No Howard, Deron Williams might be available ?

[snively]

Or is NY the preferred destination ? Either way either him or Chris Paul will be in NY, now that Howard stays with Orlando.

I keep seeing and hearing people say this and really this is not true unless the Knicks pull off a trade for Deron or CP3 before the next trading deadline. The Knicks, if there is no change in the CBA, will have little to nothing to offer a free agent in 2012 unless it is the MLE because between Melo and Amare they are taking up $40 million in cap space. And in Douglas and Balkman and cap holds and they are over $50 million.

CP3 and Deron will not settle for MLE type money while Melo and Amare are at max.

Then if the CBA comes in at a hard cap, NY is still in trouble as $44 million is already guaranteed out. I just don't see anyway CP3 or Deron get to NY without it being through a trade before next years deadline if there is a next year where Chauncey heads out and one of the two ends up back in NY.

Can't they renounce everybody except Melo/Amar'e and then offer Paul around 15 per if the cap stays the same? The Heat pretty much did that and it's worked to much success.

Actually, the Heat didn't do that IIRC (I may be wrong). I beleive they signed Chris Bosh, then LeBron James, then used their Bird rights to sign Wade. Otherwise, it wouldn't have worked.

I don't think this is the case.  I think they had to renounce Wade's bird rights to get rid of his cap hold.  Then they just got all 3 to sign for below the max on the first year so they could all fit under the cap and still have room to sign Miller, Haslem and Anthony.   Then they filled out the rest of their roster with vet min guys.

[Chris]

The quicker these guys are off the market, the sooner Danny and other GMs can move on to more reasonable business.  I hope Howard and Williams resign in the next month, so they are not holding the league hostage throughout next year. 

While I would love guys like that on the C's, the chances of getting them (and surrounding them with a complimentary cast) is very slim, so I think Danny is better off being able to work on smaller things to be more creative in rebuilding this team.  But to do that, he needs to have willing partners, and as long as prizes like Howard and Williams are out there, it is going to put other deals on hold. 

[Fafnir]

I don't think this is the case.  I think they had to renounce Wade's bird rights to get rid of his cap hold.  Then they just got all 3 to sign for below the max on the first year so they could all fit under the cap and still have room to sign Miller, Haslem and Anthony.   Then they filled out the rest of their roster with vet min guys.

They acquired Bosh/LeBron in sign and trades with Cleveland and Toronto, which complicated things greatly.

[winsomme]

The quicker these guys are off the market, the sooner Danny and other GMs can move on to more reasonable business.  I hope Howard and Williams resign in the next month, so they are not holding the league hostage throughout next year. 

While I would love guys like that on the C's, the chances of getting them (and surrounding them with a complimentary cast) is very slim, so I think Danny is better off being able to work on smaller things to be more creative in rebuilding this team.  But to do that, he needs to have willing partners, and as long as prizes like Howard and Williams are out there, it is going to put other deals on hold. 

I don't know, Chris. Our whole Title run here is based on going large...

[Chris]

The quicker these guys are off the market, the sooner Danny and other GMs can move on to more reasonable business.  I hope Howard and Williams resign in the next month, so they are not holding the league hostage throughout next year. 

While I would love guys like that on the C's, the chances of getting them (and surrounding them with a complimentary cast) is very slim, so I think Danny is better off being able to work on smaller things to be more creative in rebuilding this team.  But to do that, he needs to have willing partners, and as long as prizes like Howard and Williams are out there, it is going to put other deals on hold. 

I don't know, Chris. Our whole Title run here is based on going large...

That's fine.  And I am not saying they can't go large.  I just don't personally believe Howard is anything more than a huge longshot, while I think if we hold out for him, we could miss other opportunities which are more likely to get the team where they want to go.

[nickagneta]

Or is NY the preferred destination ? Either way either him or Chris Paul will be in NY, now that Howard stays with Orlando.

I keep seeing and hearing people say this and really this is not true unless the Knicks pull off a trade for Deron or CP3 before the next trading deadline. The Knicks, if there is no change in the CBA, will have little to nothing to offer a free agent in 2012 unless it is the MLE because between Melo and Amare they are taking up $40 million in cap space. And in Douglas and Balkman and cap holds and they are over $50 million.

CP3 and Deron will not settle for MLE type money while Melo and Amare are at max.

Then if the CBA comes in at a hard cap, NY is still in trouble as $44 million is already guaranteed out. I just don't see anyway CP3 or Deron get to NY without it being through a trade before next years deadline if there is a next year where Chauncey heads out and one of the two ends up back in NY.

Can't they renounce everybody except Melo/Amar'e and then offer Paul around 15 per if the cap stays the same? The Heat pretty much did that and it's worked to much success.

They can't renounce Douglas and Balkman, they have guaranteed contracts. Even if they buy them out the buy out amount remains against the cap.

They can renounce all the other players but then they have to have a hold that is equal to that of a second year minimum salary player which is roughly $800,000 for any remaining slots that are open up to the minimum roster size of 12. So NY would have 4 players making about $44 million plus 8 slots empty if they renounce everyone else at $788,000 per slot or about another $6 million in roster slot holds for a total of $50 million. The current cap is $58 million. My guess is two of those holds will be higher than $788,000 as Landry Fields will be signed and they will have a 2012 1st round draft pick hold as well.

So you see, they won't have a lot of money to offer CP3 or Deron

[birdwatcher]

No disrespect to the OP, but is this what we're in for until the end of the lock out and the start of the season?
Scenario after unlikely scenario...brings me back to the days of the trade checker, trying to get rid of Vin Baker, then Raef. Oh those dark, dark days are upon us again. The Rapture seems like a good idea, right about now, especially if The Heat win the trophy--then it really will be Hell on Earth for six months, till the start of next season...

[SHAQATTACK]

IN the next two seasons , we are going to need help  "BIG TIME" if we even want to MAKE the freakin playoffs ... much less win a banner.

REAL HELP....Help by some stars to counter the stars piling up on LA , HEAT and NY.  AND we are going to need the present OLDER group to cooperate , step up and take pay cut and recuit and do what necessary to bring younger legs and talent on board. Its really on the BIG  THREE to do whats right for the team if they want to stay Celtics . Or how about leaving...

If you look at it , Rondo and Green are about the only real exciting BAIT we have to get serious trade deals going.

That really sucks..... so if NOBODY wants our OLDIES crowd , then WHY are we keeping them around. ?  Just to feel good or what.