-season in MSG, and he has a lot of proving wrong to do in order to restore the shine on his star.

Power Forward – Amar’e Stoudemire – 2011-12 numbers: 17.5ppg, 7.8rpg, 1.0bpg, 48.3 FG%, 32.8mpg

A lot of people have been critical of Amar’e's play last season. I’ve gone as far to say that if the Knicks still had their amnesty clause, there would have to be some serious consideration about using it on Stoudemire. He seemed worn out by playing D’Antoni minutes in the two season he’s been a Knick, and battled injury after injury last year. The best news for STAT, the Knicks have a lot more depth inside that will spell him minutes he doesn’t need to be on the floor. I’m very eager to see what STAT has to offer next season. He will be the X-Factor for determining how high the Knicks can climb.

Center – Tyson Chandler – 2011-12 numbers: 11.3ppg, 9.9rpg, 1.4bpg, 67.0 FG%, 33.2mpg (2011-12 Defensive Player of the Year)

Chandler was the anchor for the Knicks inside. He led the defensive renaissance the Knicks experienced after Mike D’Antoni was let go. He will be expected to do more of the same on defense next year, but will get more help from the players the Knicks have added this off-season. The team didn’t anticipate the things he did on offense last year, and will likely continue to work under the notion that Chandler is in town for key rebounds, blocked shots, disruption on defense and easy put back slams. Anything more would be, well, unfair.

Sixth Man – Raymond Felton – 2011-12 numbers: 11.4ppg, 6.5apg, 2.5rpg, 40.7 FG%, 31.8mpg (with Portland Trail Blazers)

The big question moving forward post-Lin will be which point guard starts for the Knicks. My guess is Kidd will get the starting assignments, but Felton will play more minutes. Felton can flex to play shooting guard alongside Kidd at times, and will head the second unit at the point. Felton averaged career-best numbers when he was in New York for half a season playing alongside Amar’e before being part of the Carmelo package. I don’t know if Felton will ever reach that high again, but I fully expect him to put up better numbers than he did last season, even if he sees a dip in playing time.

Bench – C Marcus Camby – 2011-12 numbers: 4.9ppg, 9.0rpg, 1.4bpg, 44.6 FG%, 22.9mpg (with Portland Trail Blazers and Houston Rockets)

Camby is going to give the Knicks something they haven’t had in a very long time, a true back-up big. Playing Jared Jeffries off the bench as their main big had put the Knicks at serious disadvantages in critical moments in big games. Having Camby gives the Knicks a huge security blanket if Tyson Chandler gets into foul trouble. While there is still a drop off defensively from Camby to Chandler, it isn’t as evident as it was last year from Chandler to Jeffries. Having a second 7-footer on the team is a huge addition.

Bench – F Steve Novak – 2011-12 numbers: 8.8ppg, 1.9rpg, 47.8 FG%, 47.2 3-pt%, 18.9mpg

Outside of Jeremy Lin, Novak was the biggest surprise the team had last season. He led the league in 3-pt percentage, and hit some critical shots from the corner when the team needed them most. There were games where he was just lights out and would put up 15-20 points off the bench almost exclusively from beyond the arc. He isn’t much of a defender, but has the flexibility to play both the 3 and 4. With players like Landry Fields and Jared Jeffries no longer with the team, Novak is likely to see some more minutes next year and play a bigger role in the offense.

Bench – G James White – 2011-12 numbers: spent the season in Europe

White was called one of the most athletic players in the Euro leagues last year and he will see some minutes early in the season, especially before Shumpert is healthy. We know he’s super athletic, but we’re not certain how his game will translate to the NBA. I don’t think anyone is expecting him to perform like Landry Fields did, or even Bill Walker in spurts last year. But, that’s not what the Knicks need. All they need is a player that provides significant depth to the bench and can hold his own defensively.

Bench – F/C Kurt Thomas – 2011-12 numbers: 3.0ppg, 3.5rpg, 0.6bpg, 46.5 FG%, 15.2mpg (with Portland Trail Blazers)

Thomas is here to stabilize the locker room and serve as a mentor to Amar’e Stoudemire. His role on the team will be seen more off the court than on it, but he is going to be very important to the coaching staff. I’m excited to have him back in town, and he’s another big body the Knicks have in case of injury.

Bench – PG Pablo Prigioni – 2011-12 numbers: played last season in Argentina

Prigioni is, uhm, a very old rookie. The Knicks front office clearly sees value in adding him to the end of the bench, and he is very experienced as far as leading an offense. I’m uncertain what he’s going to provide to the team, but its going to be worth watching.

Injured – G Iman Shumpert – 2011-12 numbers: 9.5ppg, 2.8apg, 3.2rpg, 40.1 FG%, 28.9mpg

Shumpert burst onto the scene towards the end of last season, playing critical end-of-game minutes. He’s proven to be a top class perimeter defender that can hold his own against some of the league’s best. The Knicks desperately needed his presence last year during the playoffs. Once they lost Shump, any hopes of them knocking off the Heat went out the window. He’s a huge part of the Knicks present and future, really the only young, controllable player the Knicks have on roster. He is going to get better the more he plays, and he should be in the starting rotation once he returns to health. How he continues to develop his game will determine a lot about the team.

Mar 21, 2012; Philadelphia, PA, USA; New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin (17) during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center. The Knicks defeated the Sixers 82-79. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE

Dating back to 2010 at Carmelo Anthony’s wedding the thought of CP3 in a Knicks uniform became a real one.

