I think Philly is going to use their space to re-sign Andre Igudala…

I guess I forgot about Charlotte, but most of this cap space will be used up by re-signing guys… it doesn’t count the big contracts for Josh Smith & Childress, or Deng or Gordon, or Okafor… I guess some of those teams might let their guys walk away, but it’s a big risk… what if none of the name FAs opt out? Guessing there could be lots of back-alley dealings and secret handshake promises, just before the opt-out window.

yeah, sort of weird…

but we’ve just been awful everywhere. last in the league in defensive efficiency, 26th in offense.. phew.

Q is probably the biggest reason, being as bad as he is for 30 minutes a game, but it’s really across the board. Curry, Crawford & Lee are the only guys playing near the level they did last year (for better or worse).

Agreed… BUT

“I think the Knicks cap issue is of the utmost importance… Before the Knicks start thinking they are too good for some of these trades, they ought to think again… If losing Crawford for an inferior player that has an expiring contract is the cost, so be it.”

My point is that dumping Crawford now doesn’t help anything, unless we can dump another 3 or 4 guys, too. It doesn’t matter if we’re $40 million over the cap rather than $50 million. As we approach summer 2010, it gets more urgent, but we can give it time, let other teams get desperate enough to offer draft picks or players with SOME value.

Not to mention, Crawford and our other deadweight will appreciate in value, if only because they become more like short-term rentals rather than long-term albatrosses.

“there aren?t many major players entering free agency next June…”

You’re probably right, since no one is in position to offer $$, but if anyone had cap room, there are a ton of stars who would opt out – Elton Brand, Gil Arenas, Shawn Marion just to name 3 off the top of my head… plus all the guys who didn’t sign extensions, like Deng & Okafor and my fave, Josh Smith.

Owen, I know you’re a huge Hibbert fan but I don’t think he’s a top-of-the lottery prospect.. I see an upside more like Brad Miller.

And re: LeBron, it’s a mistake to put all your eggs in one basket. If he wants to come to NYC he’s just as likely to sign with his pal Jay-Z and open the new arena in Brooklyn. (I just read that because of construction delays, it won’t open until, ta-da, fall of 2010).

BUT it doesn’t matter… there will be other great players available that summer. Dwyane Wade, f’rinstance.

What the Knicks really need is a front man rotation of Lee, Curry, Randolph and Jeffries. Curry and Randolph should never be on the floor together. Lee should start with Randolph. Curry comes in when Randolph needs a blow. Jeffries comes in when Lee needs a blow ( no more than 8 minutes a game because Lee should play no fewer than 34 minutes per game).

Lee makes the engine run because he covers the weak points of both Curry’s and Randolph’s games. We all know Curry struggles on defense and rebounds. Lee fixes this problem. W

e see that Randolph struggles when he must consistently catch the ball on the high post (Randolph likes to vary his moves between low post moves, drive across the lane, and face up shooting0. With Curry on the bench Randolph has more room to operate and his offensive game improves. Randolph is not a great or willing passer. Lee is a good passer and will help overall ball movement.

I am being overly negative. We could improve through the draft. That is usually how it happens actually. If we pick up Hibbert or Rose, and either turn out to be the real deal, I would have real reason to be optimistic about 07-08.

I hope it’s Hibbert. Another Georgetown big has sentimental appeal to me, and I think that’s where we need the most help.

Even if it’s only a 50% chance, it’s still a better shot at building a winner than doing it the Isiah Thomas way.

Besides, Duncan isn’t a self-marketing materialistic egomaniac, and even if he were, New Jersey doesn’t quite fulfill that in a guy the way New York does…

LeBron to NY is a bit different, if only because he wears a Yankee hat at every opportunity, including to a ALDS game in Cleveland.

we’re grasping at straws, but really what else do we have at this point?

I believe the Sixers are the only team in the league that actually has cap space this summer if they do nothing? so scratch that one off the list.”

The only teams that would trade expiring contracts for long term deals are those that have a) surprised themselves with strong starts and have the illusion of a legit shot of contending this year; b) teams with slow starts that fancied themselves contenders; c) teams on the cusp of contending; d) teams that have a very small window for success; and e) teams with bad GMs.

These teams would be: a) Orlando, LA Lakers, New Orleans, Washington; b) Houston, Chicago, Cleveland, New Jersey, Dallas; c) Golden State, Utah, d) Cleveland, Denver, Boston, LA Lakers, Phoenix; e) New York.

Because of the fact that we don’t have much substance in our fire sale, and the market is small, there sadly isn’t much to Frank O.’s (and mine!) desire to cut and run.

And as for teams under the cap next summer, I think Charlotte stands to be about $25 million under, Chicago has committed abut $20 million less than the cap allows, Philadelphia will be about $16 million under, Atlanta $14 million, and Golden State will be $8 under.

The teams that will be $0-5 million under are Washington (post Arenas opt out), Miami, LA Clips, Utah, Sea, SA, Orl, Tor, and Minn.

The teams that will be over are: NY, Cle, Por, Bos, Dal, Phx, Det, Hou, Ind, LAL, Mil, NJ, NO, Sac, and Memphis.

Miami has $23 million in expiring contracts; Minnesota has $20 million; Golden State has $18 million; Chicago has $16 million; Washington has $16 million; San Antonio has $16 million(!); Charlotte has $16 million; Orlando has $14 million.

This is the landscape of the league until next summer. Obviously, the Knicks can’t compete with these teams because all of them have assets more valuable than anything the Knicks can offer.

The good news is, there aren’t many major players entering free agency next June, so the Knicks have a picked a good year to be rediculously capped out.

That said, Kwame’s expiring contract is actually less valuable (especially to the Knicks) as a contract like Wally Szczerbiak’s, Raef LaFrenz, Mike Bibby’s, or Stephon Marbury’s.

Now is not the time for a fire sale. Wait until the deadline, and more importantly, the trade deadline NEXT season.