Wows!
Knick return:
- Smith Jr. who the team wanted to ditch, was semi-exiled for 2 weeks.
- DeAndrethe Giant, who the team complained was dogging it early season. There was even minor talk of a buyout.
- Wes' ending contract.
Dallas with the Sell Low trade win.
Sure Tim is overpaid and so is Courtly, but it took KZ to move them?!? You move KZ and get very little back?!?
There wasn't a better deal out there?
For DAL, right now Burke is better than Smith Jr.
Wes could prove useful if you can re-sign him in the $6M-$8M range. Need some vets and he can be a solid reasonably 2-way wing. Otherwise it's just Trier-Datsun-Franco.
No idea on DeAtheG for NYK.
Really this whole fiasco makes me think we should have kept Noah and ditched him in this mess. He's an extra $6M clogging up next and nextnext year. I guess we used the roster spot well, but still ...
Those 1st round picks are a ways out. And unless KZ gets injured, DAL should be a good team and the picks around 20 or wherever.
Was KZ really going to risk injury and play on a $7.5M one year contract? Doubt it muchly. You re-sign him to a big deal with the understanding that you'll try to move him to a good team if he's unhappy with the direction of the team. I think once he was back and it was His Team again, with the depth we have, and an added FA, and a high pick, things would have gone fine.
KZ was the FA lure. Now you have to get a FA tandem, because nobody wants to come to play with Knox and Smith Jr.
Maybe Knix were worried KZ would get injured again. that's all I can see possible. Otherwise it's a complete muck up.
How did we get little back, bo?
We dumped THJ's awful contract and inefficient shooting, plus unload Lee's making us one of 3 players for 2 max FA's this summer (Clips & Nets), and got 2 #1 picks, plus a youngin some fans wanted badly over Frank and whined all last season about, and does have potential at 21.
You should listen to that Nate Duncan pod I posted. They really favor the Knicks in the trade, even though its a risk for them too, and think the Mavs are taking a huge gamble.
KP made this happen through his poor attitude over the past few seasons about being here, although blame does need to be placed on Phil at a minimum.
We are trying to build a team the right way (FINALLY) and his bloated ego and injury prone self (let's be real here, he's never played a full 82 games and has missed more games each season since he was drafted - 72, 66, 48, 0). With his size there are major?s about that as this could be a problem. His brother, who I think is also part of the problem, hinting KP could do things to become an UFA, possibly leaving the Knicks...for nothing. He's not playing on the court, so of course we're trash, so not sure what he expected, and we clearly wanted to sign at least 1 FA this summer.
Yet, that could be too much of an unknown for KD, Kyrie, etc. even as much of a once in a lifetime talent he is.
We reportedly were looking at other teams interested in him, but none could offer the kind of player you'd get in return for his value, or would take on THJ's and Lee's contracts, plus give us 2 #1's and a young talent. If KP was playing and showing who we know he can be, then I hear you, but his value is lower because of this. That pod I referred to, actually said this deal makes more sense if KP was fit, so they actually have the opposite POV.
It may not all work, but I don't think this is the same as when Donnie did things wrong in 2010. The big ? is if we whiff how will we play it. I don't think we will just sign mediocre FA's, but hold the fort with all of the assets we have and maintain PATIENCE.