Then there was last offseason when it looked like the Knicks were freeing up cap space for Paul, but didn’t have the necessary trade assets to bring him to the Big Apple.

Then came the poor point guard play at the beginning of last season and the emergence of Jeremy Lin, temporarily solving the Knicks point guard dilemma.

However with the events of the past couple days and the possible exit of Lin, could owner James Dolan and general manager Glen Grunwald be sacrificing Lin with their eyes on a bigger prize?

That would be giving that duo way too much credit, but there’s a chance that having their eyes on Paul could play into their upcoming decision.

Everyone knows CP3 has a desire to play in New York.

If that is Dolan’s end game, he would have no chance to make that happen by matching Lin’s three-year, $25-plus million offer sheet. If the decision came down to the two guards, no one in their right mind is taking Lin over Paul.

Lin may have been viewed as a savior in the Big Apple, but any deal that would prevent the Knicks from taking a run at Paul when his contract expires at the end of next season just isn’t a smart one.

Lin may make the Knicks a better team next year than Raymond Felton and Jason Kidd, but Paul makes the Knicks legitimate championship contenders for a couple of seasons.

As nice of a story and as big of a fan of Lin’s that I am, I can’t find even the smallest reason to justify paying him $15 million three years from now, with such a small sample size. Paul though has been a proven commodity and the best point guard in the NBA. I’d rather take my chances on an MVP candidate.

Paul would be a much better option for this Knicks team and that’s no disrespect to Lin, but if the goal is a championship, a proven point guard that can get it done at both ends of the floor would be nice.

At the very minimum, the Knicks will be in the running for him next offseason.

Of course that is assuming the Knicks brass has their eyes on CP3.

I’m probably giving them way too much credit for thinking that far ahead. But if Paul is on the Knicks radar, he just may be worth making the unpopular decision of sacrificing Lin for.

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Raymond Feltonwas acquired from the Portland Trail Blazers. Jeremy Lin is

May 3, 2012; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks point guard Jason Kidd (2) brings the ball up the court against the Oklahoma City Thunder during game three in the Western Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at the American Airlines Center. The Thunder defeated the Mavericks 95-79. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-US PRESSWIRE

apparently on his way out of tow. Therefore it’s only natural that Jason Kidd get his name in the news as well.

That’s exactly what Kidd did when he was arrested in the Hamptons for a DWI on Saturday night, according toTaylor K. Vecsey of the East Hampton Patch (via Peter Vecsey).

East Hampton Patch (Taylor Vecsey) broke story that Jason Kidd was arrested for DWI this morning in Hamptons. Police to put out release

— Peter Vecsey (@PeterVecsey1) July 15, 2012

Not exactly the way to start off his Knicks career. Is it?

After the team has spent much of the last week or so working on Jeremy Lin’s contract situation, the last thing the Knicks need is a negative PR issue with Kidd to have to deal with.

Additional information came via 27East.com:

Mr. Kidd, 39, was driving on Cobb Road in sometime during overnight hours when he struck a telephone pole, according to a source. He suffered minor injuries in the crash and was charged a short time later.

He was arraigned at Southampton Town Justice Court this morning and subsequently released.

It’s a shame that a great decision-maker on the court doesn’t make the same good decisions off the court.

With the decision to sign Kidd, who’s best days as a player a clearly behind him, questioned by many Knicks fans, a case of bad publicity such as this is the last thing Knicks fans want to hear.  especially with Lin likely heading to Houston.

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There are a couple of important events that took place before I found out about the sign-and-trade. The first, the Mets lost. That’s all I’m going to say about it, because I said so. The second, we made a collective decision to go out to the bars after the shows to blow off some steam from work.

That’s what brought me to a bar in Savannah properly named “World of Beer”. Literally, this place has 500+ different types of beer and enough TVs to make your mind melt. The first one, naturally, was showing Mets highlights. Beer me. Next thing I know, I look up and the ESPN feed flashes “Developing Story: Felton to Knicks in sign-and-trade, Lin out”.

Say whaaaaaaaaaat?

The story shows the details of the sign-and-trade. Knicks send F Jared Jeffries and the Dan Gadzuric contract to Portland for Felton and F/C Kurt Thomas.

Say whaaaaaaaaaat?

Felton’s contract is likely going to be a three-year, $9-$10 million dollar contract. Coupling that with Jason Kidd’s similar contract, the Knicks had seemingly priced themselves out of the Jeremy Lin sweepstakes. The same player the team had said they would match an offer sheet of up to “$1 billion” and head coach Mike Woodson called his starting point guard going into the season as recently as Wednesday.

Whoa! I’m the same guy that wrote no more than 10 days ago about how the Knicks were prepared to match Lin’s offer sheet. The team officially received the paperwork from the Rockets, meaning they will have to make a decision by 11:59PM Tuesday. At this point in time, there are a lot of people saying they won’t match, but there is still skepticism among well-informed media members that the Knicks could still match.

Felton could, in theory, play some shooting guard for the Knicks if the team did elect to bring back Lin. But, the team must be concerned with the salary the Rockets slapped on the young point guard. The team is offering him more than $1 million for every start he made last year.

I will say this, though. Props to the Knicks for softening the blow of potentially losing Jeremy Lin with bringing back one of the all-time favorites. Age be damned, I challenge ANY Knicks fan to tell me their not excited to see ol’ reliable, Kurt Thomas, back in the orange and blue. We are much more prepared today than we ever were to finally compete for that 1999 title!

