Knicks committed to completing deal with rockets

I don't understand how people can look at that Portland trade and think they are doing anything other than a salary dump. They took the 18.5m Crabbe would make this year and sent it to Brooklyn for a 6.5m contract. The 20m remaining on that deal with be stretched over 7 years, meaning they will take a ~3m cap hit for 7 years. So they effectively saved 15m a year for the next 3 years in cap space, and about 40m in repeat luxury tax this year. They are still in the luxury tax range by just a few hundred grand once the stretch provision goes into place. I don't see them adding Ryan Anderson this offseason, unless they can unload a bit more money to get under the tax threshold of 119.2m. Before they take on any more long term money, they have to send Evan Turner somewhere and get his 17m a year off the books, so they can keep Nurkic next year. That's going to cost them a pick or two, and makes it more difficult to work them into a Melo trade, since no one wants Turner's contract.

 

not gonna read...I refuse to give hacks like Amico any clicks

 

Well, no one should criticize you for believing Anderson and at least a first rounder etcetera etcetera. But it is by no means an impossibility that some team wants Ryan Anderson. It's a matter of what sweeteners we'll yield and the complications of third and fourth teams. And maybe waiting for certain contracts to be trade-able. And so on and so forth.

 

I thought the new GM was trying to keep Melo on, initially.

 

I agree, exposes bigger fours with speed, and small ball fours with strength. Melo at the 4 keeps spacing for Harden and CP# to run the offense. Also, trying to exploit a weak defender is good, but I would rather it come through the offense. MDA is an offensive genius, and they will run a play to get a mismatch rather than starting out iso ball by attacking the weakest defender of the other team's 1, 2, or 3.

I would love melo at the 4 for spacing you cant leave Melo if HArden or CP3 drive leaving Melo is not an option him just being on the floor is an advantage for spacing. With team USA he shot 50% from three in one tournament, so he can knock down the open three better than anderson. Plus, a hard closeout is not an option with melo like it was anderson he is so much more deadly after a pumpfake he can reset and shoot (anderson could too), he can drive (anderson cannot), he can pass. It just adds multiple dimensions to our space and pace offense.

I believe Melo catching the ball in an open position playing the 4 from CP3 or Harden will elevate his game and skyrocket his efficiency to team USA levels.

 

I clicked. I'm sorry. I'm weak. Not like irresistible catnip, mind you. Nor a dumpster fire that you just have to see. More like the jar of peanut butter that I should ignore because I'm not hungry.......but it just keeps calling me, it's calling me:

http://amicohoops.net/nba-rumors-ca...york-knicks-cleveland-cavaliers-kyrie-irving/

Nothing has changed since Carmelo Anthony reportedly told the New York Knicks that the Houston Rockets are his preferred destination, according to a new report from ESPN.

In fact, sources told Amico Hoops, the Cleveland Cavaliers may have removed themselves from the Carmelo sweepstakes following the trade demand of Kyrie Irving.

The Cavs would be unwilling to trade Irving for just Anthony and draft picks, sources said. And with Irving likely on the move, the Cavs are changing their battle plan to keeping LeBron James in town and content, and the team competing for titles.

That’s a good thing, considering Anthony seems set on the Rockets. Anthony, of course, has a no-trade clause in his contract — but the Knicks are having a hard time finding a workable deal with Houston.

Per ESPN: “As was reported on Saturday, New York is not interested at this point in including Kristaps Porzingis in any trade for Irving. Some in the Knicks organization would trade Anthony and multiple first-round picks for Irving (though there is not uniform agreement on the idea of dealing multiple first-round picks in any trade at the moment, according to people familiar with the Knicks’ thinking).”

Where will Anthony wind up? How about Irving? Those are the questions of the summer in a year when Paul George (Indiana to Oklahoma City), Jimmy Butler (Chicago to Minnesota) and Chris Paul (LA Clippers to Houston) have already been on the move.

 

I think that was the plan.

 

Amico is a shyster! Unless he is writing something that I want to happen, like today, then he's ok in my book

 

Normally, it wouldn't, but Melo holds all the cards. That's why teams should be very, very careful about offering contracts with no-trade clauses. We're destined for NYK and Melo playing hardball with each other. But yeah - NOTHING is definitive except that this is going to drag out longer.

 

"Carmelo didn't not pick us, we quit!!!"

 

Did it happen yet?!??? (asking for a friend)

 

Still a lot of optimism in this thread but I'm starting to feel like this isn't so likely. Morey isn't dumb enough to gut the roster for Melo, and NY doesn't seem like they're willing to take low tier assets for Melo who will leave in a year anyway. At this point I just don't see NY pulling the trigger. They have no need to. Melo is being stubborn for Houston, which is our only hope, but he doesn't seem to have much leverage.

After so much dysfunction over the last 3-4 years, if I was NY I would let it ride for another year and just move on with cap space. Let's be real, that is the smart move for the Knicks.

