So early next week, Hopefully by Wednesday we get the deal done. I see Aldridge's point, the knicks new gm might want to see if they can find anything else or talk to Melo but I doubt Melo will broaden his choice and change his mind. So it's just a matter of time.
"Anthony is concerned about his public image and doesn't want a messy divorce from the Knicks. He is said to be dismayed over the events of the past 24 hours." So why are the Knicks not concerned about their image? They have mismanaged their franchise for decades, have consistently made the same mistakes, disrespected star players, mismanaged their cap, no one in the organization ever seems to be on the same page when it comes to moving forward, instability throughout the organization, locker room and personnel issues. Why would a top free agent ever want to sign with them? Harden has proved you don't need to be in NY or LA to ink a major shoe deal or have nearly half a billion in guaranteed salary at 27.
They have their home in NY but Lala is estranged so nothing is holding him back in NY. He can see his kid now and then.
I don't think the Knicks could lower their price much. All they're really asking for is not to replace him with an even worse (longer) contract. Think about how hard it is to pull off a trade where any team has to take the worst contract (Ryno) and not get the best player (Melo). Straight up, 3 team, 4 team, it would seem to be damn near impossible.
We need to be offering Anderson, our NG's and our 2020 first. If that is a direct trade with Knicks or with other teams involved. If we need to sweeten it, throw in Nanu or another youngster or rights to oversee's stashed players (Lull, Gentile). We are in win now mode.
This is probably the most attention the Knicks have gotten since Phil was hired and then fired. This will also be the most the team is nationally talked about all of this upcoming season. They might actually drag it just to be d*cks. Dolan loves that spotlight. They aren't going to convince Melo to stay or go to Utah, Portland, Orlando, Phoenix... and so forth. Like I've said in the past, we may not think Les is the best sports franchise owner ever but at least our team is not owned by Dolan. Chris Paul said it best, we just need to be patient and watch the Knicks just give up.
So..... When this things breaks again, will it be all of the small foreplay teasers we saw? Or will it go straight to the Woj bomb??
David Aldridge has been generally correct with his reports, but he is the same guy who said Damion Stoudamire is a Rocket.
All reports indicate that all 4 teams were ready to pull the trigger on the deal before the Knicks decided they wanted a little more time. I would think when talks resume again that the deal on the table will be agreed on offficially and the deal done but this pause might change some minor details of the deal that might need to get hashed out. The bulk of the deal should be already set. Minor changes might need to happen before it finishes off.
seems that way but its all in the eye or the beholder. portland doesn't see anderson as the worst player in the trade. they like him better than harkless. the knicks like harkless better than ryno. even if their contracts were the same, the knicks want young defensive talent and don't want a PF. the blazers need a PF and want shooting. the only guy all 3 teams agree is the worst in the deal is leonard. the holdup is finding a taker for him. 10M per year for 3 years? that's will cost a FRP. the blazers won't pay it, neither will the knicks. the rockets can't afford it since they gave one to the lakers, one to the clippers, and are giving one to the knicks for melo all in the same year. my hope is that a team like brooklyn (who said they'd take on contracts for picks) would take leonard for 2 second round picks from the rockets with young guys like qi, nanu, and overseas assets like gentile and llull. then, two of the richest teams in the NBA (blazers and knicks) can send cash their way too. well, the blazers want to lower their costs, but at least the knicks will be able to send cash. they don't care about money. in the end its comes down to finding that 4th team to take on leonard for a pair of second rounders, qi, nanu, taylor maybe, and some cash. i'd look at the bulls and suns who i think still need to hit the cap floor... the hawks who'd like to get some picks and young players, the nets and sixers seem like a possibility with their cap space too. to make it work on the trade machine, this would look like: NYK gets: harkless, nanu, quarterman, long, 2020 lotto protected FRP (HOU) POR gets: ryno HOU gets: melo TEAM 4 gets: leonard, 2xSRP (HOU), cash (NYK), taylor, qi
I think Portland gives up a 2nd. Harkless isn't really all that great of an asset; he makes what Leonard does. They are upgrading from Leonard (worthless $10 mil per) to Ryno (really good player $20 mil per). Giving up Harkless (sheds $10 mil per) to do that isn't really giving up much. I think they really want Leonard off their team and off their books. I think Portland should be putting a little more into the deal...like a 2nd round pick. They have by far the most toxic asset in the deal.