Joking aside, if Kurt Thomas can’t mentor Amar’e Stoudemire, nobody can. He’s the OG of the mid-range jumper. He defines getting the most out of his talent and abilities. He doesn’t have to play one minute on the court for this team to make a difference. The leadership he brings and the wealth of knowledge he has about this league is what is important here. Thomas and Jason Kidd are not only going to play roles on this team on the floor, they’re also going to be an extension of the coaching staff. I have never in my life been so excited for an 11th or 12th man on the roster.

Hard fact: the Knicks aren’t better today than they were yesterday. No player on the market had the type of ceiling and potential that Jeremy Lin brought to the point guard position. Playing at their highest levels, Raymond Felton will be a downgrade from Lin.

However, if the goal is to find a point guard that will better distribute the ball to the stars and shooters, Felton is probably better equipped than Lin. The team will look to get 8-10 assists a night from Felton, and any scoring he provides will be nice, but not anticipated. Felton may fit the puzzle a little better than Lin did, even if its a drop off in talent.

And, we got Kurt Thomas back. We’re so old that this could be fun…right?

Mar 21, 2012; Philadelphia, PA, USA; New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin (17) during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center. The Knicks defeated the Sixers 82-79. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE

With Saturday night’s acquisition of point guard Raymond Felton and the earlier signing of unrestricted free agent point guard Jason Kidd, it seems less and less likely by the hour that the New York Knicks bring back 2012 sensation Jeremy Lin.

The Knicks have until 11:59 p.m. EDT on Tuesday to make a decision on matching Lin’s According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, the Knicks will not match the three-year, $25-plus million offer sheet he signed with the Houston Rockets.

See ya Jeremy: As I reported last night, #Knicks won’t match Houston’s offer to Lin after trading for Felton nyp.st/LS4rJI

— Marc Berman (@NYPost_Berman) July 15, 2012

In addition, Berman explained the upcoming decision, writing:

The Knicks had been set to match Lin’s original offer sheet of four years, $28.9 million that had a $19 million guarantee before the Rockets threw a financial curveball that called for a $15 million third year that would have doomed owner James Dolan’s luxury-tax predicament.

Berman also explained how the change to the offer sheet hurt the Knicks and what the implications would have been by matching the offer.

If Lin made $14.9 million in 2014-15, the Knicks’ payroll could include eight players costing $87 million — or as much as $17 million over the luxury-tax threshold. Originally, the Rockets offer sheet was for $9.3 million in the third year.

That’s tough to do even for an owner as rich as James Dolan.

Like it or not, Lin is a risk. He’s still a guy who has 25 starts under his belt and while he may develop into a very nice NBA point guard down the road, he still has a lot of developing to do and given the money he would be owed is considered a big gamble.

When it is all said and done, while this decision won’t go over well with Knicks fans right now, it could end of being the smart move down the road.

This one is a tough pill to swallow as Lin captivated the nation as season ago and became a fan favorite among the masses at Madison Square Garden.

Only time will tell if this is the right decision, but one thing is for certain and that is it is the unpopular decision.

Linsanity may be over in the Big Apple, but what Lin accomplished for a small 25 game stretch certainly won’t be forgotten.

April 15, 2012; Sacramento, CA, USA; Portland Trail Blazers point guard Raymond Felton (5) controls the ball against Sacramento Kings point guard Isaiah Thomas (22) during the first quarter at Power Balance Pavilion. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-US PRESSWIRE

Felton and Thomas, both former Knicks, were acquired for forward Jared Jeffries, center Dan Gadzuric, a 2016 second-round draft pick and the rights to two European players.

Already with Jason Kidd and Pablo Prigioni at the point, the acquisition of Felton is very interesting as Jeremy Lin signed his offer sheet with the Houston Rockets on Friday night. That has led to rampant speculation that the Knicks will not match the three-year, $25-plus million offer to Lin.

Felton’s deal with the Knicks is for three-years and $10 million and neither he nor Kidd can be traded until December 15.

Felton was not acquired to be a third-point guard, so you can see why there’s the speculation surrounding Lin.

The former North Carolina product played his best basketball during his seven-year career, averaging 17.1 points and 9.0 assists during his 54 games in the Big Apple in 2011, before being included in the Carmelo Anthony trade. But that was in Mike D’Antoni’s offense which was suited great for Felton.

However in the 81 games since then (with Denver and Portland), Felton’s number dropped to 11.4 points and 6.5 assists per game. His field-goal percentage also dropped to 40.7 percent and his three-point percentage to 30.5 percent.

In addition to Felton, the Knicks also landed Thomas, who will fill the role Jeffries had off the bench last season. Thomas will be 40 next season and averaged only 3.0 points and 3.5 rebounds per game a season ago (his 17th), playing a a little over 15 minutes per night for the Blazers.

With the addition of Thomas, Camby and Kidd, the Knicks have added 118 years of age to their roster.

In addition, the loss of Landry Fields and possibly Lin means that Iman Shumpert is the only Knicks player projected to be on the roster who is under the age of 25.

Lin’s offer sheet was delivered to the Knicks Saturday, and the team has until 11:59 p.m. ET Tuesday to match Houston’s offer.

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According to New York Newsday’s Al Iannazzone the Knicks won’t be matching the three-year, $19-20 million offer sheet to the second-year pro from Stanford.

The Knicks are not matching the offer sheet to Landry Fields, his agent said.

