http://sports.espn.go.com/new-york/nba/news/story?id=6437715 The New York Knicks decided not to buy out the contract of point guard Chauncey Billups on Wednesday, ensuring he will be with the team for his full $14.2 million salary for the 2011-12 season. The Knicks had until Friday to pick up the option or pay Billups a $3.7 million buyout. "Chauncey, Amare [Stoudemire] and Chauncey [Billups] are a great nucleus, as we continue to look to improve our team going into the offseason," Knicks president of basketball operations Donnie Walsh said in a statement. "Chauncey is an extremely talented and experienced point guard -- we are very happy to have him back." The 13-year veteran missed three of the Knicks' four playoff games, all losses, to the Boston Celtics after straining a knee tendon late in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round series. Billups played 21 regular-season games with the Knicks after coming over from the Denver Nuggets in the Carmelo Anthony trade. He averaged 17.5 points and 5.5 assists for New York. The Knicks had no immediate word on Walsh, who also has a team option on the fourth year of his contract, which expires June 30. There have been reports the Knicks are considering offering Walsh a two-year extension. He was expected to meet with Madison Square Garden chairman James Dolan this week. Billups will be 35 in September and said this week he hoped to return to New York for his 15th NBA season. After playing most of his career at 215 pounds, Billups said Monday he planned to come in at 210 next season to better handle the pace of Mike D'Antoni's system. He insists he has plenty of basketball left. "My body has been great," Billups said. "I'm 34, not 39. My first five years I didn't play that much anyway, unfortunately, but my body is fine." There wouldn't be many point guard options this summer better than Billups, a former NBA Finals MVP who is a top late-game performer. He didn't take long to prove it in New York, hitting a go-ahead 3-pointer with 1:01 left in a win at Miami on Feb. 27, just four days after his Knicks debut. But the sweep by Boston was an unusually early exit for the five-time All-Star, who reached the conference finals seven straight years with Detroit and Denver from 2003 to 2009, and said he wanted to be around when the Knicks brought championship-caliber basketball back to New York. "Getting swept in the first round, I don't do this," Billups said. "This is not fine with me, so I like to play later in the season, I want an opportunity."
Wow. Unless they are planning on a deadline trade of his expiring contract this is a terrible move. Although I think keeping Billups is a good move in and of itself, he said he didn't want to get traded to the Knicks. Even if he has changed his mind, maybe especially if he has changed his mind, he could have been had for cheaper and longer.
Why is it a bad move? A large expiring contract in case another star forces a trade, contract is off the books for the 2012 offseason, and there isn't any viable upgrade in free agency this offseason.
If the Knicks had bought him out they were approximately 5.7M under the cap. By keeping him they have a solid veteran PG and can use the MLE? to acquire a player and then use his expiring next year, only sensible move for the Knicks.
Good move. Chauncey is still a top ten point guard. Big, hyper-efficient, 3-point shooting, defensive PG, with good court vision is perfect for New York.
east is a complete joke, look how competitive the west playoff series are, good teams are good, bad teams are just bad.....
not a bad move for NY. yeah they'll be paying 3 players a ton of money next season, but as others have mentioned there's not much for them in the FA market this offseason.
For ownership, its really more like $10.5mil since Billups would have gotten $3.7mil in a buyout. $10.5mil for 17.5pts, 5.5rbs, and his leadership skills isn't totally ridiculous.
They are stuck either way. Billups might or might not have a season long nagging injury and if they decide to buyout there's no almost no way they pick up his caliber of a pg.
i think they felt they weren't getting anyone this offseason, so why not hes the best available option adn its only for a year and he is tradeable. Its a good move. But after him? who is coming to NYC? take a look at his chain http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/mu...y/1104/chris.paul.rare.photos/content.18.html
It's too bad the Knicks overspent on 2 underachieving players. Heck a quality pg with the caliber of Chauncey Billups, despite being injured, is hard to come by at just $14 million. Billups maybe overpaid but if you consider what pgs are available in the draft or elsewhere in the league there would be a huge drop off. Billups can simply get it done like no other with this current Knicks squad with the exemption of a few that are just not available. You think CP3 will join forces when he knows that some years he probably will make well under $10million due to the salary cap space burden of Melo + Amare? CP3 will come to NYC and take the paycut only if he makes up for it elsewhere. Chances are whatever the Knicks will offer him pending the CBA will probably not be enough. I see the Knicks as a doomed team because they overpaid for Melo is just isn't worth what they lost overall.
You think they will trade Melo? I dunno, but I hope they realise somewhere down the line that Melo ain't worth it.
