Blazers will probably need the money to resign their top young talent. I think they're good enough now to try to cash in on 2009. If they keep the capspace, then yes, they have a good shot at a top-flight FA. Bulls, maybe. You're banking on Gordon being moved. Hawks still need to round out their 2010 roster with contracts for their young players. We'll see then. They will probably have a shot at a top FA. Who do the Knicks have that could be better than what the Nets are building?
The Blazers have Roy, Oden, Bayless, and many others. Chicago is a big market and they will have Rose, Deng, and probably a lottery pick. Hawks have Smith, Horford, and tons of space to sign players. Knicks have Chandler, Nate/Lee, Duhon, and possibly a lottery pick. But the ample cap space, MSG, big market, have added value.
Not talking about non-basketball factors. I'm talking about the core that will be around in 2010. Vince, Harris, Yi, Anderson, Lopez, Boone core is superior to what the Knicks are fielding. I meant Gordon being resigned, btw. My mistake
Chicago's problem is they have to find a taker for Hinrich or Nocioni to become a player in 2010 free agency, well that, or let Gordon walk, and letting Gordon walk makes the team a less attractive destination. I covered this predicament on my blog a bit. If the Bulls land a trade for Hinrich or Nocioni, I think Amare Stoudemire is probably the Bulls best bet, given the Phoenix connection, and Stoudemire knowing the value of playing with a great point guard. If the Bulls can find a taker for both Hinrich and Nocioni, they can sign two guys, one for the max, and one for near max, at which point an Amare Stoudemire signing first, followed by something like Tyson Chandler could happen. I wonder if there will be any Obama effect as well. Obama was telling Tyson Chandler to come back to the Bulls, maybe one of these guys will want to make the president happy and go play for the Bulls. If Bulls can create capspace, I see Stoudemire coming to Chicago. In reality though, Lebron should go to Miami and play with Wade. They have enough money to sign someone like Gordon this summer, or wait, and sign another 2010 guy. Why Miami isn't disucssed more is beyond me!
I think a Nocioni, Hinrich, and 2009 pick (top 3 protected) for Lafrentz and Steve Blake would be a pretty good trade for both Bulls/Blazers.
Lot of questions on both sides. We still need to see Gallo. He can be a huge asset if he pans out. The Knicks might have a high lottery pick player. Chandler is also very solid and can become an 20 point scorer in 2 years. Nate, Lee, Duhon, will continue to be very solid in 2010. Vince will be 34 around that time. One might be discouraged of spending the next 4-5 years with a declining Carter. Yi is looking like a bust. The possible combo of Chandler/Duhon/Nate/Lee/high lotto pick player can be considered more superior to Carter (2 years later)/Harris/Lopez/Anderson
Yi looking like a bust, but Gallo might pan out? Right. Vince has been relying less and less on his athleticism, but still sustaining a high level of play. He still has a few more good years left in him. 4-5 years? He has one year maximum at a high rate of pay; he'll probably be resigned for much cheaper. Knicks have 1 first rounder between now and 2010. The Nets have 3. One is from declining Dallas.
Mr J's at least pointing out that the Nets' package doesn't completely stand out among the rest. Sure its a good, promising core. I don't think anybody would deny that. But there are going to be a helluva lot of suitors for Lebron, etc. And what the Nets have set up isn't nearly good enough to discount the numerous other teams. And that's just focusing on the rosters. With the Brooklyn move becoming more and more confusing, they'll be competing with teams that present more media exposure and all the advantages of a big city. There's that Jay-Z connection everyone brings up, but other friends have hinted at different locations too. And there are currently contending teams known for their winning culture that are suddenly entering the fray, adding another dynamic completely. The Nets and their fans have gotten on this issue about a year and a half earlier than the rest of the league, but that doesn't separate them from the pack that much. Right now, they're just one of many teams grasping at straws.
I think its a given that whoever Rod Thorn signs in 2010 will turn out to be a complete bust. Even Lebron. The historical precedent has already been set.
There's a big difference between Gallo and Yi. Gallo hasn't played because of injury. Yi has played and has sucked. Similarly, one could not have said Oden is looking like a bust last year because he didn't play. 4-5 years was referring to the life of the new max player's contract. The prospect of playing with VC between the ages of 34-39 isn't too attractive. You also have to consider the quality of the picks. If the Knicks manage to get a high lottery pick player, no doubt he'll appeal more to a top-tier FA than a couple mid to late first rounders. Though Dallas might be declining, they will still be a top team in the league for the next few years. And the Golden State pick is lottery-protected. So the Nets are realistically looking at two picks between the 15-24 range.
Yi hasn't sucked. He's definitely shown flashes of being a very good player. Give it a year, this is his first time being a top option. . Playing with Mo, Redd, Charlie, and Bogut doesn't really give you many touches
I'm just not seeing how the Knicks are going to get anything worth crap. What is the attraction of playing in New York? New Jersey at least has Devin Harris and Vince Carter to offer players to play with. I still think that Chicago/Miami will be the two prime destinations for these free agents, even though ESPN can't seem to take notice too much. I think the Nets best bet might be to go after an older player, like Dirk Nowitzki. Run a big lineup of Harris-Vince-Yi-Dirk-Lopez, and go for a 3 year championship window or so with those guys.
There are also several attractions of playing in New York. 1. Cap Space: The mere fact that the Knicks have a ton of cap space means they have a very good chance of landing at least one of the premiere FA. With two key FA signings, the Knicks are back in the upper echelon of the league. 2. Mike D'Antoni: He's a good coach and players love to play for him. 3. We have a very solid core: Chandler, Nate, Lee, Duhon, and Gallo. One which can be considered just as good, if not better than a team led by a 34 year old Carter/Harris/Lopez. 4. The allure of New York: Like it or not, New York is a well-liked city. There have been FA's that wanted to sign with the Knicks in the past, but the Knicks never had cap room. Now that they do for the first time in 10 years, New York is a desirable location again. There's also MSG. 5. From a business perspective, it could be a wise move for many players with the "big market" clause in their deals. Take LeBron, for instance. He has a better chance of becoming that global icon in New York than he has almost anywhere else.
