Could NY get far enough under the cap to "triple dip"... at that point I'd expect an aging Steve Nash to also hop on board for the league minimum.
Now that is reasonable, and so far, the scariest situation I've heard.
The only way it's possible is if the Knicks find a Jarred Jeffrey and an Eddu Curry taker.
They could maybe find a big expiring contract, but would probably have to part with something substantial to get it done like David Lee, Gallinari or draft picks. Of course, the only draft pick of value would theoretically be the one coming up this year... since everything after that would be nowhere near the lotto.
But say they actually are able to pull off a trade for Rubio using Nate Robinson and Wilson Chandler (as has been reported)... I imagine a LOT of teams would be willing to part with a big expiring contract for Curry and Jeffries (who only have an extra year on their deals) if it also included Ricky Rubio...
In fact... I bet if I proposed this theoretical trade to the board, a good percentage of people would pull the trigger:
Ray Allen for
Curry, Jeffries, Rubio
I wouldn't... but I'm sure someone would
I certainly hope Ainge wouldn't.
He wouldn't. Not unless he REALLY liked Rubio.
Anyways, this would make more sense to me...
If I'm the KNicks I try like hell to get Rubio. Then I try to keep David Lee. Then I try like hell to trade Curry and Jeffries along with Gallinari and a mass of future draft picks for anyone who is expiring... like McGrady or something. McGrady might still have too much value as a player, though. Maybe try to trade for the expiring contracts of Brad Miller and Jerome James. You might not even need to give up that much. Anyways... then I head into the offseason with Lee and Rubio under contract, sign Bosh, Wade and Bron... and trot out this lineup for the next decade:
PG - Rubio
SG - Wade
SF - Bron
PF - Lee
C - Bosh
Oh... and Steve Nash joins back with Mike D'Antoni for the league min and tutors Rubio for a couple years until he's ready.
Oh and Shaq follows his new BFF LeBron to New York after having won a title together in Cleveland.
I don't think that's possible. Bosh, Wade and Bron will all command at least 18 mill in that first year.
Is that what you are capable of signing a free agent to who is not already part of your team? I thought contracts started at 14 mil if you were signing a guy who was not already under contract for your own team. Can you verify that? But lets say it's 18 mil.
All the Knicks have to do is trade Curry and Jeffries for expiring contracts. If they pulled off the series of my hypothetical moves (like trading Wilson Chandler+Nate Robinson for Rubio) ... all they would really have under contract for the summer of 2010 is this:
Rubio: 3.4 Million
David Lee: To Be Decided
and nothing else...
18x3 = 54 mil. What's the cap? 58 mil? Darn... looks like they'd have to just let Lee Walk... or package him together with Gallinari, Curry and Jeffries for that expiring deal.
I also forgot to include Jordan Hill. So my new plan.
Let Lee Walk
Trade Chandler/Robinson for Rubio
Trade Curry/Jeffries/Gallinari + draft picks for expiring contracts
Sign Bron/Wade/Bosh to max deals...
Trot out this in 2010:
PG - Rubio 3.5 mil
SG - Wade 18 mil
SF - LeBron 18 mil
PF - Jordan Hill 2.5 mil
C - Bosh 18 mil
Total = 60 mil.
Crap... Oh Well... let the Knicks figure it out.
