Latest scoop on Tyson Chandler, according to Frank Isola of the Daily News, is that he banged knees with Gerald Wallace, left the game on crutches and needs an MRI. Is it me, or is Tyson Chandler’s knee the most important knee in all of New York city? The Yankees are done, the Rangers aren’t [...]
(I promise: We’re going to talk about other stuff soon. Hang in there.)
We got the New York Knicks’ side of the decision not to match the offer sheet that Jeremy Lin signed with the Houston Rockets on Wednesday morning, thanks to tabloid beat man Frank Isola of the New York Daily News . Isola reported that the Knicks declined to bring back the restricted free-agent point guard, in part, because owner James Dolan felt “betrayed” and “deceived” by Lin agreeing to a restructured three-year, $25.1 million deal that would have been much more financially onerous for New York to equal than the four-year, $28.8 million sheet initially floated by the Rockets, which the Knicks said they would match.
Whether or not you think there’s any validity to the owner’s feelings — and, y’know, I don’t — that’s the spin coming out of Madison Square Garden. We didn’t bring the kid back because the kid’s a no-good traitor. Well, we got the no-good traitor’s side of the story on Wednesday afternoon, thanks to Pablo S. Torre of Sports Illustrated .
Shortly after the Knicks announced they wouldn’t match and Lin officially became a Rocket, Torre spoke with the 23-year-old point guard about where he is, how he got there and where he’d have liked to be: “Honestly, I preferred New York.”
Although approaching 40 years old, Grant Hill continues to be a hot commodity on this year’s free agent market. In a recent report by Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, Hill had a meeting with the New York Knicks so that he could be a solid option off of their bench.
However, an old rivalry has been reignited in free agency as according to John Gambadoro of Arizonasports.com, the veteran forward and former Duke Blue Devil is leaning towards signing with the Los Angeles Lakers after a joint pitch by star shooting guard Kobe Bryant and the newly acquired Steve Nash.
Hill may be approaching the big 4-0, but he has still managed to be effective in recent years despite losing some prime years with an ankle injury that just wouldn’t go away. He was a starter for the Phoenix Suns each of the past three years and was able to average 29.4 minutes per game over that stretch.
In terms of scoring, Hill also still had it in averaging 11.5 points per contest. Keep in mind, in each of his NBA seasons, he has averaged 10 points a game or better.
Most important of all, however, Hill can still be an absolute pest on defense. His steals have gone down but when it comes time for him to play some D, he is on his man like white on rice.
Seeing as how Metta World Peace has been a Grade-A bust at small forward since coming to Los Angeles, it is essential that Lakers GM Mitch Kupchak bring in Hill, at least as someone to come off the bench. Yes, he may be older, but his skill set is exactly what the Lakers need.
Remember who the small forward was on the Lakers championship squads of the Shaq-Kobe years? His name was Rick Fox and his skills in the prime of his career were almost identical to those of Hill today. He played great defense and if left wide open, was a lock to make a shot from long range.
Fox’s scoring wasn’t as effective as that of Hill, but that’s not the point. The fact of the matter is that Hill is still an absolute beast on defense, just what the Lakers need to get back to the NBA Finals. His experience playing with Nash is just an added bonus.
That all being said, Kupchak needs to break out the team’s checkbook and (and I know this sounds brash) have Hill name his price. If he can be everything he was last year and more for the Lakers, the championship ring will be worth whatever the team ends up paying in luxury tax.
The saying goes that defense wins championships, and in this case, Hill is the key to one.
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The New York Knicks’ recent trade for Raymond Felton seems to indicate that they will not be bringing back Jeremy Lin, but this decision would be disastrous for the organization.
Frank Isola of the New York Daily News first reported the trade via Twitter.
The Knicks have acquired Raymond Felton and Kurt Thomas from Portland for Jared Jeffries and Dan Gadzuric, sources tell the Daily News
— Frank Isola (@FisolaNYDN) July 15, 2012
ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith then reported that the Knicks will not match the Houston Rockets’ offer sheet for Lin, which is a three-year deal worth more than $25 million. The contract would reportedly pay Lin $5 million in year one, $5.225 million in year two and $14.8 million in year three.
That spike in the third year is apparently the Knicks’ main deterrent, as it would put them over the luxury tax and cost them around $30 million in 2014-15.
While that is a shocking amount of money for a largely unproven 23-year-old, I’m surprised the Knicks are concerned about the monetary aspects of this deal.
James Dolan is president and CEO of Cablevision, the company that owns the Knicks. According to HoopsHype, the company’s net worth is $494 million, and the current value of the Knicks is $780 million. Seems to me like a little venture into luxury tax territory wouldn’t exactly be devastating for Dolan and Co.
Also, you have to consider the money the Knicks could make because of Lin. Linsanity became a legitimate global phenomenon in February, after the previously unheralded Lin averaged 20.9 points and 8.4 assists per game during the month.
