The super Melo to Portland thread + The Big Blockbuster

So it comes down to who wants Ryan Anderson, and of those teams, which has assets the Knicks like. I can see NY dragging this out until they get something they want. I assume cap space is what they want most but no one with cap space will want Anderson's contract. (Or at least they shouldn't)

So then it comes down to which team is desperate for a stretch 4? Based on style of play, Houston and Portland are the two biggest candidates. But who after that?

 

Maybe MIN will go all-in? I don't remember what the deal for Gibson is, but if they're paying him peanuts maybe they can afford to overpay Anderson? Give them a little O/D with their two PFs? Honestly, I'm stretching here:

 

Tbh I would rather have Dieng than Anderson......

 

Me too.

 

Blazers where interested in Ryan Anderson before he went to Houston.

 

I already said this 20-some pages ago, but since this is heating up again...

We are doing both HOU and NYK a BIG favor here and deserve to be compensated, not screwed. HOU WANTS Carmelo. Forum opinions aside, they view him as the third piece of their Big 3 with Harden and CP3. NYK WANTS to move Carmelo. They want to move him so they can fully commit to a youth movement, rebuilding around Porzingis. Melo wants this (and will waive him no trade clause) and the HOU players want this. Everybody wants this and is looking for us to help make it happen.

Obviously, HOU NEEDS move Ryan Anderson's contract to make room for Carmelo's contract. Plus, HOU will play Melo at PF, which would make Anderson a $20+ million back up for the next three years (if they could actually keep him, which they can't).

NYK WANTS Harkless. He's a starter, he's young, he's on a reasonable contract, he's from NY.

Any trade that has us giving up Harkless and taking on Anderson's contract NEEDS to give us something more - significantly more. We would be giving up the youngest player in the deal and the only one on a reasonable contract. We would also be taking on HOU's worst contract.

This is a business, not a charity. We need to get something other than a smile, a pat on the back and a shitty contract out of it. Start with at least one future 1st round pick, and even that's not enough. HOU already owes their 2018 first round pick to ATL (top 3 protected). We need to squeeze them for their 2020 first round pick. We also need to squeeze a pick out of the Knicks. They'll want to lottery protect it. I'd push back for a top 8 or top 10 protection.

But, what we really need to see is some salary relief. If HOU wants to dump their worst contract on us, we need to be able to dump TWO of our three worst contracts in this deal. HOU and NYK need to find some way for us to dump two of Crabbe, Leonard and Turner. We already have the highest payroll in the league and are facing years of luxury tax hell - before we even sign Nurk to an extension. No way in hell do we end up even worse off just to do somebody else a favor.

Getting a 4th team involved might be needed, if the Knicks don't want Turner or Crabbe (since the just signed Tim Hardway Jr. to an offer sheet), but start with something like this:

Harkless, Leonard and Crabbe to NYK
Melo to HOU
Anderson, O'Quinn, Lance Thomas + future picks to POR

That actually almost works - and saves us $9 million in salary this year, even more going forward. HOU needs to send out another $1.6 million, but they have stockpiled a bunch of non-guaranteed contracts that don't show up in the ESPN trade machine. Send a few of those non-guaranteed contracts our way and this works - salary wise.

We give up Harkless, but get rid of two of our three worst contracts. Anderson is basically a taller, older, more injury prone, slightly better player than Crabbe on an equally hideous contract. I've been clamoring for 2-way players at the forward positions and Ryan Anderson is the definition of NOT a 2-way play. O'Quinn is. He wouldn't be starting in front of the $20 million man, but at least he'd be a HUGE, absolutely FREAKING HUGE upgrade over Meyers Leonard as a back up C/PF. And, he's cheap and in the last year of his contract. Lance Thomas takes Mo's roster spot. He doesn't shoot a lot of 3-pointers, but has a career 3FG% of .410 and shot .447 3FG% last season. Between him and Anderson, we would easily replace Crabbe's and (cough, cough) Leonard's 3-point shooting.

The obvious snag, and I suspect what's holding this up, is the Knicks are waiting to see if ATL matched their offer sheet to Tim Hardaway Jr. If ATL matches, no problem, the Knicks take Crabbe. If ATL doesn't match, a 4th team will be necessary that either wants Crabbe, or at least has the cap space to absorb his contract.

BNM

 

We were also interested in Barkley before he went to HOU. Think we can get him, too?

BNM

 

Atlanta didn't match. Hardaway has signed now with the Knicks.

 

OK, time to pull in a 4th team to unload Crabbe...

BNM

 

I'm calling this one DOA

 

This sounds like a fantasy, but I hope you're right!!

 

Dumb On Announcement?

 

It's been mentioned before, but the Realgm Knick board is terrible, this a trade they're kicking around like it would have a chance:

POR out: harkless, turner, 2018 1st
POR in: anderson, gordon, NYK 2018 2nd

 

Detroit Pistons?

 

Why on earth are we sending out a 1st?

 

I suspect what he's really upset about is the tax situation. He just signed a big contract with HOU last summer to play in a state with no state income tax, now he is possibly being moved to a team in a state with 9% state income tax. He's basically being forced to take a 4.5% (41 home games) pay cut.

But, that's his own fucking fault. He should have made HOU include a trade kicker in his contract, the way Crabbe did with BRK. That extra 15% would have more than made up for the tax situation.

So, I suspect HOU is trying to come up with some creative way to make Anderson financially whole. They can't just give him an extra 4.5%. So, I wonder if they are working with his agent to find him a nice "endorsement" deal or maybe a sizable donation to the charity of his choice in his name, or something. Does he have a Ryan Anderson Foundation for Underprivileged White Kids? If not, he should start one, with a little help from his current employer, Hell. if he comes to Portland, he could make his teammate Zach Collins his first beneficiary. I'm sure Jason Quick could write a nice article about how Ryan helped Zach overcome the lingering emotional scars of being lactose intolerant and on a gluten free diet while attending a private school.

BNM

 

Technically speaking, the 31st pick is better than the 30th because of salary issues. So, it works out for us

 

Well if Crabbe is involved the trade going have to wait until 15 of July.