— Al Iannazzone (@Al_Iannazzone) July 15, 2012

May 9, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; New York Knicks guard Landry Fields (2) dunks past Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade (3) during the first half of game five in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at the American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

Fields certainly wasn’t worth over what was reported $10 million in the third year of the deal, but allowing Fields to walk means the Knicks are very thin at the 2-guard spot, especially with Iman Shumpert out until January with a knee injury. That means currently, J.R. Smith is the only healthy shooting guard on the roster.

The Stanford product was a good locker room guy and a young player that gave effort at both ends of the floor.

The Knicks’ reluctance to match is not shocking.  Fields, 24, had a solid rookie season after making the team roster as a second-round selection. But Fields took a step back last year as he averaged just 8.8 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game. He also saw his shooting percentages drop, hitting just 46 percent of his field goals and 25.6 percent of his threes.

As a rookie, Fields made 49.7 percent of his field goals and 39.3 percent of his shots from behind the arc, averaging 9.7 points on the season.

Fields is a player who did nothing special in a Knicks uniform, but could be counted on to do the little things. But in light of his sophomore slump it’s hard to justify paying him $19 million-plus.

Now general manager Glen Grunwald must find an alternative to Fields. One that will be able to bring it on the defensive end as well.

The only things in the Big Apple that is certain is that the Knicks roster is ever changing, they are getting older by the day and will be attempting to win a championship without the services of Fields.

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Dec 14, 2010; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets former center Hakeem Olajuwon waves to fans during a game against the Sacramento Kings in the third quarter at the Toyota Center. The Rockets defeated the Kings 118-105. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-US PRESSWIRE

Stoudemire is mostly known as a pick-and-roll finisher and a mid-range shooter and adding some semblance of a post-game will be huge.

Olajuwon, 49, has previously worked one-on-one with three of the best players in the game: Kobe Bryant (2009), Dwight Howard (2010) and LeBron James last summer. Each player showed immediate improvement on the block in the following season. Stoudemire’s future work with Olajuwon could signal Mike Woodson’s coaching strategy to use him more in the low post and have Chandler become the team’s main high pick-and-roller with Jeremy Lin and Carmelo Anthony.

Stoudemire’s low-post game, which was practically absent during all of the 2011-12 season, needs to become a factor if the Knicks are going to contend. Looking in deeper, it could mean that the paint will be his new home—whereas he previously loved to take jumpers from the elbow. If Stoudemire can score from the block effectively, it adds an entire new dimension to the Knicks offense.

When STAT’s jumper is on, he’s very good. But that hasn’t been the case too much lately.  Developing a post-up game makes him more of a threat in the paint and therefore a more complete player. If he picks up Olajuwon’s pointers quickly, he will be a threat and headache for opposing teams.

The Knicks can’t be a jump shooting team and need to add the ability to score on the block.

If Stoudemire becomes that guy, we could see a much more balanced team in 2013.

After Stoudemire’s lack-luster 2011-12 campaign, which saw him score 17.5 points per game, eight points behind his total from the season prior, a slight change is imminent.

Not only did Carmelo Anthony take some of Stoudemire’s production when he arrived in 2011, but defenses figured out how to slow Stoudemire down. They forced more jumpers, boxed-out effectively to limit offensive rebounds.

The frustration showed on Stoudemire’s part.

In addition, Jeremy Lin, with the ball in his hands a good percentage of the time, took away from some touches for Stoudemire.

If he wants to be successful in this offense with Lin, and Anthony taking the majority of the shots, he is going to have to turn to the post in order to get touches this upcoming season.

It was a great move for Stoudemire to seek out Olajuwon. It was a move that was tough to make, given his pride, but it’s a move he may be able to look back on a few years from now and say was the right decision.

Look at the impact Olajuwon had on LeBron last season. If he has similar results with STAT, the Knicks could be very tough to deal with.

Tyson Chandler is also expected to spend time with Olajuwon.

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There’s a pretty good reason we’ve lost Fields in the shuffle: nobody around the Knicks believe he’s a $20 million player at this point in his career.

In his brief two-year career, Fields has played in 148 games, starting in all of them except five. He’s averaged exactly 30 minutes a night. He’s put up 9.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2.2 assists each night while playing the shooting guard position. After a surprising and stellar rookie season, Fields’ production dropped to 8.8 points, 4.2 reboudns and saw his shooting percentage drop from 49.7% to 46.0%. Not to mention, from the free throw line, he tumbled from a 76.9% in his rookie year all the way to 56.2% as a sophomore.

Every Knicks fan loved the intangibles Fields brought to the floor each night. He hustled, he grabbed important rebounds and he even had energetic sideline dunks that got fans out of their seats. However, of all the numbers I’ve listed above, do any signal to you that he’s worth $20 million over the next three seasons?

The reason the Raptors gave Fields this large of a contract was in part to keep the Knicks further out of the Steve Nash sweepstakes. Toronto believed that the Knicks best shot at snagging Nash, a player the Raptors front office circled at the top of their off-season agenda, was including Fields in a sign-and-trade offer to Phoenix. So, the Raptors brass offered Fields a “poison pill” contract that, if the Knicks matched, would be almost undesirable. That plan backfired in three crucial steps for Toronto.

The first, the Knicks came out almost immediately and said they wouldn’t match that offer. Second, the Knicks surprised a lot of people by showing their willingness to include promising guard Iman Shumpert in a sign-and-trade deal if it meant acquiring Nash. And, most importantly, the Suns eventually agreed to trade Nash to Los Angeles, making all of these efforts null and void. Yikes.

