[ESPN] Rockets to decide on Knicks, Bulls offer Wednesday

A few thoughts before I go to bed:

--For those who are just going to assume that the 2012 pick will be unprotected, I can almost guarantee you that won't be the case. Sure, Morey will try for an unprotected pick, but even he realizes that may be asking for too much. Protections can be at any level (top 3, top 5, top 8, anything). It could be that the 2012 pick will have a fairly high level of protection in 2012 (full lottery protection), with that protection gradually going down in future years until it is eventually unprotected. I just hope that this isn't one of those deals where, if the first rounder never falls outside the protection, it becomes two second rounders. My guess is that Morey would settle for some form of top 8 to 10 protection in 2012, going down to top 5 protection in 2013 and perhaps unprotected in 2014.

--Maybe it's just me, but I don't quite understand the reports saying that the teams are haggling over protection for BOTH the 2011 and 2012 picks. If the parties have agreed that Houston has the right to SWAP picks, why should the Knicks have any protection on that pick? The whole point of giving the Rockets the right to swap is that the Knicks' pick is expected to be worse. I mean, what happens if the 2011 pick is protected IN ANY WAY and the pick ends up falling within that protection? The Rockets would already have the Knicks' 2012 pick. Would the Knicks get to keep the 2011 pick and instead the Rockets would have the right to swap picks in 2013? That just sounds too ridiculous to me. So, protection for the Knicks' 2011 would strike me as a non-starter for Morey.

--For those people worried about the Knicks being "really good" in the next two years, think about this: With all of their cap room, in all likelihood, they will be able to have ONLY TWO out of the following options:

Max player #1
Max player #2
David Lee
Tracy McGrady

This leaves 11-12 roster spots. Three of those spots will go to Danilo Gallinari, Wilson Chandler and Toney Douglas. (By the way, I am assuming that Eddy Curry's contract will be bought out, with New York giving him a boatload of cash on the front end in order to create enough cap room for a second max player.) So now, you're down to 8-9 roster spots remaining for the Knicks to fill.

Available remaining resources to sign said 8-9 players: the league minimum salary.

Sure, there are plenty of aging veterans with some tread left on their tires who would be willing to take the full MLE in lieu of a bigger pay day in order to play for a contender. But the freakin' LEAGUE MINIMUM??? I just don't see Ray Allen, Manu Ginobili and Shaq lining up for that gig.

Add to this the fact that Gallinari plays the same position as Bosh (PF) and Chandler plays the same position as Lebron (SF), and even if the Knicks get their dream scenario, ALL of their talent will be at two positions. They will have no guard play to speak of (Lebron would have to handle the ball even more than he does in Cleveland) and no banger down low (Bosh does NOT want to play center).

THAT, my friends, is not a contender. Which leads me to my next question: Why the hell would Lebron James want to leave Cleveland (a BETTER team that can pay him a HIGHER salary) for THAT???

Bottom line: That 2011 Knicks' pick could be absolute freakin' GOLD.

 

I don't see anyone wanting Ray allen? and I don't think kirk and rondo on the same team,(last year playoff feud)

 

Yep, he'd be in a good situation either way. He should thank Morey for not trading him to some place like NJ.

 

BimaThug in da house. The Capologist. Keep speakin' the Gospel my man.

 

which is why i would do this deal even without the 2012 pick. as long as the 2011 is unprotected.

 

Great analysis as usual. I don't expect the 2011 pick to be a lottery pick though (not sure what your definition of gold is). The Knicks would probably make the playoffs with one max player. Give them two and I assume they still make the postseason at least. The East is just that bad.

 

So apparently the Rockets and Bulls need a third team to take on Hinrichs contract for this trade. The two teams that are interested in him are LAL and Boston. I think this trade is pretty realistic...

Boston Trades: Ray Allen, Bill Walker
Boston Receives: Kirk Hinrich, Jerome James, Brian Cook

Chicago Trades: Kirk Hinrich, Jerome James, Brad Miller, Tyrus Thomas, John Salmons
Chicago Receives: Ray Allen, Bill Walker, Tracy McGrady, Joey Dorsey

Houston Trades: Tracy McGrady, Joey Dorsey, Brian Cook
Houston Receives: Brad Miller, Tyrus Thomas, John Salmons

Boston gets some talent in exchange for Ray Allen in Kirk Hinrich
Chicago gets two big expiring in T-Mac and Ray Allen and rid of Hinrichs and Salmons long term contracts.
Houston picks up a center in Miller, a shooting guard in Salmons, and a young talent in Ty Thomas.

C: Hayes/Miller/Andersen
PF: Scola/Landry
SF: Battier/Thomas
SG: Ariza/Budinger/Taylor
PG: Brooks/Lowry/Temple
Inj: Yao

 

That pick may be gold, but this is a championship-starved city and Yao is only getting older; if he comes back to 75%ish of how he played last season, he is going to need to be complemented by talent and a really good bench.

