If Yao is out for the season now no late season comebacks and we get he injury exception then I might be willing to spending the dough on this guy. He is a Scola clone but we are going to be running all year long so he would fit in nicely as an undersized center and the only times we would be getting killed is vs Shaq, Howard, Lakers and Duncan otherwise we would be ok. It sounds like it might be a while before he signs soooo I am not so against it now!
Should the Rockets get in the chase for David Lee? Given that the Knicks are courting S&T offers and we don't have anyone (active) on the roster taller than 6-9 besides Scola. Maybe Lee can't play C, but he could probably go a long way towards shoring up our smurf frontcourt. As it stands, we're going to be creamed on the boards and on defense, both of which are specialties of his. The Knicks don't want to take back salary that effects their 2010 cap space, but the pot has to be sweetened none the less. That either means draft picks, a guy like Aaron Brooks, or a side deal that takes a salary albatross of their hands (Eddy Curry). Assuming Lee signs a 5 yr, $60M deal (first year @ $10M). He's BYC, which means the trade has to be for salary between $4M - $6M. In a rare instance, this makes the trade easier to pull off. My guess at the Knicks' asking price: David Lee for Aaron Brooks and Chuck Hayes, and Eddy Curry for Battier and Cook My guess at the Rockets' offer: David Lee for Carl Landry, Brian Cook, and a future protected pick.
Nah were good we already got our high energy defensive minded guy that needs polishing this offseason.
David Lee will be at the top of that Bill Simmons 'most overpaid players' list by this time next season.
David Lee...defensive-minded?!? Not even on a good day; dude can rebound well, but defense is definitely not his calling card.
Neither is offense ....lol......I guess when I said defensive minded I was comparing him to the rest of the knicks roster........lol
So a team with a solid PF rotation that costs about $6M needs to bring in a PF for about $10M that can't dominate on offense or defense?
Anyone that cant play D like Lee, we should not go for. He is definitely not worth that much. At most He's worth the MLE to me
16 ppg on 55 % fg looks very solid to me. Combine that with 12 rebounds per game and you get a near all-star. The Rockets don't need another PF though.
He get's a lot of garbage points. He can't create shots and does not have much of a post up game. I lik his hustle but he's too expensive for an decent garbage guy.
To all the nay sayers. This guy is everything Scola is except more athletic and 3 years younger. Scola is going to expect a raise when his contract is up and he will be 30 years old. Thats next year. If we can replace Scola with Lee (in his prime) for not much more than what we are paying or what we are going to have to Pay Scola this is a no brainer. Im not saying this is the right move just that he is an upgrade over Scola in every way. This is coming from a bigtime Scola fan. It amazes me how people here over value our role players and under value other teams.
If Scola had Lee's athleticism, we'd be looking at the second coming of Tom Chambers. Scola's basketball IQ and craftiness cancels out Lee's raw talent on IMHO. I lived in NY when Lee was drafted. I like the guy, but he is overrated, much like everything else in New York.
We need a starting Center for next season throughout which we will not see that 7'6 big object on court. With Scola being too undersized for Center position, David Lee just can fill our bald spot. He won't be an easy target to set down though.
David Lee cannot play center. I'm am amazed at how many people have drunk the Kool-Aid. David Lee is a nice player who's scoring was inflated by playing on a D'Antoni team. He's worth the MLE, no more. thacabbage is dead on: David Lee will be on the "All-Overpaid" team is someone is dumb enough to pay him $50 million.