As for the Knicks, there has been a lot of talk recently that losing Fields hurts the Knicks depth off the bench. I don’t agree with that sentiment. Yes, obviously losing Fields doesn’t immediately make the Knicks bench any better than last season, that much is true. But, its important to remember that swingmen in the NBA are a dime a dozen. Every year, it seems at least one team finds a hybrid two-guard off the scrap heep that not only makes the team out of training camp, but then plays a strong role either off the bench or in the starting line-up. We’ve seen it with Willie Green in Atlanta, Gerald Green in New Jersey Brooklyn, or looking even further back to players like Shannon Brown, Jared Dudley, Lou Williams, or, you know, Landry Fields.

I’m not saying James White is going to be the next Landry Fields. I am, however, saying one is out there that the Knicks can find either on the waiver wire or at a veteran minimum. They exist.

So, let me ask you one very important question. Would you pay $20 million to a player you can replace with 1/20th the amount of money?

May 6, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks shooting guard J.R. Smith (8) shoots over Miami Heat small forward Shane Battier (31) during the second half of game four in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 89-87. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE

J.R. Smith and the Knicks have agreed to a contract that will bring Smith back to New York for at least one more year, tweets Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com. Smith will sign a two-year deal with a first-year salary of about $2.8MM and a second-year player option, according to Begley.

After putting up 12.5 points, 3.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game while shooting 40 percent from the field and 34.7 percent from beyond the arc in 35 regular season games, Smith is going to get a 20 percent raise and some job security via a player option for the 2013-14 season

New York is likely going to retain emergent point guard Jeremy Lin and have already re-signed three-point specialist Steve Novak. It also added veteran center Marcus Camby to the roster to give depth behind incumbent Defensive Player of the Year Tyson Chandler.

Mar 21, 2012; Philadelphia, PA, USA; New York Knicks guard Jeremy Lin (17) during the fourth quarter against the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wells Fargo Center. The Knicks defeated the Sixers 82-79. Mandatory Credit: Howard Smith-US PRESSWIRE

While it would be disastrous both on and off the court to allow Lin to walk, Knicks’ owner JamesDolan has the final say on anything that will put the team over the luxury tax. Dolan has never been accused of being the smartest owner and doesn’t have a track record for making the best business decisions.

But not even Dolan is crazy enough to put an end to the Linsanity in the Big Apple. Is he?

As mentioned, Dolan doesn’t have a track record for making good basketball decisions, but not even he can screw this one up and that’s saying a lot, given Dolan’s past.

If he were to allow Lin to walk now in order to save the money long term, it wouldn’t just affect the Knicks on the court, as they would be without a point guard, but allowing Lin to leave would hurt the Knicks in other areas as well.

For one the fanbase, who overall doesn’t like Dolan, would officially want his head on a plate.

After the Knicks made positive strides the past couple years, only Dolan could set them back, but he knows the outrage of negativity that would be all over him if he did.

In addition to being a fan favorite, Lin is marketable.

Dolan should see dollar signs in the kid and that could be as important to him as anything Lin does on the floor. It wouldn’t be a shock this year to see Lin as one of the leaders in jersey sales and the possibilities are endless with him.

No, not even Dolan can screw this one up.

Lin is too valuable to him in the long run, and if Lin keeps improving as a player and theLinsanity continues, there are more and more possibilities for Dolan to profit off Lin.

I don’t think I’ve ever said that not even Dolan could screw something up, but that’s the case here.

Not even Dolan can stop the Linsanity in New York.

But imagine the fall out if he did.

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Apr 18, 2012; Dallas, TX, USA; Houston Rockets center Marcus Camby (29) waits for play to resume during the game against the Dallas Mavericks at the American Airlines Center. The Mavericks defeated the Rockets 117-110. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-US PRESSWIRE

The New York Knicks got a dose of good news Monday night when they acquired center Marcus Camby as part of a sign-and-trade deal with the Houston Rockets.

The Knicks will send Toney Douglas, Jerome Jordan and Josh Harrleson and a pair of second round picks (2014 and 2015) in exchange for the 38-year old center.

Yahoo! Sports Adrian Wojnarowski reports that Camby’s deal is for three-years and $13.2 million and the final year includes a partial guarantee.

Camby has agreed to a three year, $13.2 million deal with the Knicks, source tells Y! The final year includes a partial guarantee.

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 9, 2012

Camby’s presence will be huge as he can backup and lighten the load Tyson Chandler. He will provide a defensive presence who can still rebound, grabbing 9.0 boards per night in 2012. The Knicks didn’t have a capable backup for the Defensive Player of the Year last season and it became quite easy to score on the Knicks when Chandler wasn’t on the floor.

That won’t be the case next season.

If the Knicks can sign Jared Jeffries to a veteran’s minimum contract, the team will have a pair of defensive minded big men to backup Amar’e Stoudemire and Chandler.

The sign-and-trade for Camby allows the Knicks to use the $3 million non-taxpayers mid-level exception for Jason Kidd. The Knicks also were able to keep Dan Gadzuric, which means they could add guard depth by possibly using him in a sign-and-trade for $2 million.

Next up for the Knicks could be re-signing J.R. Smith, according to ESPN’s John Hollinger.

I’m hearing Knicks are now trying to wrap up J.R. Smith deal.