 

Melo really doesn't hold all the cards. I just feel like people on here feel like the no-trade clause means he gets to pick where he wants to go and that's that. He gets to pick for whom he waives the clause but the Knicks never have to do as he says. And something isn't always better than nothing. Obviously it won't be a straight up 2 way trade but if it was for example, I would think the Knicks would rather have a disgruntled Melo and try and force him out than take on Ryno's contract.

 

There are two problems with your reasoning:

1.) It's not "just a year" and move on with cap space. It's 2 years, $54M. In today's contracting market, it probably makes sense for a 34-year-old Melo to opt in for 1-year, $28M next summer — just as it did for his good buddy D-Wade in Chicago this summer. And if Melo is unhappy and in a toxic situation in New York, his play will likely suffer (plus it's just generally a bad team), which further limits his earning power on the open market and makes it even more likely that opting in will be the smart financial play. Remember, since Houston is the ONLY team he's willing to waive his NTC for (and it's not like the Rockets will have cap space), it's not like Melo is just desperate to leave NYC at all costs. He'll stay there with his kid and collect checks. Not saying that makes committing to Ryno at $60M over 3 years the obvious answer, but in all likelihood, it's NOT a 1-year deal for Carmelo.

2.) If the Knicks want to move on from an era of dysfunction, as you put it, I don't think holding Melo hostage is a good way to do it. Melo is being nice now because there's still ~2 months until training camp. Plenty of time for cooler heads to prevail, no reason to air dirty laundry. But if the Knicks committed to trade him to Houston — which by many accounts, is exactly what happened — and then go back on their word, Melo could bury them in the court of public opinion. This is a guy who by almost all accounts remains in the league's top 10 "brands," with tons of very, very powerful friends across the league. Going from Melo at 2 years, $54M to Ryno or some combination like Harkless/Meyers Leonard might be a small price to pay considering the damage Melo could inflict on them in a public war... and that's before even considering the potential damage to Porzingis and the chemistry and development of their young core, which is a stated priority.

I think the Knicks have nothing to lose by staying firm for now, since there's still 2 months until camp... but yes, he does have a lot of leverage, and the Knicks do have a lot to lose here.

 

When an owner is as incompetent as James Dolan, with bad season after bad season piling up, the league should have some sort of franchise audit and determine if he should sell the team.

 

you're on a fan forum. telling a fan to not take this seriously when he's already on the fan website is putting a hat on a hat.

secondly, sorry but i don't find it funny. the only thing funny is that troll face, which clearly isn't his own creation.

not to piss either of you off either... i just want to see news about the deal, and those kinds of posts are an annoyance more than entertainment. even the mods are getting ticked.

 

"I'll trade Carmelo, when I am good and ready."



---

 

I think the PR disaster by keeping Melo might warrant a trade. Think about it, Phil already went out his way to belittle his star player on twitter. All this while James Dolan cosigned it. You agree to trade Melo to Houston, then re-nigg on the trade last second because you don't like what you're getting back. That's understandable if you didn't spend ALL of last season degrading Melo to the media and fans. Keeping Melo could possibly lead to superstars not wanting to play there

 

They do... just ask Donald Sterling

 

I actually agree with most of this, and was my thought process for a while, but a couple of rebuttals.

1. A lot of what you said in your second point defeats what you said in your first point. If Melo is held "hostage" for one year and doesn't want to be there, it's almost a sure thing he'll leave in one year. Contrary to what people believe, Melo is not on some terrible contract after the new CBA. In fact it's a pretty good contract. Melo could easily opt out and get another 2 year $50 million from about 5 teams, including the Rockets if we can ever dump Ryan. I think in all of this Melo is just being severely underrated and NY knows that. His game is built to last for at least another 4 years, and his skills can translate to many contenders. He's one of the best spot up shooters and has a post game. For a high spread PnR team he's lethal. Just like the Rockets don't care about Melo's performance last year, most teams won't either for the coming year. True basketball heads know Melo is worth the money.

2. I just don't think NY cares to have dysfunction for one more year. Unless they can get Kyrie, which clearly isn't happening, they need to tank anyway. It's not a scenario where they are trying to fix everything in one year. They are clearly rebuilding, and don't mind take a couple of years to do it. If they did promise Melo would go to Houston I think we'd get a more reliable reporting regarding that other than Potato. Potato's sources are most likely Melo's buddies, which in all honesty isn't a reliable source. They want to push the narrative that gives them leverage. If NY had a decent deal on the table I'm positive they'd move Melo to avoid dysfunction but I don't think they mind it for another year if the returns are complete crap. They are tanking anyway. That's the "smart GM" move. Morey will also be a smart GM and won't be willing to trade anything of importance other than Anderson.

The only REAL hope I have is if NY shows good will to Melo. He's an aging star and hasn't had a championship level team in almost 10 years. I think this is our best bet but I don't know Melo's relationship with Mills.