Who do we keep?

[irish2u2]

As Gates (and others) have suggested there is another way to go. We should have extra cap room to sign an absolute elite FS (LeBron, Wade or Bosh) and one a tier below. Like Joe Johnson.

Now if we sign Johnson then using the MLE on Mike Miller is moot and maybe we can split it to keep 2 existing players or use it either in entirety or split again to get another free agent or two. As long as we have room to keep Lee it's all good but my preference is to keep as many guys on the team now as possible just for continuity's sake. We look to be introducing at least 2 new guys so you don't want to have a situation where we have an almost completely new starting lineup that will take an extended time to get the system and jell.

Harrington is expendable because the addition of Joe Johnson means we can use Wilson Chandler for firepower off the bench. The points about Nate's maturity are good one's and I'd have no problem at all passing on him.

Use all of the MLE to keep Darko if he is able to succeed in NY this season. We can use the bi-annual exception to add guard depth. LeBron and Joe Johnson gives us a great 1-2 scoring punch ably augmented by Lee, Gallo, Darko and Chandler. We might see a guy like Toney Douglas show enough to be a starter next year though we could also use Chandler and Joe Johnson together. Johnson isn't the ballhandler/passer that Mike Miller is but he is good enough and he's a better overall scorer. Gallo could be the designated scorer off the bench.

The departure of Harrington opens up some PT for Jordan Hill too as backup to Darko and Lee.

Darko, Lee, LeBron, Joe Johnson and Chandler is a pretty good lineup. Gallo, Hill, and Douglas gives D'Antoni his preferred 8 man rotation.

[ReneNYG1]

I would agree with you Bill excellent choices.I agree with you I also think we can move Jeffries ,I just hope it's very soon so Hill get get more burn.

[kgooglog]

One route where the Knicks can go, is to simply let Curry's and Jeffries' bloated deals expire and to not "rush" out and acquire the "next best FA", after LeBron. King James is young enough and mature enough, in my opinion, to know that in 2011, Chris Paul would be the targeted player by New York. I am not the biggest fan of Chris Bosh, and don't think he solves our pivot problem. He would improve it, no doubt, but Toronto made some huge strides this off-season in getting Hedo and that Bargini fellow. Bosh may be the one player who will stay with his current team. While I know the jury here is split on Amare Stat, he may actually be available at a lower-than Max salary, as he has some question marks, specifically about his eyes being okay as well as his injury history. I like Amare and think he provides the Knicks with a more aggressive pivot than Bosh can ever be, although CB4 is an obvious first choice with NY fans as that second 2010 FA.

Joe Johnson not accepting an extension, makes him an extremely interesting option for a starting two, and would allow Chandler to remain a SF, for the most part. That said, if Gallo proves to all that he is a point forward, than I see the monies being wasted on a second level star player like Joe. I'd much rather see NY pursue CP3 the following year, and I think that Tyson Chandler or Sam Dalembert will be available as that true 7'1 defensive pivot who would fit in perfectly with the King and Chris Paul. We have yet to see if Darko is the solution as a championship-type pivot, although he is an upgrade over Bloat and certainly, Jared Jeffries.

By 2011, we will know much more if Jordan Hill has that "Amare" component in his game. Much rides on the rookie's development in terms of whether or not, Donnie Walsh will have to go after a pivot in two seasons, rather than focus every nickel on the best PG in the NBA, which would be my goal as of today, Chris Paul is head and shoulders above any other point in the NBA, IMHO, and is certainly an "elite" player, possibly the 4th best player in the NBA, if we go with Kobe, LeBron, and Wade, in that order. Kobe and D-Wade are going to stay with their respective organizations, and Paul may be saying that he is, but the lure of playing with the NBA's greatest player on stage at Madison Square Garden, may be too much for CP3 to say "no" to.

I think that a team can win a championship without a superstar-type center, and the Lakers are one team that proved this point to be very true. We can also go back to the "Bad Boy" Pistons. The scope of an NBA center has changed so much in the last 25 years, and had we had this discussion back when Patrick Ewing was drafted, I would have expressed a completely different view. The Knicks will need to get by Dwight Howard, who will be unstoppable once he learns to patent a shot ala Ewing. Howard is truly a force to be reckoned with for any team, and since Orlando has only improved, and Dwight is simply only going to get better, a pivot who can contain him somewhat is all I think we need. Tyson Chandler will make Howard run and Dalembert is a defensive pivot who I believe would make Superman earn his points while swatting shots from any other team we face.

As of today, I'd wait on Chris Paul. The Knicks need the best PG in the NBA to allow LeBron to focus on being our scoring, go to guy, who can also be a play-maker for the surrounding wings we currently have. Keep David Lee if it is cap-savvy, and $7,000,000 per year allows for James to be given the maximum salary we can proffer. A David Lee type of player is what a championship type of team can always use--he is unselfish, works his ass off, and loves the franchise. My keepers are Wilson Chandler and Danilo Gallinari, and I do think Toney Douglas may prove to be a steal as a PG. I am not sold yet on Jordan Hill, but big guys take a little longer to prove themselves and to bulk up. Those two obviously are with us for awhile and they do not kill us salary-wise, either.

I do not think Chris Duhon is a future Knick, the same goes for Larry Hughes, Jared Jeffries, Bloat, or whoever else was on the team last year and whose contract is up. Harrington is the only player I would consider retaining, and he would have to make a huge sacrifice in salary to remain with a championship bound team. I would offer him $3.5 million a year and a spot as a reserve off the bench. Darko may be the most pleasant surprise of them all, and if he proves to be the 7'2 defensive, rebounding, passing pivot I think he is, Walsh made a major score. Resign him for the remaining MLE monies. Otherwise, goodbye to everyone else and the red carpet goes out for the two to three new Knicks.