Basically right now the 2010 team will look like:

Chandler
Curry
Douglas
Gallinari
Hill
Jeffries
Max Free Agent
Free Agent (Getting about $5.5million less than Max. Getting rid of Jeffries turns this into a Max Free Agent)
MLE
League Minimum
League Minimum
League Minimum


They could let Chandler's option go if they think they can get a better player for 1yr/$2.1 million. It'll depend how his season goes this year. They'd have to throw him in a trade with Curry or Jeffries to pull that off though.

I'm not sure what Sessions would do to this, but Nate/Lee wouldn't change anything as they'll only sign them to one-year deals.

We can go over the cap to re-sign Lee, Duhon, and Nate in 2010, right? If we sign seesions to ~$4.1mil, that can give us:

PG: Sessions, Duhon
SG: Nate, Douglas
SF:Chandler, Gallinari
PF: Lee, Jeffries
C: Hill, Curry

+ Max contract player
+ MLE/biannual exception player

They probably aren't sure that Lee is better than the second tier FA they can get if they don't resign him. There's also no chance they'll go over the cap to bring Duhon back.

So jeffries curry and two max guys ...
TheN a MLE
the Nate and dlee as veteran exception
Chandler / gallinari
rookie exception
league minimums

I'm not a salary cap expert. But why would it matter if they signed a max contract and a second tier FA, THEN re-signed Lee using the Bird exception?

We don't have enough money for Curry($11m) + Jeffries ($7m) + 2 max contracts (~$37m)

Chandler and Gallinari are already signed through the 2010 season, so we can't use any exceptions on them.

We also don't have a 1st Rd pick next year

No, these two things are mutually exclusive. They have to get rid of Jeffries or Curry in order to get the second max guy

Yes

This is no guarantee. They might not even bring them back this year. Just because they can use an exception on these guys and go over the cap, doesn't mean they will.

99% likely, unless Chandler sucks this year for some reason and they decline his option and use his $2mil elsewhere

Nope, they don't have a first-round pick in 2010, thank Isiah.

Yepp, a bunch of them, and they won't be good.

This would likely put them into luxury tax threshold. Not sure how well the Dolan's are doing, but in this economy it's not a given that they'd be willing to do this. Going over the cap just because you can (i.e. Allan Houston) isn't always a good thing. It locks your team up and if things don't work out (i.e. Grant Hill/T-Mac on Orlando), you're screwed for a while.

I'd love to see 2-Max's AND DLee, but I don't think that'd be the betting favorite to happen.

i miss allan

Considering Dolan's past, I doubt money is an object for him in terms of making his teams better. He bought Douglas from the Lakers, and spent decent money on some free agents for the Rangers this summer.

There's no way a replacement player (probably a min-contract player) will bring the value DLee does.

Also, DLee is my favorite player, and I don't want to see him go.

If they don't sign Lee it's because they'll be getting the second max (or near max) FA, not a replacement player.

This is encouraging, I didn't know that.

Why is signing a 2nd max player and using the Bird exception on DLee mutually exclusive?

The only way we can get a 2nd max player in the 1st place is if we get rid of Jeffries/Curry. That means we have at least 4 roster spots to fill with no soft cap space. Is there some restriction on the salary cap exceptions I'm not aware of?

two reasons:

1. You're a lot more optimistic that they're willing to hit the luxury tax than I am. There hasn't been an owner in sports from Steinbrenner to Cuban that has looked immune to the poor economy. It's not that they can't do what you're suggesting, it's that I think they wont.

2. Being over the cap for a few years is as bad thing. While they can go over the cap this year because of the Bird rights, it makes it impossible for them to sign anyone else after that. You're basically locking in to the fact that 2 FAs + Lee must win the championship for the duration of their contracts and if it doesn't work out, there's nothing that can be done to right the ship.

meeeeeeeehhhhhhhhhhhh

Curry's contract comes off the books in 2011, so that's $11m in cap space. Hopefully, the cap will go up by then, so we might have some breathing room.

Bottom line is that You have to be significantly over the cap to be a contender in this league. The Lakers, Cavs, Celtics, Magic, and Spurs are all $20-$35m over the cap.

As a Knicks fan, I don't give a **** about making the playoffs and getting knocked out in the 2nd round or whatever. '94 and '99 gave me championship blue balls. I want GM decisions that maximize our championship EV.

Also, DLee's GF:







Apparently, she's the major reason he wants to stay in NY.

sabina so much

They won't have any breathing room because Lee's contract will put them ~$10mm over the cap using his Bird Rights. So Curry's expiration would just bring them back to the cap, and with nobody to give Bird Rights too, they're handcuffed. If you want to argue that Lee is better than a FA they can sign for $10mm in 2011 you might be right since he's awesome and I him too, but it's pretty risky cap-wise.

Sick job itt Untouchable. I'm not really in bball mode yet but all my questions are answered just by reading this thread, thanks.

your welcome, and nice confidence boost that i might actually get a job with the knicks one day

Here's a weird question.

D-Lee is one of, if not the most popular player on the knicks. Is there any way the money he brings in team interest and jersey sales is enough to make up for the extra he costs in luxury money? My gut says not a chance, but I figured I'd ask.

Probably in certain scenarios, but probably not in a scenario where they already have 1.5 max FAs. If they get LeBron or Wade, or some sort of Bosh/JJ combo, they'll have no problem selling out almost every game.

Signing him for this year will definitely help ticket sales though.

untouchable, thank your for educating me

but why wouldn't they auto sign nate and lee as veteran exceptions... basically once the knicks get a superstar they shuold just use every exception possible every year..

If they use thier exception to go over the cap and sign David Lee and Nate Robinson to a multi-year contract after next season, I'll estimate that they'll be like $16million over the cap.

At the end of the 2010-2011 season, Eddy Curry and Jared Jeffries contracts come off the books ($18million). Instead of being able to spend $18million on a guy like Tony Parker or Pau Gasol, or a combination like Tayshaun Prince and T.J. Ford, they'll have virtually no cap room.

To be completely frank, David Lee and Nate Robinson just aren't good enough to jeopardize getting another top flight FA in 2011. They have made this team watchable and we all them, but unless there is no market for them and we can get them for a lot cheaper than they are expecting, it's just not going to happen.

Lee might be good enough to warrant signing since he might be one of the best 2011 FA's available, but I don't see any reason why they should keep Nate past this year.

Nate is like the heart of the franchise right now. You can't just Boozer him over like that.

He won't be the heart of the franchise when we steal Bosh from you.