The Matrix, reloaded?
Let's jump into the speculation pool, now that the water is warm.....
Shawn Marion will pick up his $17.8 million option for next season with the Miami Heat, but there is already speculation that Marion will now be shopped. The Heat will likely have some viable options to consider, including the Los Angeles Clippers (Elton Brand) or Lakers (Lamar Odom) as potential trade partners.
But what about reuniting him with Mike D'Antoni in New York?
We've heard enough about how much the Heat love O.J. Mayo. If the Knicks could somehow get one of those picks from either Minnesota or Memphis, they could select Mayo and package him with, say, Stephon Marbury's expiring contract, for Marion and whatever else makes the deal work money-wise.
Marion would give the Knicks an all-star player who knows the D'Antoni system well and has thrived in it. His presence makes the Knick roster a little more attractive going forward and it will matter a great deal in 2010 -- the Summer of LeBron -- to have players King James would want to run with.
Just bloggin....
* - I don't like the idea of trading a David Lee at this early stage of his career because I think you build with guys like Lee on your team. But it is hard to turn down the opportunity to have consecutive picks that high in the lottery, especially when it could give you some tantalizing options. If this trade does not come to fruition -- and it's hardly a given, considering that it's contingent on whether or not Kevin Love will be available for Memphis -- Lee will be stung to have heard his name linked to trade talks. Part of the biz, yeah, but when there's a new regime in place, you want to feel like you're viewed as part of the future, not as trade bait.
* - It's difficult to figure out where Danilo Gallinari is positioned on the Knicks draft board. A lot of the early media hype -- the Italian connection with D'Antoni was too convenient -- led to the speculation that he was a Knicks target. Walsh did come away impressed with Gallinari, but I've heard he's not at the top of their list. Talk that the Nets gave him a guarantee at No. 10 is completely false, I've been told.
* - Joe Alexander is an interesting player to keep an eye on in this draft class. He seems to be on a collision course with Scott Skiles and Milwaukee at No. 8. The fact that he speaks Mandarin should be appealing to Yi Jianlian. It might piss off Andrew Bogut, though.
* - Baron Davis is mulling his options with his $17.8 million opt-out with the Warriors, but he'll likely follow the Marion route and take the money and play it out. There has been some backchannel explorations by Davis' camp to gauge open-market interest and, as we reported last month, New York was one destination of choice. The Knicks, however, aren't interested.
* - Golden State might also have to deal with Monta Ellis, who becomes a restricted free agent on July 1. Watch for a potential situation involving the Memphis Grizzlies, who need to find a replacement for the departed Juan Carlos Navarro.
* - I'll be in midtown on Wednesday afternoon for the NBA draft player availability. Check here later in the day (or night) for fresh stuff. And be sure to get here early on Thursday because I'll be doing a LIVE CHAT starting at noon on draft day to answer all of your Knicks/NBA Draft-related questions. And maybe even a hockey question or two.
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Comments (16)
Trade for Marion? Alan, that would put the Knicks squarely on the pay-way-too-much-for-player-on-downside bandwagon that we are hoping to get off of. And by the way, Marion was not happy with playing in D'Antoni's system over the past few years. And on top of that, he wants a huge extension. Finally, you add that we should acquire a young potential star in Mayo and trade him for Marion?
No way!
Russell Westbrook is the pick Alan.
Mayo for Marion? No way.
You're scaring me.
Marion would be a serious upgrade at the small forward spot but resigning him does go against everything the Knicks are trying to do... I think that the surprise player that Walsh is looking at, is Tracy McGrady... He has two years left on his contract and he has never gotten out of the 1st round in Houston... The Knicks could combine Marburys contract wit a Lee or other talent to get him... That would give us a bonafide star, Houston also knows there window of opportunity to even make the playoffs is closing with the Warriors and Blazers getting better... The problem is his back issues tho....
And as far as Lee Alan he has to go, mainly because resiging him will be too costly for a role player, he isnt gonna be Carlos Boozer, get rid of Lee while you can... I like him but he is nearing his ceiling as a player, his potential is not vast... His stock is as high as its gonna get under his rookie contract, after that (at 9mil)he becomes an overpaid player who cant shoot or play D...
I'd trade Lee for the #5 only if it were to be packaged with the #6 or whatever else to move up to 3 and grab Mayo. He's my favorite player on this team but he's far from untouchable... nobody on this team is.
Shawn marion?
Hell to the N.O.
let me get this right
we gonna trade two top 10 picks for the rights to
Shawn "over paid" Marion
Come on Alan that is just plain Stupid.
plus he wants a huge extension
if the knicks did that i would lose all hope for the future.