Lee's agent is talking really crazy. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/08/sports/basketball/08knicks.html?_r=1&ref=basketball July 8, 2009 Knicks Look to Hill for Stability By HOWARD BECK Jason Kidd said no, Grant Hill said maybe, and David Lee and Nate Robinson said thanks, but we’ll get back to you. Seven days into July, the Knicks are waiting for answers and searching for roster clarity. Perhaps a dozen players could sign contracts Wednesday, following the midnight expiration of the N.B.A.’s annual moratorium. Ron Artest will be moving from Houston to Los Angeles (and the Lakers), Ben Gordon from Chicago to Detroit and Rasheed Wallace from Detroit to Boston. Mike Bibby will re-sign with Atlanta, and Zach Randolph will land in Memphis in a trade. And Kidd is staying in Dallas, despite a brief flirtation with the Knicks, who remain determined to import a steady leader. Hill, 36, now represents their best hope. He was courted at length Monday by Donnie Walsh, the team president, and Coach Mike D’Antoni, and apparently left town feeling intrigued. “I think we tried to impress him and to show him what we had,” Walsh said. “I think we accomplished that.” Hill, who spent the last two seasons in Phoenix, is also considering invitations from the Suns and the Celtics. The Knicks and the Suns can offer the most money and a full-time starting job. Boston can offer the best shot at a title but only a spot as a backup to Paul Pierce and Ray Allen, which could prove to be a deal-breaker. Hill has a comfort level with the Suns’ roster and with Coach Alvin Gentry. But he also grew close to D’Antoni during their one season together in Phoenix. No other teams are believed to be in the hunt, and Hill could make a decision by the end of the week. It could take much longer to determine the fates of Lee and Robinson. They are restricted free agents, making them a gamble for rival teams. Lee’s asking price may also be a big obstacle. His agent, Mark Bartelstein, is seeking $12 million per season, according to an executive whose team is pursuing Lee. Given the depressed market, that figure may be out of reach. The three teams that still have substantial cap space — Memphis, Portland and Oklahoma City — are not believed to be pursuing Lee. Most other teams have only the midlevel exception, or $5.85 million, to spend. The Knicks have not made a formal offer but are hoping to keep Lee for about $7 million to $8 million per season. Bartelstein would not comment on his asking price, saying, “So many people are throwing so much stuff out there, it’s not something I would ever talk about publicly.” But Bartelstein made a strong argument that Lee is a unique and valuable player. He led the league in double-doubles last season, his fourth in the N.B.A., averaging 16 points and 11.7 rebounds, and shot 54.9 percent from the field. He is just 26 and still improving as a shooter and passer. But at 6 feet 9 inches, Lee is also undersized for a power forward and center, and he does not block many shots or provide stiff interior defense. He scores in bunches, but he cannot create his own shot. Lee could make an All-Star team but he is not viewed as a franchise player, which is why the Knicks want to keep his salary in the single-digit millions. It will take a major offer by a rival team to force the Knicks’ hand, but most franchises are spending conservatively, in deference to the recession. Teams are also wary of Lee’s restricted free-agent status, which allows the Knicks to match any offer within seven days. During that period, the team that signed Lee would have its salary cap space tied up. Bartelstein sounded frustrated at the lack of a deal. “It’s a shame David’s not done yet,” Bartelstein said. “The Knicks have the ability to get him signed. The other teams don’t, because they don’t know if the Knicks will match or not, or go through a sign-and-trade.” Bartelstein said he was “working through a number of different scenarios,” but he would not say how long it might take to get Lee signed. He could try to arrange a sign-and-trade deal, but the Knicks would probably balk unless they got a high-level player in return. The market appears to favor the Knicks, but Walsh disagreed. “Because a team can make a trade that impacts their cap, and they could get room,” he said. “I don’t think it’s over till it’s over. And I don’t think the players do either.” Walsh is also balancing Lee’s value against his primary goal of preserving cap space for 2010, when the Knicks hope to pursue LeBron James and Dwyane Wade. Signing Hill, a widely respected former All-Star, could help stabilize the Knicks’ lineup and make them more attractive to young superstars. Hill is still a solid defender, scorer and playmaker who can play at small forward, shooting guard and, in a pinch, at point guard. “He’s the kind of guy we want,” Walsh said. It is unclear where the Knicks will turn if Hill declines their offer. There are several intriguing players still on the market, but perhaps only a few who would — like Kidd or Hill — prompt the Knicks to make a heavy investment that could affect their plans for next year. “This is just the beginning of the summer,” Walsh said. “I’m trying to do this in a way that protects next summer, but I’m trying to make it better now at the same time.”
He can come out to defend the pick and roll better than our guys. Holding position against bigger and quicker guys is a problem.
