From ESPN News Services (I have no idea what “ESPN News Services” means):
Jose Alvarado is declining his $4.5 million player option and intends to sign a new three-year, $14-plus million deal to return to the New York Knicks, sources told ESPN’s Shams Charania.
The guard was acquired from New Orleans during the season and had a player option for $4.5 million for next season.
“I’m Home,” Alvarado wrote on X, ending his post with a series of orange and blue hearts.
Excellent news.
I imagine that that means that his opening salary is roughly the same as $4.5 million, and MIGHT even be a BIT lower. That will give the Knicks currently about $10 million under the second apron. If they deal Kolek or Dadiet, that could free up a little more money. I doubt you’re getting Mitch back for $10 million, but Kolek is $2,296,271 and Dadiet is $2,983,680. If you dump both, that lets you get to get close enough to $15 million to maybe squeeze Mitch and two minimum players in there. Ian Begley says that the Knicks are currently trying to do just that (trade some guys to free up money for Mitch or Shamet).
We shall see!
In any event, good to see Alvarado back.
26 replies on “ESPN.com: Sources: Jose Alvarado returning to Knicks on new 3-year deal”
But it was an overpay!!!!!
I don’t get it. They got Alvarado for basically nothing, no? Someone said that they overpaid? I remember everyone being shocked at how little New Orleans got for a guy that they could have just re-signed with Bird rights.
I’m glad he’s back. He was a Knick before we traded for him. But I saw on ESPN that Dadiet is now listed at 6’9″, amd it got me thinkin. What are the chances that he finally takes a step? He ha great form as a shooter..and he’s 3-4 inches taller than Shamet. Can we develop him on the defensive side of the ball? I mean- in Thibs’ last season Shamet was just a competitor on defense. This past season, he turned into one of our better defenders. I trust Dadiet’s jumper, but if we can get him to be a little better on defense, I don’t think there’s gonna be much drop off if we put him in the Shamet role. And besides- we do have Nickel as a designated sniper. With Dadiet being at least 6’7.5″, we can live with the small 2nd team backcourt.
Won’t matter if we lose Mitch though
I actually would like to keep Kolek if we can.
He’s my favorite Nuyorican. Glad GTA is back.
I would like to bring the whole team back! But if it’s Mitch or Kolek, then I’ll have Kolek’s bags packed for him tomorrow.
Clearly neither Alvarado nor Diawara shopped around for the best offer. Maybe Mitch and Shamet will do the same.
Shams says the Celtics have asked for at least four first-round picks for Jaylen Brown.
In other words, at the moment, Mikal Bridges > Jaylen Brown.
Thank you and good night.
Shamet won’t. Journeyman effect. Mitch might. Championship team in a city that adores him
Shams:
We have roughly $11.5M left for 2 or 3 players. If we sign a minimum deal with one, we can offer ~$9M to Mitch or Shamet in year 1 (~$40M over 4yrs).
Alternatively, we can sign a TP-MLE for up to $6.1M.
We’ll probably reserve a slice of space to sign a 15th man on a minimum deal for the last few days of the season.
If we don’t bring back Shamet or Mitch, we probably have space to place Kayil or Nickel on a 2-way and sign a vet instead.
Kolek saves us money. We can’t salary dump Kolek.
It doesn’t work that way because we need to replace Kolek & Dadiet.
The 2yr vet minimum is projected at $2,450,000.
You save ~$500K from Dadiet
You’d lose ~$200K from moving Kolek
Not all first round picks are created equal and Knick’s first rounders are particularly bad. Also Mikal was on a great contract, unlike Brown.
Thanks, I didn’t realize that the minimum had gone up so much! Good for the players!
So, I don’t get it. There’s no way you’re getting Mitch to take a MAJOR pay cut, right? I get getting him to agree to SLIGHTLY less money, but from $15 million to less than $10 million?!
So how is this even a debate? It can’t be done.
Bringing back Mitch and staying under the apron is virtually impossible unless he takes like $8 million a year.
Even if we kept just our starting 5 and dumped everyone else the max we could offer would be like $10 million. Add $1 million per 2nd round pick contract we sign at the minimum and even if we signed 3 2nd round picks it would max out at like $13 million. And that would mean no McBride and no Jose and we just resigned Jose so that’s impossible anyway.
If Mitch signs for exactly what he made last year, no raise, we cannot keep him and stay under the 2nd apron while keeping the starters together. It is mathematically impossible.
Food for thought:
https://x.com/arifromanhattan/status/2070514020944167078?s=46
(1) It’s possible Mitch’s value has fallen given he had 2 dead seasons since his last contract started and the 2nd apron/lux tax has scared teams. Still, likely not enough to fit him at this point.
(2) We could trade one of the starters.
We could trade Deuce for a tiny contract like Vasilije Micic ($650k) and gain an extra 3 mil if we wanted to start Mitch at more like 12 mil. But then Deuce and Shamet are gone. Not ideal.
Unfortunately that’s not a real contract, it’s a stretch provision payment.
Lowest contract possible is the $1,358,084 rookie minimum. Most we can save by moving Deuce and finding another 2nd rd draft pick to sign is ~$2.6M.
Definitely doesn’t seem worth it either way. Looks like it’s Huk time.
Pels declined Kevon Looney’s team option. Brown has a long relationship with Looney. In the increasingly likely event that we lose Mitch, Looney seems like decent Huk insurance. Not a rim protecter but very good rebounder and passer and overall intelligent player with championship DNA who can probably eat minutes without killing the team. Great mentor for Huk. Seems like whatever downgrade there might be from Mitch to Huk/Looney would be worth the price to keep Shamet in the fold if Dolan doesn’t budge.
PG: Brunson, GTA, Kolek
SG: Mikal, Shamet, Deuce
SF: Hart, Dadiet
PF: OG, Mo
C: KAT, Huk, Looney
Use the TPMLE to fill in the 14th roster spot with a vet wing.
I love how when we win a championship, I’m like sure, stay under the apron so we can extend Brunson to a five year deal at 80 million a year.
Previous self: “that a a lot of money for an aging six foot guard”
The small market Thunder go $28M over the “suicidal” second apron with the Hartenstein contract.
Clay Bennett is big boy’ing James Dolan.
There won’t be an apron when Brunson gets that contract. This was an experimental CBA with a 5 year opt out, and I guarantee you the players are opting out of it.
Indeed, I dont think players like teams just signing 14 players and staying away from veteran players because their minimum contract is too much for them. However, I would say that aprons will stay, as Silver likes what he is seeing.
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