Still working on support for LeBron

LeBron James will have money on the table sometime Sunday, which is the official first day the Cavaliers can offer an extension to their superstar.

[MiamiMoe03]

Alan, i love your postings. i live in Miami and i've been a die-hard Knicks fan since i could walk and talk( Ewing-Starks-Oakley-Mason I WAS SOLD!!) but we gotta stop sayin maybe 2011, 2012, 2013... I agree we should make room for Lebron but idon't think he'll actually come. But if not i really like Joe Johnson, Nash (if he doesn't sign an extension), Bosh, Wade, any big time free agent. I'm not sure if Lee or Robinson are the answers (don't get me wrong i got a lot of love for 'em) but they've been here and we've gone nowhere. We need guys w/#1- Killer Instinct #2- Heart #3- Talent...We've been play'n w/#3's for too long. The Knick team of the 90's had all three and that's the type of player's we need. I'd love to have Lee but his greedy agent is blowing smoke up his a$$. Even though i'm obviously frustrated i'll still LOVE the knicks even if they went 0-82. It's just time to be relevant again already.

[kaka]

thats sexy

[The Bucks]

would have to cut players to match an MLE offer to Sessions.

[midskool disciple]

..knicks need to build some basketball love.. everybody we draft/root for is traded away.. they play hurt AND work their butts off for our respect while we roll out gold carpets for everybody else - and their agents (who use our team to get phat contracts elsewhere).. meanwhile our own players arent even signed for more than their original rookie contracts and get negotiation scrappings.. i know we have a plan.. and we are very glad with donnie (one of the best in the league - and a true new yorker).. and the coach has the illest game plan, is intelligent, and knows how to relate to the players.. lebron - we gotta go all out for him - and wade.. we just hoping that we can have someone to root for for more than three years.. hmmm.. lets just try to keep nate and lee.. btw.. lee's agent seems frustrated.. is he drinking the same coffee odom's agent is drinking..? maybe david lee needs to do what odom did and make a phOne call to patch things up..

[Paul]

Alan. I think it is important to realize that teams rebuilt before Lebron, and that he hasn't won a championship yet. Rebuilding with youth, and getting cap space are good for a team, regardless if they hit a homerun in Free Agency or hit just a double. Rebuilding is about using your resources wisely, and often about making tough decisions. Walsh's patience and frugality are key. He over paid for Duhon b/c it fit his plan, and if the right move for this summer is to not spend money, he won't. The Knicks are lucky in that noe one is overpaying this summer(except maybe Detroit), so Walsh may get to Keep Lee and Robinson at reasonable prices. I hope he locks them up so they can be part of the turn around. D'Antoni's Job is to change the atmosphere, and Nate and DLee will fit in when that happens. Guess we will just have to wait and see.

[Old Knick Fan]

Lets see the Knicks lost all four summer-league games so far and have not improved their roster over last year. In fact, with possibly Lee, Robinson and Wilcox all gone -- it could be much worse!

So be sure to buy your season tickets now and don't miss a moment of seeing the league's biggest disappointment - no not just Darko - it is the Knicks now and in 2010 when King James and every other quality free agent goes elsewhere! Yes the Knicks and Newsday are owned by Cablevision who owns the worst reputation in the NBA! And nothing will change until James Dolan sells the Knicks -- so buy your season tickets to see the NBA's biggest looser!!! Perhaps they will be giving free food again and maybe even cyanide capsules.

[35 Years]

Hard truths, but you're exactly right, Alan. The lure must be a second major signing in combination with LBJ. So it's essential to get rid of Curry and/or Jeffries, and then hope the sky really isn't falling and that next year's cap is at least in the 55-56 range. So you tell LBJ he gets to pick his 1A, and gets Gallo (come on, kid!) as his 1B, and that's a damn nice core to start with. Which is why they need to be careful what they pay Lee. Hey, why not follow the Duhon model and pay Lee $10M for one year, then revisit it next year?

[DOK]

Role players, that a quick assessment after two guys got stuck on the worst Summer league roster whe've ever had in Vega. Who put this together, that should be your ? Add Gallo to this group and your assessment of both players are different!

[Jerry]

Well, Lebron is going to need support by the looks of it, especially after the summer league performance by hill...12.8 pts. 40 percent shooting, 8.5 boards in 30 min against the dleage. To put it in perspective, Dujuain Blair, the 37th pick, who I kept plugging before the draft and who the Knicks skipped over with the 29th pick, has 16.5 pts, 53 percent shooting, 9 boards in 25 minutes. Way better than Hill, especially when you look at the min. played and shooting percentage. Douglas may have been a star in florida but he is going to struggle getting his shot off in the NBA. He's a tough kid though so he may overcome. Henderson at 9 is going to be the one that got away, an all-star guard for 10 years.

[Knicks 88]

Am I missing something. When has Danilo Gallinari ever been considered a potential franchise player? The Euro obsession continues......

[NYStateOfMind]

35 Years wrote:

Hard truths, but you're exactly right, Alan. The lure must be a second major signing in combination with LBJ. So it's essential to get rid of Curry and/or Jeffries, and then hope the sky really isn't falling and that next year's cap is at least in the 55-56 range. So you tell LBJ he gets to pick his 1A, and gets Gallo (come on, kid!) as his 1B, and that's a damn nice core to start with. Which is why they need to be careful what they pay Lee. Hey, why not follow the Duhon model and pay Lee $10M for one year, then revisit it next year?

