Fixing the Knicks

[D-FENS]

The Knicks have a mess of a roster right now, but at least if they continue to stink, they'll have a top 5 pick. They also have a LOT of cap space coming up.

Phil Jackson is intent on running the triangle, so he'll need to find players that can play intelligent structured basketball.

I look at this roster as two different types of players, those that can play in the triangle, and those that can't.

Can play a role in the triangle:
- Jose Calderon - best suited to a reserve role but with reduced ball handling responsibilities. Like John Paxson
- Cleanthony Early - tries on defense, and is potentially versatile on offense. He seems to be a willing passer so far. He's a major work in progress though.
- Langston Galloway - He shows potential as a spark plug off the bench.
- Tim Hardaway Jr.- I can see Hardaway being in the 6th man conversation one day, but his efficiency is horrible. He really needs to work on shot quality and working on his defense. The sooner he realises that he's not a superstar, the better.
- Carmelo Anthony - Anthony has molded his game a little this season, but still breaks from the offense too much. I'd give him one more year trying to mold to the triangle, then I'd be looking to trade him.
- Jason Smith - Good mid-range shooting big man with average defense. Very poor man's Horace Grant
- Travis Wear - There is some potential for Wear to grow into a solid 10th-12th man on a contender. I like his versatility, and overall basketball iq.

Can't play a role in the triangle:
Quincy Acy (expirer)
Cole Aldrich (expirer)
Lou Amundson (expirer)
Andrea Bargnani (expirer)
Shane Larkin (2 years remaning)
Pablo Prigioni (1 year remaning)
Amar'e Stoudemire (expirer)
Lance Thomas (expirer)

NBA Draft:
New York is currently pegged to draft 2nd, so I'll base my pick off that. I'm an optimist.
I'm assuming that Okafor is off the board at #1 no matter who is picking. He's just too advanced as an 18 year old not to be the first picked. If he works on his body and keeps developing his skills, he could be another Tim Duncan. All I know is that we haven't seen a big man with skills like this as a freshman in a long long time.

Anyway, enough Okafor praise. I have Karl Anthony Towns off the board to New York with the 2nd pick. New York has no over picks in this draft. They should be looking to acquire a late first though to get their hands on Delon Wright. He's the perfect big guard for the triangle.

Buy a 2nd round pick and draft AJ Hammons


Free agency:
-Make Greg Monroe a max offer.
-Make an offer of 3 years/$30 million to Tobias Harris
-Rescind offer to Travis Wear
-Quincy Acy accepts QO
-Resign Jason Smith to the minimum

Trade:
Prigioni for Luigi Datome (Pistons)
Larkin and future 2nd round pick for Gary Harris (Nuggets)

Roster:
CT: Greg Monroe/ Jason Smith/ AJ Hammons
PF: Karl Towns/ Tobias Harris/ Quincy Acy
SF: Carmelo Anthony/ Cleanthony Early/ Luigi Datome
SG: Tim Hardaway Jr./ Gary Harris
PG: Jose Calderon/ Langston Galloway/ Delon Wright

That's a very young team. I expect them to win about 30 games, and for Anthony not to fit in. I'd look to move Anthony at the 2015/16 trade deadline, or possible the 2016 offseason. He may not fetch much of a return, but I'd look to get one decent vet on a small/short deal and a pick or two. It's totally achievable.

So how does this team fit? Greg Monroe is the perfect center for the triangle. He rebounds, shoots from the mid range or post, and can pass very well. He is not a good interior defender and does not have the ability to cover all 4's defensively. That's why Towns fits in so well. He stretches the floor, can play D down low and on the perimeter, a very good passer and ball handler for a big, and huge potential to grow.

Harris is signed as the 6th man, but with an eye on Melo's spot.

Wright and Harris are my backcourt of the future.


Sign Scottie Pippen as assistant coach.

[IncarceratedBob]

Dude Phil Jackson isn't gonna get D'Angelo Russell get past him. A 6'5 guard.. Hmmm I wonder if Phil has a thing for those.

Then sign Gasol and it's set.

[D-FENS]

Dude Phil Jackson isn't gonna get D'Angelo Russell get past him. A 6'5 guard.. Hmmm I wonder if Phil has a thing for those.

Then sign Gasol and it's set.

Yuck.

Build around the front court. Guards a dime a dozen. Reggie Jackson will be praying for a job soon.