As I said, I like the Chicago deal more, but it could be posturing for us to get a star that we want now in Iguodala. I found this article on Philadelphia Inquirer website, which I found interesting

http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/deep-sixer/Trade_Scenarios.html

Most of the people who follow it were actually clamoring for the original Budinger and Mac offer for Iggy and Sammy. Makes you wonder. . .

 

If it wasn't for the rep limit, I've would have already repped you 20 times within the last couple of days.

 

I got you beat with a trade that makes a lot more sense for different teams:
Rockets Trade: T-Mac
Rockets receive: Miller, Jerome James, TT

Chicago trades: Hinrich, Miller, James, TT
Chiacgo recieves: T-MAC, Farmar, Powell, Morrison

Lakers trade: Farmar, Powell, Morrison
Lakers receive: Hinrich

LAL gets a player they have a hard on for now in Hinrich (a great candidate to push Fisher further back in their rotation / cure their biggest weakness), Houston gets all the expiring deals and some players they might want to re-sign in the future (same stuff from the potential Chicago trade in the first place), and Chicago gets rid of Hinrich, acquires TMAC and gets nothing but expirings in return.

 

You must spread some Reputation around before giving it to BimaThug again.

 

It's the eastern conference and the knicks don't have to be great just good enough to make the playoffs. as they are now they still a chance at making it this season.

 

Ugh, we could potentially end up with Vulajic instead of Jeffries if the Chicago/Laker scenario plays out =(

 

Dont hex us now.

 

that's what i haven't understood from the beginning. lebron wouldn't choose ny over what chi or cleveland has to offer in terms of a team. ny doesn't have much to offer other than it being new york city. chi is actually set up pretty well if lebron does decide to go there...HOWEVER...cleveland is current 43-11 and running away with the east and have the best record in the league. plus he would have to leave his hometown and take a deal that would pay him less money. it makes no sense for him to leave. i think he is just doing this so the cavs front office doesn't get laid back.

i just don't see lebron actually leaving his hometown and currently best team in the league.

but bima i will disagree about ny's 2011 pick being potentially gold. ny is going to be a more talented team next year even if they don't get lebron or wade. they would likely panic and throw a max contract at joe johnson...who knows if atl will match. they would likely resign tmac. they would have lee. toss in gallo and chandler and thats not the worst team in world and very likely would be a playoff team.

granted, they could get absolutely no one but see the chances of them being less talented than they are now as pretty low.

 

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sport...ls-knicks-chicago-20100216-15,0,1290707.story

The Bulls and Knicks' competition stretched beyond the Bulls' 118-85 blowout victory Tuesday night, achieved without the services of Joakim Noah.

The teams also are in battle for Tracy McGrady's expiring $22 million contract.

League sources said the Bulls have offered Brad Miller, Tyrus Thomas and either Kirk Hinrich or John Salmons to the Rockets for McGrady, who has been granted a leave and is training in Chicago.

The Rockets have shown little interest in either Hinrich or Salmons and thus, sources said, the Bulls have tried to recruit a third team to get involved.

Like the Knicks, the Bulls are offering a draft pick to the Rockets in an attempt to get them to take on a long-term deal.

Some league sources believe the Bulls' offer is emerging as the front-runner as the 2 p.m. Thursday trade deadline looms.

Separately, as reported, the Knicks, Spurs and Nuggets have made bids for Thomas.

Because trading Thomas alone does nothing to this summer's salary-cap situation, the Bulls are seeking at least a draft pick along with expiring contracts in return for the fourth-year forward in those smaller deals.

That's why, at least for now, they're sitting on the Knicks' offer of Al Harrington for Thomas and Jerome James.

Sources indicated the Bulls and Lakers also have discussed Hinrich, although the Lakers are insisting Sasha Vujacic be included in any deal. Because the Bulls are seeking draft picks and expiring salaries, they won't take Vujacic and the $5.5 million he is owed next season.

Edit: I've had enough. Hopefully we get the NY deal, with unprotected picks tomorrow.

 

I would'nt mind Hinrich on our team, although his contract is ridiculous.

 

I think I like the Knicks trade better because of Jordan Hill's potential and the draft picks. Hill is insurance if Scola decides to leave.

As for the Bulls trade, I do like Thomas and Salmons. But it might be a little cluttered with Thomas, Scola, Landry, Hayes and Miller, all trying to get minutes.

 

and iggy + sammy would have been an EXTREMELY painful pill to swallow. it's just waaaay too much money to pay for a guy like iggy who isn't worth his contract and is a 3rd tier type player on a championship level team.

 

maybe there's another deal Morey is tryin to close...remember, we're gettin another PF both on the NY / Chi deal...one of our core or rotational players maybe on the way out.