Alan,
The Just Bloggin covers it! The Matrix in NY would be viable
if we could "unload" Zach Randolph! That way it would not
really negate our future of being Cap overloaded! Such a deal would have to include the Heat also giving up a means of us getting a PG for the future...be it Miami give up a future draft pick
or second rounder this year so we may have a sleeper option
to find a PG.( The Heat have # 22 in the second round.)
If we were Lucky enough to have Mayo in our hands ....then
we could also ask for Miami's #1 draft pick next year. Highly unlikely but anything can happen in this years draft/trade senarios!
JUST BLOGGIN........
With the draft and Summer league about to start...the Knicks have no choice but to reveal Wilson Chandler's condition...and it's not too good from what I've heard.
Finally ....I'm praying that on Draft night.....Stern announces
that Marbury is headed to the Lakers.....for anybody....just as long as he no longer wears a Knick uniform!
From the Sac Bee today:
Yet it's the No. 7 Clippers pick that could very well play a part in Udrih's fate. The Clippers aren't expected to exercise the team option on point guard Shaun Livingston and are believed to have strong interest in Udrih. What's more, they have the salary cap room with which to pay more than the midlevel. If, that is, their lucky No. 7 doesn't yield a badly-needed starter up top. New York and new coach Mike D'Antoni are also expected to pursue Udrih, although the Knicks can only offer the midlevel as well.
What the ???? Why would the knicks want Udrih????????
Everyones CLUELESS!
Trading for Shawn Marion is an Isiah Thomas/Scott Layden type of move. I'm so sick of trading for these veteran players with insane contracts. Marion is not getting the Knicks into the Playoffs. He is not Kevin Garnett. I can't believe you want to trade a young pontential Star like O.J. Mayo and Stephon Marbury's expiring contract for him. Are you crazy?!?!
And you also do not want to trade a backup PF for the 5th pick in the Draft? Sorry to break some hearts but David Lee is a 10/8 overrated bench player on one of the worst teams in the league. I never understood why people like him so much. He's not that good.
I honestly believe if Donnie Walsh REALLY wants O.J. Mayo, he can get him. Kevin McHale is a dumb GM. Offer the 6th pick, David Lee and Malik Rose's expiring contract for the 3rd pick and a bad contract like Marko Jaric. At 6, McHale can get a player he really likes in Brook Lopez or Kevin Love.
Walsh and Mike D'Antoni should not panic with taking a PG in this Draft. Besides Derrick Rose, there isn't a PG worth drafting. Jerryd Bayless is a terrible play maker and the second coming of Stephon Marbury and Steve Francis. Eric Gordon has no PG skills. I'm not too sure about Russell Westbrook. I've watched a ton of UCLA games the last few days and he doesn't seem like a natural PG. If Waltoni really wants a PG, you take D.J. Augustin.
With Augustin and Mayo, you have your future backcourt set for the next 8 to 10 years.
Any Marion trade would be a disaster.
Co-sign Sergio, except on Augustin. He's too small, especially at the six pick. Its not like he's a great scorer like AI or Nelson or Paul. I think he is the career backup. I like were you are going though with the PG in the Steve Nash mold for D'Antoni but I would only take D.J. if we traded down.
Sergio - How can you be so excited about trading an energetic, rebounding specialist like David Lee for an unknown? He's athletic, intelligent, and motivated. (That's why he called Nash immediately upon learning that D'Antoni was the next coach) Why do you think so many teams are interested in him? If not a future all star, he could be a sixth man of the year candidate. We had better get more than a fifth pick!
Alan, I wouldn't want to DLee either. Hell you've got to have somebody "REBOUND THE DAM BALL"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Alan, I wouldn't want to trade DLee either. Hell you've got to have somebody "REBOUND THE DAM BALL"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Guys,
The problem with Lee is not Lee. It's that whoever he plays for is going to have to resign him for several years at 7M-8M per year after this year.
The Knicks are trying to get under the cap. So they have to ask themselves is Lee worth 7M-8M or are they better off with a #5 pick they can pay peanuts to for a few years and who could actually turn out to be equal or better than Lee in 2 years or so.
In addition, you have to consider that having the #5 AND #6 gives them the option to draft 2 players (which improves the chances they get at least one star), trade up to get a player more likely to be a star, trade one pick down for 2 picks and get 3 players, trade the pick as part of a deal to get rid of a bad contract but still get a good player etc... That flexibility greatly increases the deal possibilities elsewhere.
@Alan - I like David Lee. But him for a lottery pick is too great for a non-shooting and average second round pick from 2005. I'm with a trade for him with Mephis. He is not going to get better. Now, I can argue that a lot more needs to go not just him with this team. But he has the most trade value than any Knick. My picks are Westbrook at 5 and Alexander at 6. Marion looks good but it cant cost us too much.