With his unique story, he appeals to so many people. There’s his Asian-American heritage, his Harvard education, his outspoken belief in Christianity and his classic American underdog tale. Throw in the fact that he was highly successful last season, and Lin is marketing gold.
Sure, he comes with a hefty price tag. But just think of all the jerseys sold, the television deals, the expansion of the Knicks’ brand in China and other Asian countries. If money is the issue in not re-signing Lin, I’m not really sure what the Knicks are thinking.
And really, money has to be the deciding factor here, because basketball-wise, Lin is clearly a better option than Felton.
First of all, Lin isn’t lazy, perpetually out of shape, and he’s never publicly blamed his head coach for his own terrible play like Felton. He’s also more than four years younger, and as Ryan Feldman of ESPN Stats & Info recently wrote, he’s much better than Felton in isolation and pick-and-roll sets offensively.
Lin is also a slightly better defender than Felton, and although we have a relatively small sample size when examining his play, he appears to have more upside.
Yes, Felton was successful in his previous one-year stint in New York. And yes, Lin’s contract is scary at first.
Still, Lin is the younger, better and more marketable player. By letting him go, the Knicks would be making a terrible mistake.
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Grant Hill broke down his his list of potential teams he would like to play for next season to three, says Frank Isola on Twitter.
Hill, 39, is the second oldest player in the NBA behind Kurt thomas. His teams of choice to play for next season are the New York Knicks, Miami Heat or Los Angeles Lakers. Isola has also said via Twitter that Hill recently met with the Knicks to discuss a potential role with the team.
Hill is obviously looking to be on a team considered to be championship contenders. The Knicks seem to be the frontrunners but the Lakers now have former Suns teammate Steve Nash. His wife Tamia prefers New York over Miami or Los Angeles.
The New York Knicks have received the Jeremy Lin offer sheet from the Houston Rockets, and while it seemed like a foregone conclusion owner James Dolan would match it only days ago, it turns out that the Knicks might have already found their point guard.
Raymond Felton will be returning to the Knicks after New York worked out a sign-and-trade with the Portland Trail Blazers, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.
The Knicks have acquired Raymond Felton and Kurt Thomas from Portland for Jared Jeffries and Dan Gadzuric, sources tell the Daily News
— Frank Isola (@FisolaNYDN) July 15, 2012
With the addition of Felton, and Jason Kidd already on the team, the Knicks have two point guards capable of carrying the load over the course of the season and certainly won’t be needing a third.
That leaves the still-unsigned Lin on the outside looking in with an impressive offer awaiting him in Houston. If the Knicks decline to match the offer, Linsanity will be taking its talents down South.
So how did the unthinkable happen?
Lin’s hardcore fans can thank the Rockets for that. Houston originally had an offer on the table that would pay Lin around $5 million the first two years of the deal followed by a substantial increase to around $9 million in year three, per Frank Isola of the New York Daily News.
However, per the same report, the Rockets decided to change that offer. Instead, Houston made an attempt to scare the Knicks away by raising its third-year figures for Lin’s contract to around $14 million and change.
That would have left New York paying a large sum of money to just a handful of players and forced the franchise to succumb to the league’s new collective bargaining agreement. The new CBA imposes a stiff luxury tax on big-spending teams.
But the Knicks had no desire to follow suit. Rather than take a long-term and expensive risk on an unproven point guard, the team chose to go with Felton instead. He will prove to be a cheaper and certainly less-risky undertaking.
Just like that, Linsanity in New York could be over. As quickly as Lin swept in to take this town off its feet last February, he’s being whisked away by the Rockets even faster.
Linsanity will move on and survive such a drastic change, but it will no longer continue to grow in New York and, more specifically, at Madison Square Garden. The time might have been short, but there’s no doubt both sides greatly benefited from this mutual relationship.
Despite that, Lin will always be left with the feelings of severed ties with the only NBA organization that would give him a chance. There will be nothing left to do but to prove the Knicks made a mistake in letting him go.
Lin has proven people wrong before. The Knicks could be the next team added to that list.
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The New York Knicks made a move Saturday to secure a point guard, although not the one everyone expected. The Knicks have picked up Raymond Felton via sign-and-trade from the Portland Trail Blazers for Jared Jeffries and Dan Gadzuric, as reported by Frank Isola of the NY Daily News. The Knicks also pick up veteran [...]
Jason Whitney
Could Chris Paul end up in a New York Knicks jersey after all? Two years ago at Carmelo Anthony’s wedding, Chris Paul proclaimed, Carmelo, Amar’e and himself would form their own big three. Well Knicks fans, you have received a glimmer of hope as Paul rejected an extension that would have kept him in Los Angeles for three more seasons.
“I know why I didn’t sign my extension,” Paul said on Sunday before the U.S. Olympic team practiced. “I’m going to play this season out and see what my options are.”
Now before Knicks fans jump to conclusions, it makes financial sense for Paul not to sign the extension, because he can receive a much larger contract at five years 108 million dollars if he waits until next summer.