— John Hollinger (@johnhollinger) July 9, 2012

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May 6, 2012; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Steve Novak (16) dribbles the ball against the Miami Heat during the second half of game four in the Eastern Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at Madison Square Garden. Knicks won 89-87. Mandatory Credit: Debby Wong-US PRESSWIRE

One of the good stories of the 2011-12 season was the emergence of sharpshooter Steve Novak, who after being claimed off waivers and being buried on the bench half of the season became a fan favorite in the Big Apple.

The ruling to allow the Knicks to keep Jeremy Lin’s Bird rights was big because it also allowed them to keep the Bird rights of Novak, the NBA’s leading three-point shooter as well.

The Knicks and Steve Novak have agreed to terms on a new contract, according to agent Mark Bartelstein. Bartelstein says the deal, which is fully guaranteed, will pay Novak $15MM for four years.

NBA analyst David Aldridge confirmed the signing via Twitter.

Agent Mark Bartlestein says F Steve Novak re-signing with the Knicks.

— David Aldridge (@daldridgetnt) July 9, 2012

 

Marc Berman of the New York Post reported last week that nearly a dozen teams expressed some interest in Novak on the first day of free agency, but said at the time that the Knicks felt good about their chances of re-signing the 29-year-old.

Novak was the only effective long-range shooter on the Knicks roster a season ago and while he didn’t have a particularly good postseason, Novak adds a weapon and some more depth to what should be a talented rotation for Knicks head coach Mike Woodson.

April 22, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; Houston Rockets center Marcus Camby (29) against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

ESPNNewYork.com’s Jared Zwerling reported that a meeting between the Knicks and Camby went very well, and Yahoo! Sports’ Adrian Wojnarowski added that the Knicks and Brooklyn Nets are the front-runners to land Camby via a sign-and-trade.

New York and Brooklyn are frontrunners in sign-and-trade talks to acquire Houston’s Marcus Camby, league sources tell Y!

— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) July 8, 2012

However, if the Knicks can acquire Camby, it would do wonders for their depth, especially up front where the Knicks were awful when Tyson Chandler was off the floor a year ago.

With that being said, let’s take a quick look at Mike Woodson’s possible rotation for the 2012-13 season, if Camby is in the fold.

Starters

The Knicks won’t have their starting five intact until Iman Shumpert returns from injury in January, but a five-man unit of Jeremy Lin, Shumpert, Carmelo Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire and Chandler is a pretty good one.

To start the season, J.R. Smith, whose brother, Chris, thinks J.R. will re-sign with the team, could move into the starting lineup, but the Knicks desperately need to sign another 2-guard.

Randy Foye has been mentioned, but there won’t be the necessary money to sign him.

Once the Knicks get healthy, though, the rotation should fall into place nicely.

Bench

Add Camby to a bench that includes Smith (if re-signed), Jason Kidd and Steve Novak (if re-signed).

That’s a solid nine-man rotation for Woodson and if Jared Jeffries re-signs for the veteran’s minimum, that’s 10 bodies Woodson could run out there on a nightly basis.

Looking at the potential bench, the Knicks have a capable lead guard in Kidd, capable shooting in Novak and Smith and good interior defense with Jeffries and Camby.

Josh Harrleson, Jerome Jordan and Toney Douglas will likely have to be part of a sign-and-trade to get Camby, but being able to go 10 deep will be a blessing off the bat for Woodson.

The Knicks could still use another shooting guard, another big body and perhaps a third point guard, but if they can sign Camby, the 2012-13 rotation could look pretty nice.

April 22, 2012; Miami, FL, USA; Houston Rockets center Marcus Camby (29) against the Miami Heat at American Airlines Arena. Mandatory Credit: Steve Mitchell-US PRESSWIRE

When Chandler was on the bench or out of the lineup the Knicks defense suffered majorly as a team. That can’t happen if this team even wants to contend.

With the Houston Rockets in rebuild mode (or at least it seems that way), center Marcus Camby no longer lists a return to Houston as his top choice.

Instead, it looks as if the Knicks will be competing with the Miami Heat once again, this time for the services of Camby. The problem is that Camby has made it known that he has no interest in signing for the veterans minimum, which puts both teams in a very tough spot.

The Knicks have interest in Camby but would prefer not to use the $3.09MM mini mid-level exception that he is seeking, a source told Marc Berman of the New York Post.  There’s a chance that they could also acquire Camby via sign-and-trade, just like they may wind up doing with Jason Kidd.  Trade chips that could be used include rookie Jerome Jordan, Josh Harrellson, and Toney Douglas.

Berman presents another scenario is splitting the $3.09MM mid-level exception between Camby and Spanish League point guard Pablo Prigioni, who would take about $700k.  The 35-year-old recently said that he is waiting for the Knicks to reach out to him but his first option is to return to Caja Loboral.

If the Knicks could find a way to lock up Camby and re-sign Jared Jeffries to a veteran’s minimum contract, suddenly the frontcourt is deep with guys that will play defense and rebound.

The Knicks have enough scoring. Getting stops is what’s important, especially come playoff time.

Camby is 38 years old and has been in the league 16 seasons now, but the former Knick can still play defense and rebound the ball, averaging 9.0 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game during the 2011-12 season.

Despite the age, the former Knick would be an asset with his length in the paint.

The hard part now is finding a way to get a deal done.

