Several issues block this trade though like everyone here I am enamored of Smith's skills especially for the Knicks.
Trading for him likely uses our best draft day chip in Mobley's contract unless Lee is part of the deal.
Jordan Hill versus David Lee. Lee is the much better rebounder, ballhandler and passer. Hill is taller, more athletic, a better shooter and defender. Hill is cheaper and younger. Lee is a NY favorite and a known quantity.
Josh Smith verus David Lee. Smith is even more athletic than Hill and unlike Hill a known quantity just like Lee. He defends better and shoots better. Lee is still the better rebounder, ballhandler and passer but the gap is smaller. The real difference is attitude. Smith has an edge to him and the comparisons to Sprewell are excellent. Edge is good and D'Antoni is the ultimate player's coach so maybe the negatives in Atlanta are not so negative in New York. Smith's game is also a good fit for New York. The trade kicker is a one year thing and not that much issue for the Knicks this year but trading for Josh Smith is the same as keeping Lee financially. Both contracts are a potential roadblock to the Knicks landing a max contract free agent in 2010. If the Knicks make this deal a lot depends on them being able to trade Eddy Curry and/or Jared Jefferies giving us the cap breathing room we need. Trading for Josh Smith also means we use our draft pick, be it ours or one higher we obtained in a trade, on a PG.
The best case scenario is drafting Curry with the Memphis pick, trading Lee for Smith, signing Gortat and trading Eddy Curry and Jared Jefferies. Then we use Gallinari like we use Lee now as a combination C/PF with known defenders Smith and Gortat in the rotation. We have Chandler. We have Curry. It sounds like a nice supporting cast for LeBron James and somewhere along the way between now and the 2010 season we pick up a tall, athletic SG who can hit treys.
It sounds to me that if D'Antoni can somehow wrangle Boris Diaw and Raja Bell he would have the perfect rotation for his system. I imagine we could find a backup PG for Curry leaving us with Gallinari, Smith, LeBron, Curry and Chandler as the starters with Gortat, Diaw, Bell and maybe Duhon off the bench. Or we could pass on Gortat, continue to develop Saer Sene as Gallinari's defensive replacement and also use Diaw in the post. Think of this cast versus the current Cleveland cast.
Gallinari vs Ilgauskas. Zarunas is getting older but basically his main function is high post. Gallinari is a better shooter and passer making him an ideal Mike D'Antoni high post center. His range keeps the double teams honest against LeBron.
Josh Smith vs Varejao. No contest here. Smith is much better in all facets of the game and gives LeBron a high flying partner around the rim.
Wilson Chandler/Raja Bell vs Mo Williams. Williams is a good guard but Chandler and Bell together are better in every facet except scoring and even there the dropoff is not monumental. Both are bigger than Williams too.
Stephen Curry vs Delonte West. Neither is a prototype NBA PG and I'd give the edge to West for his athleticism and defense but Curry adds one component vital to LeBron James and that is his long distance accuracy. Gallinari and Curry will stretch defenses and if you stretch the defense with LeBron James playing alongside Josh Smith it makes the inside game...awe inspiring.
My misgivings about Josh Smith's attitude and BBall IQ would be swept away by adding LeBron, Stephen Curry, Diaw and Bell to the mix along with Gallinari, Chandler and maybe Duhon.
