2011-2012 Pre-Preview: New York Knicks

NBA Salary Cap 2011-2012: $58,044,000
(Luxury Cap: $70,307,000)

NEW YORK KNICKS 2011-2012

Guaranteed Contracts
Carmelo Anthony                     ($18,518,574)
Amar'e Stoudemire                   ($18,217,705)
Chauncey Billups                      ($14,200,000)
Ronny Turiaf                            ($4,360,000)
Renaldo Balkman                     ($1,675,000)
Toney Douglas                         ($1,145,640)
Bill Walker                               ($916,000)
Salary: $59,032,919

Non-Guaranteed Contracts
Landry Fields ($788,872)
Andy Rautins ($788,872)
Salary if Both Picked Up: ($60,610,763)
Salary if Rautins is Waived: ($59,821,791)

Unclaimed Contracts
Imam Schumpert*                    ($1,343,300)
(Unclear, but 17th pick is set to earn $1,343,300 in 2011-2012)
Josh Harrelson*
Jerome Jordan                          ($473,604)
(NBA minimum was $473,604 last year, and JJ was drafted 44th in 2010 and has no NBA years of experience)
Shawne Williams                      ($915,852)
(Unclear, assuming he accepts the league minimum, the minimum for a player with 4 years experience last year was $915,852)
Shelden Williams
Anthony Carter
Derrick Brown
*2011 Draft Picks
Salary After Signings: $62,554,547

11 PLAYERS WITH 1-4 ROSTER SPOTS TO FILL

Potential Free Agents
Kurt Thomas                            ($1,200,000)
(Assuming he would agree to the veteran's minimum, which would be allowed as an exception even though we would be over the cap)
Theo Ratliff
Kwame Brown
Tony Battie
Aaron Gray
Salary After Free Agency: $63,754,547
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This line-up is conspicuously devoid of back up point guards. My hope is that we sign a free agent back-up and either waive Rautins or just keep him at the back of the bench. A few options might be bringing back Anthony Carter for a year along with Shelden Williams to provide some guard and big man depth. However, without knowing what is going to happen during free agency, I will present my limited hypothetical line-up which includes only those players that I feel must be picked up this year.
Hypothetical Lineup
Starters
Point Guard:                    Chauncey Billups
Shooting Guard:               Landry Fields
Small Forward:                Carmelo Anthony
Power Forward:              Amar'e Stoudemire
Center:                            Jerome Jordan (Ronny Turiaf will not play this whole season)

Bench
6th Man: Shawne Williams
Toney Douglas
Ronny Turiaf/Kurt Thomas
Imam Schumpert/Billy Walker
Never See The Floor
Renaldo Balkman
Andy Rautins (if not waived)