There's been reports that the 2010-2011 cap could be as low as $50 million as season ticket purchases/renewals and advertising reveues have fallen precipitously with many NBA teams with the national economy being ther reason. The Nets have laid off over 30% of their FO staff and have cut salaries to the remaining non-basketball related employees. If the cap heads towards the $50 million number, the Knicks won't be able to sign 2 premium FA's unless they get one at the Feb 2010 trading deadline...

If Donnie Walsh can trade Eddy "Baby Huey" Curry, that would be the best coup since trading Jerome James. That said, I don't think there's a team out there that wants $21 million in his contract on their books during these economic times. He does have solid basketball skills. I've wondered from time to time if he really likes to play basketball as a career. I can live with Jefferies as he does play hard, though his basketball IQ is somewhat suspect. I agree that Gallinari has the skills to be a great NBA player or he can be Toni Kukoc, which isn't a bad thing..

The NBA doesn't allow players to sign 1 year deals any longer. That was the practice in the 1990's when players like Danny Manning signed a 1 year deal with a wink and a nod...

[Mark]

They'll sign Lee when he figures out that his agent is asking for too much. The days of overpaying are gone with Layden and Isiah.

Always remember those days, people. We always have hope with financial responsibility. If not in 2010, then in 2011, 2012...whenever. Donnie's been here for ONE YEAR. Rebuilding takes a lot longer than that. No more quick fixes.

If Lebron comes, then great. If not, atleast our salary cap isn't FUBAR'd.

[Obreezy]

midskool disciple wrote:

..knicks need to build some basketball love.. everybody we draft/root for is traded away.. they play hurt AND work their butts off for our respect while we roll out gold carpets for everybody else - and their agents (who use our team to get phat contracts elsewhere).. meanwhile our own players arent even signed for more than their original rookie contracts and get negotiation scrappings.. i know we have a plan.. and we are very glad with donnie (one of the best in the league - and a true new yorker).. and the coach has the illest game plan, is intelligent, and knows how to relate to the players.. lebron - we gotta go all out for him - and wade.. we just hoping that we can have someone to root for for more than three years.. hmmm.. lets just try to keep nate and lee.. btw.. lee's agent seems frustrated.. is he drinking the same coffee odom's agent is drinking..? maybe david lee needs to do what odom did and make a phOne call to patch things up..

Now you know what you talking about. I agree with you 100%. We need to keep the gems that are home grown & fan favorites Lee & Nate. They diserve it.@ fair prices of course.

[Reality]

Playing in New York isn't the advantage it was 10 years ago. You guys have to stop thinking it is.
Please notice what the Cavs did this summer that was a lot more under the radar than player signings, but will have a lot more impact...they sold part of the team to investors in China who will market the hell out of the Cavs and have a population that can translate into dollars NY Media can't fathom.
You (and your sports writers) don't REALLY understand the business side of basketball if you keep referencing the media benefit of playing in NY.
James isn't leaving Cleveland. And I could care less about either team, but I know business over basketball, and I know that.

[Jared]

Why would anyone with a choice want to play with the Dolans holding the purse strings? Its the same deal with them as it is with Cablevision customers (only on a larger scale): Dolan'll screw you at any chance he gets

[Brandon in Colorado]

HAHAHA what kind of "storied" franchise can't even draft their own players? Every hope the Knicks have in being good anytime soon lies in carving out cap space LOL, thats really hilarious. Please explain to me why anyone of those players would want to go to NY just to be mediocre?? Enjoy the lopsided trades that get you players only for their contracts for the next few years, this franchise is an absolute joke, although I do give New Yorkers props for their loyalty. Without their crazy loyal fans, this team would have folded years ago....

[Trematode Nicaragua]

James will stay in Cleveland. There's no doubt. Who the heck would leave their home town, where they can get the best deal ($$), where ALL their family and friends are, and have a winning team that does NOT need any rebuilding, just minor tweaks?!?!? I know it could be amazing if James came here but we all know he won't so let's forget that pipe dream and concentrate on just getting a little bit better every year.

[NYStateOfMind]

Jared wrote:

Why would anyone with a choice want to play with the Dolans holding the purse strings? Its the same deal with them as it is with Cablevision customers (only on a larger scale): Dolan'll **** at any chance he gets

Because Dolan's green is a good as anyone else's green, only he has more than most..

[VINNY]

As a 52 yr old nyk fan I recall the Knicks of the 1970's. I remember well the tough team under RILEY and VAN GUNDY. I even recall the era between when all we had was an allstar from BROOKLYN named BERNARD KING scoring 50 per.

So please understand my pain when I say this team has nothing to root for.

I love "THE ORANGE AND BLUE" with all my heart, but we haven't had a player that had any grit, guts, or true desire to win in many yrs.

THIS IS TRULY SAD TIMES FOR TRUE NYK FANS.

[da boss]

For fame, fortune, glamore, legacy, there is no greater place than New York. Playing in New York Lebron marketing dollars will quadruple any contract an NBA team could give him plus he'll have the New York/World media/PR machine at his disposal daily. Lebron will even take less of an NBA salary to assure he has talent around him to maximixe his off court earning potential. The money he will make off the court in New York will make an NBA salary look like minimum wage. Lebron wants to be the greatest ever and a billionaire, the only place he can do both is New York. Jordan built his leagcy in Chicago, Kobe in LA, Lebrons will surpass theirs in New York. Warren Buffett will bring Lebron to New York. Haters beware!