Milos Biroyo is the second point guard profiled for the not unlikely, but not highly likely to sign with New York this year list. Milos Biroyo combined to make way more than they should have last season.
Point Guard
Played Last Season With Heat.
Combined 147" & 392lbs. of pathetic. Career averages of underwhelming city.
What you are dealing with here are two different flavors of useless. With an offense headed by Lebron James, Dwayne Wade and Chris Bosh last year, these two boneheads managed to make Mario Chalmers look like the toast of the class. Hence, the double profile: these two guys are so indistinguishably insignificant, it would be a tragedy to give them their own entries. With Milos Biroyo, you get a point guard that can dribble the ball up the court without getting it taking from their hands; at least 7 out of 10 times. Outside of that, these two will shoot an unimpressive percentage from 3, despite the fact that 90% of those shots will be wide open. In addition, you will get little to no ability to drive to the basket. These guys are only desirable in the sense that their ability to suck is so palpable, they cannot ask for anything more than a 1 year minimum contract without the other side laughing. We need someone to fill up the roster on a 1 year minimum contract. Sounds like a match made in Suckeaven to me.
Most likely to be waived to add these players: Whoever catches malaria and can no longer play basketball.
Thursday, December 1, 2011
Wednesday, November 30, 2011
Free Agent Profile: T.J. Ford
Ford is the first point guard profiled for the not unlikely, but not highly likely to sign with New York this year list. Ford made $8.5 million last season.
Point Guard
Played Last Season With Pacers.
6'0'' 165lbs. 28. Career averages of 11.4 PPG and 5.9APG. (5.4/3.4)
Ford is probably the only guy I like on this list of point guards, however he is also the least likely to take a pay cut to back up Chauncey Billups for 1 year. He is currently playing in Croatia, but he has stated that he is coming back to play this season in the NBA. All signs point to him not resigning with the Pacers, meaning that he will be in the market. The question is: what would make a serviceable point guard take a contract length and pay cut to play on the Knicks. Well I am glad you asked. Ford has recently seen his stock drop due to nagging injuries and clashing with players in the clubhouse. He has publicly stated that he is willing to take a smaller back-up role and he is in desperate need for a PR makeover. Perhaps the Knicks can convince him that one great year in New York will rebuild his name enough that he can benefit from a free agent bonanza in 2012.
So, assuming this works, what does Ford bring to the table. He is an old school point guard; in the sense that he handles the ball well, is not a prolific scorer and likes to sit back and let his teammates do the scoring. From a skill set standpoint he is a perfect fit for the Knicks. I place Ford in the mold of a small Jamaal Tinsley or Raymond Felton. Cross your fingers.
Player most likely waived to make room for this player: Andy Rautins.
Point Guard
Played Last Season With Pacers.
6'0'' 165lbs. 28. Career averages of 11.4 PPG and 5.9APG. (5.4/3.4)
Ford is probably the only guy I like on this list of point guards, however he is also the least likely to take a pay cut to back up Chauncey Billups for 1 year. He is currently playing in Croatia, but he has stated that he is coming back to play this season in the NBA. All signs point to him not resigning with the Pacers, meaning that he will be in the market. The question is: what would make a serviceable point guard take a contract length and pay cut to play on the Knicks. Well I am glad you asked. Ford has recently seen his stock drop due to nagging injuries and clashing with players in the clubhouse. He has publicly stated that he is willing to take a smaller back-up role and he is in desperate need for a PR makeover. Perhaps the Knicks can convince him that one great year in New York will rebuild his name enough that he can benefit from a free agent bonanza in 2012.
So, assuming this works, what does Ford bring to the table. He is an old school point guard; in the sense that he handles the ball well, is not a prolific scorer and likes to sit back and let his teammates do the scoring. From a skill set standpoint he is a perfect fit for the Knicks. I place Ford in the mold of a small Jamaal Tinsley or Raymond Felton. Cross your fingers.
Player most likely waived to make room for this player: Andy Rautins.
Cutting Through the Spin: The Reality of Chris Paul 2
I wanted to get more in depth with the options that the Knicks have in pursuing Chris Paul. For instance, I noted that the Knicks would most likely have to sign 4 minimum contracts to fill the roster; who could these people be? Which salaries would be limited by the cap? Which ones would fit into an exception? And why?
A basic rule that needs to be stated is that all NBA teams are limited by a salary cap. This means that any contract that causes the team to exceed the salary cap (currently at $58,043,000) will be void. However, in the NBA, unlike the NHL, the salary cap is a soft cap. It is called soft because there are several exceptions that can apply which will allow certain contracts to exceed the cap without becoming void. An example of exceptions are Bird's Rights, Rookie Contracts, Non-Bird Rights and Mid-Level Exceptions. If a player signs a contract with a team that puts them over the salary cap, but fits into one of these exceptions, his contract will not be void and that team will be allowed to exceed the cap.