According to sources at ESPN, Camby is unwilling to play for the veteran minimum of $1.4 million, meaning that both the Knicks and the Heat will have to complete a sign-and-trade with the Houston Rockets in order to acquire the veteran center. Rockets officials are believed to be much more interested in a package the Knicks could put together via trade (using pieces along the lines of Toney Douglas, Josh Harrelson and Jerome Jordan) versus what the Heat could offer, giving the Knicks the slight edge of the competition.

The Knicks only have the mini Mid Level Exception to use in the free agent market, and both Kidd and Camby will command salaries that match that figure. They can acquire both, as stated above, if one player signs for the MLE, while the other is acquired via sign-and-trade.

As Kidd did earlier this week, Camby would fill a huge hole on the Knicks bench. With the injuries that have haunted Tyson Chandler throughout the majority of his career, it is important not only for the Knicks to sign a reliable back-up center, but someone that could slide into the starting line-up without losing much in terms of production. In 59 games last season, Camby averaged 4.9 points and 9.0 rebounds, splitting time between the Portland Trail Blazers and Houston Rockets.

This would be a second tour of duty in New York for Camby, so you know he can handle the market and atmosphere. He was a huge part of the surprise strike-shortened Eastern Conference Championship team after he was brought in from the Toronto Raptors.

Camby would do everything the Knicks desperately need from their back-up big. They don’t need someone who has to command the ball on offense. Instead, they need someone who can guard any other team’s big with success and ahs the ability to be a force on the offensive and defensive boards. Camby has a lot of miles on his legs, but the Knicks will likely only look to him to play somewhere in the range of 20 minutes a night, depending on Chandler’s health and foul trouble.

With the additions of Jason Kidd and, potentially, Marcus Camby, the Knicks bench becomes much deeper than in years past. Add in the likely re-signings of J.R. Smith and Steve Novak, plus the eventual return of Iman Shumpert, and the Knicks will be able to run 9-10 deep with ease.

Camby and Kidd aren’t the young names that will excite fans and put more people into the Garden. But, they’re exactly what the Knicks need.

And that, above everything else, is most important for the Knicks this off-season.

May 13, 2012; Memphis, TN, USA; Los Angeles Clippers guard Randy Foye (4) dribbles the ball up the court during the second half of game seven in the Western Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs against the Memphis Grizzlies at FedEx Forum. Los Angeles Clippers defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 82-72. Mandatory Credit: Spruce Derden-US PRESSWIRE

With the Knicks likely not to match the offer sheet Landry Fields signed with the Toronto Raptors and Iman Shumpert likely out until January, the shooting guard position has gone from one of extraordinary depth to one without many options in place.

ESPNNewYork’s Jared Zwerling recently wrote that J.R. Smith’s brother Chris thinks that Smith will re-sign with the Knicks, who can offer him 120 percent of what he made last season, about $2.8 million. Even with Smith in the fold though, the Knicks need to add a 2-guard. Preferably one capable of starting so Smith can come off the bench all season.

That brings me to Randy Foye.

Al Iannazzone said via Twitter that Foye is an option and would be a good fit with the Knicks, which I agree.

I am hearing Randy Foye is a possibility for the Knicks. But they have other things they need to settle. Foye would be a good fit.

— Al Iannazzone (@Al_Iannazzone) July 6, 2012

To get Foye into the fold, either the Kidd signing or a potential Foye signing would have to be a sign-and-trade. The likes on Toney Douglas, Jerome Jordan and Josh Harrleson could be in play. If the Knicks could include Douglas’ $2.0 million in any sign-and-trade, it will be crucial to add another player that can help the 2013 team.

As for Foye, he’s a six-year vet who’s coming off a pretty solid year in which he averaged 11.0 points per game. He only shot 39.8 percent from the floor on the season, but did knock down 38.6 percent of his shots from behind the arc, which would have easily made him the second best perimeter shooter on the Knicks last season, behind Steve Novak (.472).

Smith shot only 34.7 percent from behind the arc and that was the second best total on the Knicks roster.

Another shooter is a must and considering what the Knicks have to spend, targeting Foye is something that makes sense.

The Knicks won’t have a real good 2-guard on the roster next season, but a three-headed monster of Shumpert, Smith and Foye could turn out to be a very effective trio.

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May 3, 2012; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks point guard Jason Kidd (2) brings the ball up the court against the Oklahoma City Thunder during game three in the Western Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at the American Airlines Center. The Thunder defeated the Mavericks 95-79. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-US PRESSWIRE

They went from possibly acquiring Steve Nash in a sign-and-trade to watching Jeremy Lin sign an offer sheet with the Houston Rockets (ESPN). Then they went from potentially targeting Raymond Felton (NY Daily News) to eventually signing Jason Kidd away from the Mavericks (ESPN).

In writing this, I’m basically looking at what Lin needs more to improve, a mentor or just more experience. It’s nice to have both, but which is really more important to the future of Lin?

Kidd says he’s in the Big Apple to mentor the young Lin (NY Daily News), but while that’s fine and dandy, it’s not exactly what Lin needs to improve.

He doesn’t need a mentor as much as he needs playing time.

Having Kidd around will be good for Lin, but that’s not going to eliminate his mistakes on the court.

A veteran point guard to learn from is nice to have, but Lin had a pair of those last season in Baron Davis and Mike Bibby, who have a combined 28 years of NBA experience.

No, what Lin needs the most is just the opportunity to play. Nothing is more valuable to a young player than experience.

Whatever concerns there are about Lin’s game—turnovers, shooting, defense, etc.—won’t be cured by Kidd being around. The only way Lin becomes a complete guard is with more playing time.

