Suddenly, starting to make a bit more sense.
Leon Rose's significant hires/additions to the front office, including a one year deal for Scott Perry and the addition of World Wide Wes....
Brock Aller was hired as vice president of basketball and strategic planning, Walt Perrin is the assistant general manager for college scouting and Frank Zanin the assistant general manager for pro scouting.
Aller spent seven seasons with the Cleveland Cavaliers, the last three as senior director of basketball operations. Perrin had been with the Utah Jazz for 19 seasons, including the final 12 as vice president of player personnel. Zanin is a former assistant general manager for the Brooklyn Nets and had most recently worked as Oklahoma City's pro scout for three years.
If you look at Walt Perrin's track record as far as personnel moves and draft picks for the Utah Jazz, it has been pretty stellar. So if he AND Thibs signed off on Toppin when we had a shot at DA, well, it doth give one pause.
And again, the Jazz connection notwithstanding, $5 and $6 million might seem a touch dear for role players, but on one year deals, they will be happy, and we do not strap on any long term commitments.
Plus, THEY KNOW THEY ARE ROLE PLAYERS.
I really wanted Portis back, and at $4 million it would've made sense, but even before the Davis trade, he would be behind Mitchell at center, and well behind Randle and Toppin at the 4, and one has to believe that was an issue for him last year.
Portis will still be behind Lopez and Giannis on the Bucks, but his three point range fits with Lopez's at the 5, and that is not yet an area of consistency for the Greek, although it is sure coming on. Oh, and Robin Lopez just left the Bucks for the Wizards, so a nice pickup for the Bucks.
Portis will be seeing at least 20-25 a night on a contender, with a chance to get a fatter contract next summer.
Meanwhile, the Heat let Crowder walk to the Suns 3 years at 30 million, but picked up Avery Bradley. GREAT PICKUP. Team option second year. Two Years at $11.56
Ah, but the Knicks could've picked him up for that money.
TRUE
But then we would've had the same log jam connundrum in front of Dennis and Frank as with Burke, Mudiay and Payton.
The thinking seems to be to shadow them with better shooters, such as Burke and Quickley. Also, Burke and Quckley and Barrett can all shoulder some situational minutes at the point, and then there is Jared Harper.
There seems a certain logic in going after KCP. He would COST, but not Hayward money. LIkewise, we could do a 1 + 1 or a 2 + 1 a la Randle, front load more money, and give a team option for the second or third season. If he likes the money and the flex, so both sides can get to know each other and maintain flex.
PS: There would seem to be flex in arranging all of these numbers to bring back Taj Gibson at numbers commensurate with what the Sixers gave Dwight Howard.
PS: COME ON KNICKS, STOP MAKING SENSE.