In addition, there is a provision called the Amnesty Clause which allows a team to waive a player under contract without that player's salary counting against the salary cap or luxury tax. You can only amnesty one player during the duration of the new CBA. This basically means that for cap calculating purposes you can basically erase that player from the numbers. (The Amnesty Clause of the previous CBA, still counted against the cap, while did not count towards luxury tax penalties. However, indications are that the new CBA's Amnesty Clause will not count against the cap)
Renaldo Balkman is set to make $1,675,000 for the 2012-2013 season. All reports suggest that he will be amnestied, so his salary will not count towards the Knicks cap.
2012-2013 Salaries (w/o exceptions)
Amar'e Stoudemire $19,450,000
Carmelo Anthony $19,948,799
Imam Schumpert $1,444,000 (can be up to 120% of this number which would be $1,732,800)
Toney Douglas (TO) $2,067,880 (can not excercise Bird Rights exception b/c he has team option)
Total Sum: $42,910,679
2012-2013 Cap: $61,000,000
Difference: $18,089,321
Max Salary NBA in first year (7 yr Player): $16,324,500
(Source http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm#Q11)
Difference: $1,564,821
This analysis will thus proceed from the idea that Paul will take a max contract. Unless my math is wrong, this seems entirely possible.
2012-2013 Salaries (not limited by cap)
Landry Fields $1,675,000? (min. salary would be $916,100 and could not exceed 175%)
The exception that would apply to Landry Fields would be the Early Bird Rights. Early Bird Rights apply to players who have spent at least 2 years with their current team without entering free agency or being waived. Fields will just have finished his 2nd year of his rookie contract and would qualify for the Early Bird Exception in his 3rd year (2012-2013 season). This, of course, assumes that Fields does not get a big head and try to go out into free agency and try to get his big pay day.
Draft Pick $1,350,000? (assuming Rd. 1 Pk. 20)
We do not currently have a draft pick in 2012, however one of the major goals for this season will be to acquire one. If the Knicks are truly serious about getting Chris Paul, they will need to sign a rookie in 2012, because that salary will not be limited by the cap. The Rookie signing exception allows a team to sign their first round draft pick without being limited by the cap. I will not speculate as to who could be traded to collect a draft pick.
Shawne Williams? $916,100? (salary would not be able to exceed 175% of previous salary
Depending on what the Knicks do with his contract this year, Shawne Williams could qualify for the Earl Bird Exception, as he would have played 2 years with the team without being waived or entering free agency. This could be complicated in that the lockout prevented the Knicks from signing him in the offseason, and he will technically be a free agent on December 9th, but I believe if we sign him to a 1 year contract this year he would meet this exception. If we cannot get Williams under an exception we may have to sign him with whatever remains after Paul is signed.
Bill Walker $947,907?
Bill Walker, having been with the team for 3 years at that point, would qualify for the Birds Rights Exception. Any player whose rights have been controlled by a team for 3 years without being waived or entering free agency qualifies for this exception. At the end of the 3 year period, the team can re-sign him and claim the Bird Exception and that player's salary will not count against the salary cap. In addition, all indications are that he would be willing to sign for the league minimum, which would also not count against the cap.
3-4 Minimum Contracts (salary impossible to predict)
As has been stated earlier, a minimum contract is not limited by the cap. The Knicks would most likely have to sign 4 of these players to field a full roster, perhaps 3 depending on whether or not we are able to sign Shawne Williams with an exception and get a first round pick. In order to get a hold of who these players may be let's look at 2012 free agents who may be less attractive on the market in 2012/willing to accept a minimum contract to play for a contender:
Kirk Hinrich
Boris Diaw
Keith Bogans
Baron Davis
Andre Miller
Ben Wallace
James Posey
Chris Kaman
Matt Barnes
Eddie House
Nazr Mohammed
(There is also the option of the Mid-Level Exception which would allow the Knicks to even exceed the Luxury Tax Cap with a $5 million dollar signing) Unless my math is out of whack, can someone please explain why the Knicks would be unable to do this?
A basic rule that needs to be stated is that all NBA teams are limited by a salary cap. This means that any contract that causes the team to exceed the salary cap (currently at $58,043,000) will be void. However, in the NBA, unlike the NHL, the salary cap is a soft cap. It is called soft because there are several exceptions that can apply which will allow certain contracts to exceed the cap without becoming void. An example of exceptions are Bird's Rights, Rookie Contracts, Non-Bird Rights and Mid-Level Exceptions. If a player signs a contract with a team that puts them over the salary cap, but fits into one of these exceptions, his contract will not be void and that team will be allowed to exceed the cap.