While having Kidd mentoring Lin is nice, what the Knicks need more is a productive guard off the bench.

At this point in his career, it’s unclear how much Kidd has to offer, not only to Lin, but to the Knicks as a team. He will turn 40 next season and is coming off the worst season of his 18-year career. He averaged a mere 6.2 points and 5.5 assists per game while shooting only 36.3 percent from the floor in 2012.

In addition to mentor duties, Kidd is going to have to produce when he’s in the lineup, and there’s no guarantee he still has enough production left in him to warrant being Lin’s backup.

The entire Kidd-Lin thing is a nice story, but it’s not necessary.

Lin’s a smart kid. He will learn from playing time. Plus, learning from his mistakes is the best teaching tool.

Did the Knicks need a veteran point guard around?

Certainly, but one that they are certain has three years of productive basketball left in him might make a little more sense than simply signing one capable of mentor duties.

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The Knicks are reportedly ready to match the Rockets’ offer of four-years, $28.5 million that is heavily back-loaded for the final two seasons.

Well, that takes care of that. The move effectively puts a bow on much of what the Knicks were planning to do this off-season. They still have some wiggle room in terms of bringing back important pieces like J.R. Smith and Steve Novak. But, it makes lateral moves on the free agent market for players like O.J. Mayo and Marcus Camby very difficult, unless they’re willing to play at extreme discounts.

As we’ve said many times before, this is a move the Knicks had to make, in terms of matching any offer sheets for Lin. There weren’t any options that compared to Lin’s potential, even if you view him as raw and unproven. No other point guard available has the ability or ceiling to bring the Knicks to new heights competitively.

With this deal, however, if the Knicks ever want to try and acquire a player like a Chris Paul in next year’s off-season, it’ll have to be done creatively through a sign-and-trade that likely includes Jeremy Lin. If the Knicks feel that after next season, they need to improve from Lin-sanity, well, they’ll have to find a team that still believes in him.

They’re going to be locked in, just like they are for the Big Three of Amar’e, Melo and Chandler. These are the weapons the Knicks are going to go to war with. This is our Big Four.

Time for them to put up, or shut up.

After the Rockets shipped last year’s starting point guard Kyle Lowry to the Toronto Raptors for a draft pick, even more momentum seemed to be building towards the inevitable. Now, the predictable has happened.

ESPN is reporting that the Rockets and Lin have verbally agreed to a four-year, $30 million offer sheet that will be backloaded for the final two seasons.

It’s hard to say any of this is a surprise. I don’t have much more to add that I didn’t say yesterday, except for this:

As much money as that is, is there anybody on the market that could possibly provide the Knicks with the same kind of production that Lin can? Even at the elevated price the Knicks will be forced to pay if they choose to match, there isn’t a soul the Knicks could bring in, right now, that will provide the same type of potential. Even with Jason Kidd in the fold now, point guard is one of the clear weaknesses the Knicks, currently constructed, have. Lin would go a long way to fixing those flaws.

Is $30 million a lot of money to give to a player that has all but 25 starts next to his name? Absolutely. No question.

However, is $30 million of Jeremy Lin better than any million of a Raymond Felton or John Lucas III? If you even have to think about that scenario, you’re crazier than I thought.

The Knicks have to match. They really don’t have a choice in the matter.

ESPN’s Marc Stein reports via Twitter that Kidd is leaving Dallas to sign a multi-year deal in New York.

In another unforeseen twist of this wild offseason, sources say Jason Kidd has decided to leave Mavs and join Knicks on a multiyear deal

— Marc Stein (@ESPNSteinLine) July 5, 2012

It was reported earlier that Kidd had reached a three-year deal with Dallas for around $9 million, but according to sources close to Stein, the deal with the Knicks is for similar money.

May 3, 2012; Dallas, TX, USA; Dallas Mavericks point guard Jason Kidd (2) drives the ball past Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Derek Fisher (37) during the first half of game three in the Western Conference quarterfinals of the 2012 NBA Playoffs at the American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-US PRESSWIRE

It’s unknown still if Jeremy Lin will be a New York Knick when the season begins, but chances are that Kidd was signed to be a mentor to Lin.

There’s been some talk that the Knicks may go after Raymond Felton instead of Jeremy Lin lately, but it appears New York is still set on re-signing Lin.

Sam Amick of SI.com tweeted on Thursday:

With Jason Kidd shocking Mavs and opting for NY, source says Knicks still expected to match Jeremy Lin offer sheets. They want 1-2 PG punch.

— Sam Amick (@sam_amick) July 5, 2012

Kidd’s contract can’t actually be signed until July 11, which is the first day new NBA contracts can be signed. It’s also possible, one source said, that Kidd could ultimately move to the Knicks in a sign-and-trade deal.

Stein writes that Kidd was ultimately swayed to take the Knicks’ offer to come to New York and take on the challenge of trying to help the Knicks move into the Eastern Conference elite and also mentor fans’ darling Lin.

Kidd’s numbers were down in 2012, averaging a career-low 6.2 points and 5.5 assists and only shot 36.3 percent from the floor, but  he’s the type of pass first point guard who could be good coming off the Knicks bench.

His signing means the Knicks have to re-sign Lin because if Kidd is the Knicks starter they are in trouble.

One way or another, at least the Knicks have a point guard in the fold. It could be a Lin-Kidd duo or a Felton-Kidd duo, but whether or not the Knicks improved today remains to be seen.

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