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Knicks prepare for free agency
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Tomorrow will be July, which bears implications on all levels. Firstly, that means it gets a more official feel to summer, and leaves me wondering where time went. The other reason is that the 2009 free agency sweepstakes will begin. For the Knicks they will have many more questions then they will answers as Wednesday approaches. The two main topics of conversation; David Lee and Nate Robinson.
David Lee had his breakout season and continues to develop after his third season in the league. He led the league in double-doubles with 65, and put up a solid 16 points/11.7 rebounds per contest. It is said that Lee is looking to make between $8-$10 million per year, and could earn more. If not for an all-star snub, Lee could be asking for more. However, with Walsh having the ability to match any offer another team may make, expect Walsh to let things ride for a bit before jumping the spending gun. With the economic downturn affecting a lot of professional franchises not too many teams are going to come knocking immediately. The question will be though; will Walsh elect to match any offer that another team may bid for the services of David Lee?
Walsh spent most of the season undoing the salary cap issues of Isiah Thomas to become a competitor in the 2010 free agency market, which has speculation of being one of the biggest in NBA history. The drafting of Jordan Hill this past week (and calling it in the NBA mock draft!) may make it difficult to hold onto Lee. However, if D’Antoni and Walsh believe Hill can play the center and allow for the Hill/Lee tandem, Lee would be a great player to retain and help build a franchise around. He is already a crowd and New York favorite, and is the definition of hustle and a “Goonies never say die” attitude.
On the other side of the ball, what will the team do with its spark plug and another fan favorite in Nate Robinson? Nate was one of the top six men in the league averaging 17.2 points off the bench (and making a vast amount of starts). Nate has a fire and energy that is unmatched by most in the league, but sustaining both may be of an issue. The selection late in the first round of Toney Douglas out of Florida State may cause the team to part with its energetic small man, and could be heading back out west to play closer to home.
Both Hill and Douglas are solid draft picks but nothing to write off as an immediate change for the franchise. The Knicks still need to address the point guard position, as Chris Duhon will need some support. Duhon showed a lot of heart playing his first full season as a starter, not to mention how fast the D’Antoni system pushes the tempo. So the Knicks are rumored to be pursuing Jason Kidd.
While Kidd is no kid anymore, he is a veteran player that the Knicks could use to help the team stay on track and not fold in the end of games, which the team was notorious for doing all of last season. Back in January Kidd told reporters he would play for D’Antoni as he got a taste of his persona and offense when playing for the Redeem team in the Olympics last summer. Kidd is an overall package that the Knicks could benefit from, and being that he has playoff experience just across the river in New Jersey, he will bring a lot more to the table than just his skills on the court.
Other Notable Free Agents:
+Charlie Villanueva – Milwaukee has decided to let him walk, and his play-type could be of some use to the Knicks offensive system. A guy that isn’t afraid to take a shot and play in a high paced pick-and-roll system, are the Knicks going to take a closer look at the UConn alumni?
+Ramon Sessions – Another guy that Milwaukee may not hold onto, Sessions came out and anchored the Bucks offense last season and surprised many. His style can fit with the up-tempo system but will Walsh elect to take on a long term deal with a young stud?
+Paul Millsap – There is no reason to believe the Knicks will pursue him, but he sits in a boat similar to that of Lee’s. Millsap was the beneficiary of a Carlos Boozer injury and got some serious playing time in Utah, making his stock value rise for the offseason. Expect him to play his free agency strategy alongside Lee’s.
+Shawn Marion – A former D’Antoni guy and perennial all-star, Marion’s career has slowed down since entering the Miami/Toronto part of his career. The price on Marion is going to be high and many teams will probably elect to forego contract talk, but Marion is probably one of the best on the board and can still help a contending team make a run in the playoffs.
+Hedo Turkoglu – What we do Hedu, and after his finals appearance his stock probably has reached a pinnacle. A guy that can control the ball and hit clutch shots, (read: what the Knicks need) Turkoglu deserves a look see with the team. However, for the price he will carry expect Walsh to not even make a consideration.
Stay tuned to see what the Knicks do as 12:01 a.m. approaches!
For more information:
-Read up with Alan Hahn over at Newsday
-Check out Larry Fleisher’s take on Jason Kidd
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