When I said the Knicks could trade for one or the other, I meant straight-up for cap space should they fail to use their cap space more productively in free agency.

Ironically, Curry literally played 12 minutes TOTAL in 08-09. You just can’t count on anything from him.

The most realistic way I see Orlando looking to dump both is if they sign Shaq (or another good 5), and even then they might be able to ditch one or both without taking back an expiring (say Bass to NJ). Otherwise Ryan Anderson is their back-up 5. He played exclusively at the 4 for them and a frontcourt of him and Lewis could be easily abused whenever Howard is resting, in foul trouble, or misses a few games… and there is zero depth behind Anderson at this time. Gortat is pretty key for them, and has become their 7th man in the playoffs. Anderson had a terrific season, but has dissappeared in the playoffs. Looks like Bass is the odd man out at this time. Theoretically he provides a change of pace at PF from “stretch 4s” Lewis and Anderson but SVG doesn’t seem to be using him. He only makes $4 mill, so I don’t think they’ll have a problem moving him.

Don’t forget, they’d have Eddy Curry up front too! (Seriously, 12 minutes a game backing up Howard might be the only role actually suited for Eddy Curry these days).

And, like with the Spurs, I have no idea what Orlando’s true wants and needs are. But they are going to be a luxury tax team for the next 4 years if they don’t trim some fat and they have over $50,000,000 committed to their bench players. Trading Curry for Gortat and Bass would save them $30,000,000 long term, and the Magic could certainly live without both of them. (They both played 13 min/game, but Bass’s were only in 50 games this year, and as the season progressed he played less and less (9 minutes total in the playoffs so far)).

But they would both have to be included, unless Orlando wanted to include Petrius instead, or sign and trade either Redick, Johnson, Williams, or Foyle to match up with Curry’s contract.

Yeah, that could definitely work. Very creative idea.

I don’t know if the Magic will want to give those guys away or not. It’s certainly possible, although, I doubt they’d get rid of both. That would leave them quite thin in the frontcourt with only Howard, Lewis, and Ryan Anderson (who has missed 15-20 games both his NBA seasons). I think they would keep at least one for frontcourt depth. They played a combined 26 mpg, which is one solid rotation spot. They don’t need both by any means, but if they win the title they might just keep both. It’s not like either costs that much and they’re both locked in for a while. It’s another interesting option for the Curry deal or just straight-up cap space, though.

I think a three way trade would be allowed off a sign-and-trade, but I have no idea.

Your scenarios do make me even more optimistic that the Knicks can put together a decent team whether they land a big free agent or not. I don’t know specifically who will be available, but teams will likely make people available in trades.

“If the Knicks manage Bosh/Amare/Boozer and no other FAs, they should definitely explore this and other Lee s&t options… provided Lee is interested in going to a capped out team.”

If LeBron decides not to come to NY, but the Knicks sign either Bosh, Boozer, or Amar’e, it may not be such a bad move for NY and SA to sign-and-trade Lee for Parker AND Jefferson. It could save the Spurs over $15,000,000 next year, and would give NY 2 starters while still maintaining 2011 cap space. (If the spurs are worried about their back court depth they could include Sergio in the sign-and-trade too). The math is a little tight with regard to the cap, but it could feasibly work.

(It would actually work better if the Knicks first traded Curry (and Rodriguez) to the Magic for Gortat and Bass, saving $4,000,000 toward the cap next year AND filling two roster spots at the same time. Then they could absorb Parker and Jefferson for Lee and still have cap space to spend in 2011. Not sure if three team deals including sign-and-trades are legal, but there must be some way to get Rodriguez from the Magic to the Spurs exploiting some loophole).

If this scenario went down the 2010 lineup would look like:

PG Parker
SG Chandler
SF Gallinari
PF Bosh/Boozer/Amar’e
C Gortat

Bench: Jefferson, Bass, Douglas, Walker, Barron, 2nd rounder, 2nd rounder.

It would also leave the Knicks with $40,000,000 in committed salary entering the summer of 2011, probably enough for a max contract, depending on where the cap falls.

- Roster balance and backcourt depth
- Cap concerns
-Having at least one “true PG” on the roster
-Does Lee want to go there

If the Knicks manage Bosh/Amare/Boozer and no other FAs, they should definitely explore this and other Lee s&t options… provided Lee is interested in going to a capped out team. If they sign Bosh/Amare/Boozer + Joe Johnson I’m not sure they’d have the cap space to bring in Parker and his 13.5 mill salary. They would have to sign the PF and Johnson for, what, a combined $20 mill? Since Bosh is looking for a deal starting at 16 mill or something Joe Johnson would have to take 4 mill…

