By Tommy Rothman
With teams starting to fill out their rosters, here are the rumors surrounding the Knicks, as well as some news from the past few days
– When asked about Nate Robinson, Glen Grunwald said the Knicks are still exploring options at Point Guard. The Knicks have interest in Robinson. Nate also has interest in a return but the fact that the Knicks can only give him 1.4 million could prevent a deal from getting done.
To be fair, he did airball a free throw in that game… -Tommy
JR Smith’s agent has confirmed that the Knicks’ sixth man will stay with the Knicks on a 4-year, $24.7 million contract with a player option for the final year. The Knicks made Smith their top priority and got the deal done.
White missed this ambitious dunk in the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest, as well as most of the shots he took during games. He will not be a Knick next season
The Knicks declined James White’s option on Saturday, according to sources. This means that the 30 year old guard will not be back with the team next season. White was signed for his defense and his explosive leaping ability, but struggled to produce and was a major disappointment in the dunk contest. White became a fan favorite in some ways due to his Youtube legacy and his interaction with fans (and haters) online (including yours truly), but did not bring much to the team from a basketball standpoint, which is why he will not be back next season. White will draw interest from a couple teams, but will likely sign with a team in China or Europe, where he can make more money and have a bigger role. -Tommy Rothman
CJ Leslie, ranked #41 on the ESPN Big Board, could have easily been a first-round pick. Instead, he fell through the draft and was signed by the Knicks on Friday. Ranked as the 7th best Small Forward in the draft class, CJ brings size and INSANE athleticism. Check out his highlights here. -Tommy
By Tommy Rothman
The Knicks head into the offseason with only 8 players under contract (not counting the recently retired Jason Kidd). Who will be back? Who will not? We go through every player on the roster.
Under contract
These players will be on the team unless they retire, are traded, or are released.
Carmelo Anthony: Obviously not going anywhere.
Chances he is on roster: 100%
Mike Woodson: No way he gets fired before the season starts
Chances: 100%
Amar’e Stoudemire: We couldn’t get rid of him even if we wanted to.
Chances: 99%
Iman Shumpert: The team views him as a future star, would only trade him for a current one.
Chances: 95%
Tyson Chandler: Good player, important to team. Trade value is a bit low, and contract is hard to trade, anyway. Would only be moved in a package for a star.
Chances: 90%
Raymond Felton: Good point guard, good contract. No reason to trade him, barring a surprise package for a big-time player.
Chances: 85%
Marcus Camby: We would probably love to get rid of his contract. But we probably can’t.
Chances: 85%
Steve Novak: Same contract problem as Camby, albeit probably a more useful player. But other teams could take interest as well.
Chances: 80%
James White: Could be a useful trade chip. His unguaranteed $1 million salary makes him an option for a team looking to save that amount of money (and cap space). Not very useful beyond that.
Chances: 40%
Jason Kidd: Already gone, released from his 3-year contract
Chances: 0%
Restricted Free Agents
These players are free agents. However, the Knicks can bring them back by matching any offer the RFA signs with another team, salary cap permitting. The Knicks are over the cap and do not have Bird Rights for either of their two RFA’s, so to match an offer greater than $1 million, the Knicks would have to dip into their $3.1 Midlevel Exception. To keep both of their RFA’s (or even just the second one on this list), it will likely cost them the entirety of their MLE.
Pablo Prigioni: Knicks can probably only give him $1 million. Might be worth more, but likes New York, and has defined role here. Team may elect to take another point guard in the draft, which could mean the end of Pablo.
Chances: 50%
Chris Copeland: Worth more than Qualifying Offer of $1 million. Knicks can give him up to $3 million using their Midlevel Exception, which would probably prevent them from signing other Free Agents for more than the minimum. He wants to stay, and it sounds like they want him back. Will probably receive bigger offers elsewhere, and probably more minutes. He reportedly turned down bigger offers last year to come to New York, and will need to do the same again.
Chances: 50%
Unrestricted Free Agents
These players are free agents and can sign with any team. The Knicks do not own the Bird Rights for any of these players, and they are over the cap. Therefore, they can only offer the minimum to Barron and Richardson. Martin will be offered the minimum, and probably a slight raise (around 20%) if they are allowed to use a Non-Bird Exception on him. Smith will be offered the Early-Bird Exception, assuming the Knicks want him back.
J.R Smith: Has clearly stated his desire to remain in New York. If the Knicks want to commit to him, they can give him around 6 million per year. Other teams might give him a bit more, but his unpredictability on and off the court probably keeps him in our price range. If we want him back, he should be back.
Chances: 80%
Kenyon Martin: Eligible for Vet’s minimum. Held out last year for a bigger contract. Didn’t work. He loves New York, will probably take offer of VM.
Chances: 70%
Earl Barron: Actually can be a useful big man, should be cheap. They should keep him. Not sure if they will.
Chances: 50%
Quentin Richardson: Can’t see the organization bringing him back. Not much upside.
Chances: 10%
Draft Pick
Whoever we draft will be on the team unless we trade them.
Chances: 90%
Who should the Knicks bring back? Who should be sent packing? Let us know what you think in the comments!
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