According to the Frank Isola of the NYDailyNews:
Paul wouldn’t entirely rule out ending up in a Knicks uniform and neither would Anthony, who smiled when asked about Paul’s future prospects.
I’m not sure how the Knicks would be able to pull this off, but if Jeremy Lin grows from last year’s epic run, he could be the potential trade chip in a blockbuster Chris Paul sign and trade deal. The Knicks do have Iman Shumpert that a lot of teams would covet as well. First round picks would have to be included, in which the Knicks sorely lack, and wouldn’t be able to offer a first round pick until 2016.
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The Knicks can thank the Houston Rockets for forcing them to spend more money than they expected in order to bring back Jeremy Lin, but New York would be best set to let last season’s sensation go and chase former Knickerbocker Raymond Felton.
Felton has had a stellar career despite being bounced around from team to team, and he proved in his first tenure with New York that he’s capable of being a major contributor.
According to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, the Knicks are actually front-runners to land one of the top remaining free agents.
Knicks have emerged as favorites to sign Raymond Felton, the Daily News has learned.
— Frank Isola (@FisolaNYDN) July 5, 2012
Although Felton’s tenure with the Knicks was short-lived, he dazzled and enjoyed his best production ever. He was only on the squad through the first 54 games of the 2010-11 season, but he started every game and averaged 17.1 points and nine assists—both career highs.
He was then a major piece in the deal to land Carmelo Anthony in the Big Apple, and he suffered by having to leave instead of being a facilitator and weapon for one of the league’s top five scorers.
Lin showed last season that he’s capable of being a top option on a team, but that team isn’t located in New York. He’d be better set in a system where he can be a scorer first and a passer second, both things that last season’s biggest story is very good at.
Felton would be better on this Knicks team.
Felton’s arsenal of skills is similar to Lin’s, but he has a more polished, experienced game, with 479 career starts. Plus, the acquisition of Jason Kidd (per ESPN) should immensely help the next starting point guard, giving him a very comfortable workload since Kidd is still playing at a high level.
If New York matches Houston’s intense offer for Lin, they’d most likely have to spend more on the young, developing point guard. The Rockets’ offer to Lin is for $10.2 million for each of the first two seasons, and Felton is coming off making $7.9 million per year on a contract that shouldn’t need to be increased too much per-year.
Felton’s driving method will be more beneficial to the complete team that the Knicks suddenly have. Even though Lin would make them a complete team, Felton gives them the best chance to become a menacing power in an Eastern Conference that’s slowly becoming top-heavy.
Felton is one of the best economical decisions for his value in the entire league, and it just so happens that he’s readily available to join the Knicks.
The Knicks can be happy when they look back at their epic 2011-12 season. Lin’s success story was one of the biggest international story-lines of the year, and letting him go to Houston will spark his career more than remaining in New York would.
New York needs Felton’s experience if they’re going to become one of the best teams in the East and actually win a playoff series.
Read more New York Knicks news on BleacherReport.com
Raymond Felton was enjoying the best season of his career as a member of the New York Knicks two seasons ago before the team traded him in the blockbuster deal for Carmelo Anthony. Bringing him back would be a wise move.
Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reports the Knicks are the favorites to land Felton. The point guard’s market is likely to heat up quickly now that Steve Nash has joined the Los Angeles Lakers, which means the Knicks need to act fast.
Felton was averaging 17 points, nine assists and four rebounds before his trade to the Nuggets. The Knicks were giving him extended playing time—38 minutes per game—and he was rewarding them with terrific production.
You can blame the front office for trading him while his value was high, however. Players like Anthony don’t come around often, and when you have a chance to acquire one, it’s tough to pass up.
Now they have a chance to bring back one of the key pieces of that deal while still having Anthony on the squad. Felton really seemed to find a comfort zone in New York, where many players crumble another the pressure, and a return should provide another boost to his career.
The Knicks are still dealing with the Jeremy Lin situation. The Knicks are likely to match any offer sheet he’s given, especially since Nash is no longer on the market as an option, but nothing is official at this point.
Felton would provide the team with a little breathing room to make the Lin situation far less tense. If last year’s breakout star does return, they would form a nice tandem at the point.
It’s also important to remember there’s no guarantee Lin will be able to replicate his success from last season. He’s coming off knee surgery and those can sap some quickness if not fully healed, and that’s a big part of Lin’s game.
Adding a reliable option like Felton to protect themselves would be the right move. If Lin continues to improve and Felton has to come off the bench, it would still be a nice addition. So it’s really a win-win scenario for the Knicks.
They already have a strong base in Anthony, Amar’e Stoudemire and Tyson Chandler. Adding more depth is the key, and starting on the perimeter is the way to go. That’s why it’s good to see the Knicks so active in free agency.
Felton wouldn’t be the answer to all of the team’s problems, but he would be another step in the right direction. And he isn’t going to find a better landing spot than New York.
It’s a great match.
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