Their frontcourt depth depends a lot on Tiago Splitter. Splitter was a lottery talent and is one of the best players in Europe (MVP of Spanish league this season). He fell in the draft becuase teams knew he wouldn’t come over right away, and he hasn’t. There’s reason to believe he will never come over (i.e. having to take a rookie scale salary… Spurs could renounce his draft rights and then try to sign him, but he’d be free to sign with any NBA team and as reigning ACB MVP he’d have suitors). A friend of mine who is a scout has been telling me for a year that Tiago is coming over this offseason.
I don’t know of any 82games.com type source for Europe, but Splitter has a Lee like ability to get to the basket and finish. He’s also developed a post game since Scola came to the NBA (they were teammates, and Scola was the veteran and featured offensive player). Good defender, though his shot blocking has never developed quite the way people expected. Good passer. Given how well Marc Gasol has transitioned to the NBA (along with Scola), I have no reason to expect Splitter won’t be a quality NBA starter.

McDyess is a good defensive player and rebounder depsite his offensive struggles. He really fell off a cliff this season, but it was because his jumper wasn’t falling. That isn’t usually something associated with age or athleticism (he actually shot a better eFG% on inside shots this season than last and his shot distribution inside/outside was about the same last season and this season). Since it was his jumper and TOs that most suffered last season and he’s still a good defender at 35 years old, I’m optimistic he can bounce back even if he is on the decline physically.

There should be a market for Bonner, but they can bring him back if they really want to. There’s also Mahinmi, but I assume he’s gone and they don’t really care.

Lee may not want to play for the Spurs because they play in San Antonio. A lot of people like San Antonio. Personally, though, if the money was the same there are a lot of places with NBA teams I–also a single guy in my 20s–would rather live than San Antonio, Texas. In a couple of years it’s also not so obvious that SA will be a contender, as Duncan and Ginobili–their two best players–decline.

Maybe the Spurs don’t have as much use for Lee as some other teams do, but their well loaded front court is really just the aging Duncan, the aging McDyess, and the inexperienced, undersized, knee-less Blair. Matt Bonner is a FA, and McDyess didn’t seem hugely effective this year (12.2 per, .492% TS). Replace the two of them with the younger, better Lee and then let McDyess and Blair come off the bench next year and they would be improved, short and long term. (They obviously wouldn’t trade Parker if they didn’t think Hill was ready to be the starting PG (certainly no one would trade a better PG than Parker for Parker)). The one thing we know about the Spurs is they are great at getting good players that other teams seemingly ignore, and then winning a lot with them.

And if the money is basically the same, why wouldn’t Lee want to play in San Antonio, where they have great players, a great coach, a great front office, and are a 50 win, title contending team every year?

stratomatic,

Jackson has managed to win, though, both with a team with zero inside scoring, a team with it’s primary scorer inside, and a team with two very good scoring options inside. It’s a bad example because Jackson has had such incredible talent to work with, but his system has adapted to fit very different rotations across entirely different eras. He hasn’t simply said get me MJ, Pippen, and Grant… Shaq? No he doesn’t fit any of those 3 molds. Gasol? No way, go back to Spain. Bynum? I told you with that Shaq guy I don’t like good centers. If going from MJ-Pippen to Shaq wasn’t a major change, I don’t know what is.

Pops has also won titles with 90% different teams… the one constant being Duncan. He’s had Avery Johnson and Tony Parker at PG. Stephen Jackson and Manu at SG. Elliot and Bowen at the 3. A HOFer and crap at C. (I know that’s 80% different, but the whole rotation not just starters.) They’ve won throughout. It’s mostly because they’ve had tons of talent either way, but Pops has bent his system as well as molding the players to fit it.

What I’m saying is that you can have your system, but if your system prohibits you from getting the best talent it has to go. That’s one of the reasons why coaches are so expendable in the NBA. I agree that Walshtoni are at a point where they have to make a move. They’ve mortgaged the past two seasons and the future of the franchise to make a move (or several) this offseason. If the Knicks go with a lesser player because he fits the system I’ll have a hard time being a Knicks fan going forward.

I’m also trying to say that the Knicks cannot simply rebuild the Suns… they need to be a little creative in integrating players into their team. Any offensive minded NBA coach can win with Steve Nash and Amare as a starting point (and no Old Shaq). With all due respect to Alvin Gentry, he’s proving that point.
Along with spacing the floor, having three guys (Bell, Barbosa, and Nash in 06-07) who take 65% of your 3s and all shoot over 40% helps you win because… you know… each of those makes counts as 3 points for your team. That’s true regardless of your system. 40% 3pt shooting is always valuable and it’s always going to be a weakness if a PG can’t shoot, but production wins in the NBA. Not systems.

Walsh came out and said that he wished he took Jennings. So I don’t think it’s that he didn’t feel Jennings fit D’Antoni’s system, but that he didn’t think Jennings was as good a prospect as Hill.