[outbreak]

Tobias turned down a 4 year offer at more than 10mil a year before the season started because he wanted over 14 mil a year minimum and he's played better this year than he did last year. I'm not sold on signing him for Orlando but I do think whoever signed him will be paying more then 3 years at 30 mil.

[hawkfan]

Release Bargnani so he can come to the Hawks.

[D-FENS]

Tobias turned down a 4 year offer at more than 10mil a year before the season started because he wanted over 14 mil a year minimum and he's played better this year than he did last year. I'm not sold on signing him for Orlando but I do think whoever signed him will be paying more then 3 years at 30 mil.

I think he may give a hometown discount, if not I wouldn't want him if I were the Knicks

[Rooster]

Dude Phil Jackson isn't gonna get D'Angelo Russell get past him. A 6'5 guard.. Hmmm I wonder if Phil has a thing for those.

Then sign Gasol and it's set.

Signing Gasol is the key but it's a long shot. I don't think Phil is keen on rebuilding. His contract is 5 years so he could be gone before they start getting better. So he knows free agent signing this year is a must.

[D-FENS]

Signing Gasol is the key but it's a long shot. I don't think Phil is keen on rebuilding. His contract is 5 years so he could be gone before they start getting better. So he knows free agent signing this year is a must.

Marc Gasol is not someone to break the bank for.

[BlackWhiteGreen]

30m for Harris is never happening. Also not sure why Detroit trades for 85-year-old Prigioni either...

Isn't Harris restricted too? So Magic would have the option to match

[Rooster]

Marc Gasol is not someone to break the bank for.

He's perfect fit for the triangle. You can basically run the triangle through him. He can anchor the team defensively. He's a late bloomer too.

[Smoke117]

Marc Gasol makes absolutely no sense on the Knicks. He's going to be 30 in year and frankly just isn't aggressive enough. I have a feeling his 30s is going to be very injury prone for him too. Those knees are going to start to give out from all those years running that big body on them. In the end...by the time the Knicks were getting their shit together overall he'd be on the downside. I don't think he can give you a max effort for more than 3 seasons. (if that)

[They Won]

He's perfect fit for the triangle. You can basically run the triangle through him. He can anchor the team defensively. He's a late bloomer too.

I'd send a max his way if I were the Knicks.

[christian1923]

Marc Gasol makes absolutely no sense on the Knicks. He's going to be 30 in year and frankly just isn't aggressive enough. I have a feeling his 30s is going to be very injury prone for him too. Those knees are going to start to give out from all those years running that big body on them. In the end...by the time the Knicks were getting their shit together overall he'd be on the downside. I don't think he can give you a max effort for more than 3 seasons. (if that)

I was trying to tell people this in a thread a couple weeks ago and people were acting like I was crazy.

[D-FENS]

Marc Gasol makes absolutely no sense on the Knicks. He's going to be 30 in year and frankly just isn't aggressive enough. I have a feeling his 30s is going to be very injury prone for him too. Those knees are going to start to give out from all those years running that big body on them. In the end...by the time the Knicks were getting their shit together overall he'd be on the downside. I don't think he can give you a max effort for more than 3 seasons. (if that)

Exactly. They need to bring in proven young guys, and draft picks, then hit a home run in free agency

[SwishSquared]

Good post detailing a pretty clear plan of action-you definitely put a lot of time into it! I have a few comments regarding some moves:

1. As others have said, the Tobias Harris contract # is way too low, although he apparently wants to be a Knick. Maybe slight discount?

2. NYK declined the third year option on Larkin, so he's set to be a FA. Anyway, I don't see DEN accepting him + a 2nd for G. Harris. They apparently like him for the future.

3. Is the Datome trade just to get Prigioni's small cap hit off the books for this year's free agency? Prigioni is cheap and he's a decent backup, but I guess that roster is PG-heavy as it's constructed in your post

4. I like the Towns' pick and targeting Monroe is smart, though I'd be worried about starting Calderon + THJ + Melo + Monroe due to defensive problems.

5. Agreed on moving Melo- they'd have to have a heck of a summer + internal development for this type of roster to make sense for a guy like him to even be on it.

6. I'd doubt they could acquire a late first w/o trading a player away for it, though some teams can be duped into it (like how Utah stole Gobert last year)

7. Nice player evaluation overall- good analysis. I think the "geometry" of the team offensively fits, but the defense could be quite terrible.

Your plan would bring some nice direction to the franchise, but I don't think all of those moves could quite be pulled off.