In addition, there is a provision called the Amnesty Clause which allows a team to waive a player under contract without that player's salary counting against the salary cap or luxury tax. You can only amnesty one player during the duration of the new CBA. This basically means that for cap calculating purposes you can basically erase that player from the numbers. (The Amnesty Clause of the previous CBA, still counted against the cap, while did not count towards luxury tax penalties. However, indications are that the new CBA's Amnesty Clause will not count against the cap)
Renaldo Balkman is set to make $1,675,000 for the 2012-2013 season. All reports suggest that he will be amnestied, so his salary will not count towards the Knicks cap.
2012-2013 Salaries (w/o exceptions)
Amar'e Stoudemire $19,450,000
Carmelo Anthony $19,948,799
Imam Schumpert $1,444,000 (can be up to 120% of this number which would be $1,732,800)
Toney Douglas (TO) $2,067,880 (can not excercise Bird Rights exception b/c he has team option)
Total Sum: $42,910,679
2012-2013 Cap: $61,000,000
Difference: $18,089,321
Max Salary NBA in first year (7 yr Player): $16,324,500
(Source http://members.cox.net/lmcoon/salarycap.htm#Q11)
Difference: $1,564,821
This analysis will thus proceed from the idea that Paul will take a max contract. Unless my math is wrong, this seems entirely possible.
2012-2013 Salaries (not limited by cap)
Landry Fields $1,675,000? (min. salary would be $916,100 and could not exceed 175%)
The exception that would apply to Landry Fields would be the Early Bird Rights. Early Bird Rights apply to players who have spent at least 2 years with their current team without entering free agency or being waived. Fields will just have finished his 2nd year of his rookie contract and would qualify for the Early Bird Exception in his 3rd year (2012-2013 season). This, of course, assumes that Fields does not get a big head and try to go out into free agency and try to get his big pay day.
Draft Pick $1,350,000? (assuming Rd. 1 Pk. 20)
We do not currently have a draft pick in 2012, however one of the major goals for this season will be to acquire one. If the Knicks are truly serious about getting Chris Paul, they will need to sign a rookie in 2012, because that salary will not be limited by the cap. The Rookie signing exception allows a team to sign their first round draft pick without being limited by the cap. I will not speculate as to who could be traded to collect a draft pick.
Shawne Williams? $916,100? (salary would not be able to exceed 175% of previous salary
Depending on what the Knicks do with his contract this year, Shawne Williams could qualify for the Earl Bird Exception, as he would have played 2 years with the team without being waived or entering free agency. This could be complicated in that the lockout prevented the Knicks from signing him in the offseason, and he will technically be a free agent on December 9th, but I believe if we sign him to a 1 year contract this year he would meet this exception. If we cannot get Williams under an exception we may have to sign him with whatever remains after Paul is signed.
Bill Walker $947,907?
Bill Walker, having been with the team for 3 years at that point, would qualify for the Birds Rights Exception. Any player whose rights have been controlled by a team for 3 years without being waived or entering free agency qualifies for this exception. At the end of the 3 year period, the team can re-sign him and claim the Bird Exception and that player's salary will not count against the salary cap. In addition, all indications are that he would be willing to sign for the league minimum, which would also not count against the cap.
3-4 Minimum Contracts (salary impossible to predict)
As has been stated earlier, a minimum contract is not limited by the cap. The Knicks would most likely have to sign 4 of these players to field a full roster, perhaps 3 depending on whether or not we are able to sign Shawne Williams with an exception and get a first round pick. In order to get a hold of who these players may be let's look at 2012 free agents who may be less attractive on the market in 2012/willing to accept a minimum contract to play for a contender:
Kirk Hinrich
Boris Diaw
Keith Bogans
Baron Davis
Andre Miller
Ben Wallace
James Posey
Chris Kaman
Matt Barnes
Eddie House
Nazr Mohammed
(There is also the option of the Mid-Level Exception which would allow the Knicks to even exceed the Luxury Tax Cap with a $5 million dollar signing) Unless my math is out of whack, can someone please explain why the Knicks would be unable to do this?
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Cutting Through The Spin: The Reality of Chris Paul
Ever since the ending of the lockout, there have been hundreds of articles speculating about whether Chris Paul will end up on the Knicks in 2012. Most of them have been completely and utterly vacant of facts and rational analysis. Many of them leave you more confused after you get done reading. The baffling thing is that the facts are out there, and their analysis does not need to be so heavily based in wild speculation.
There are two realities that need to be expressed up front:
(1) Unless the Hornets give him away, we will not be able to trade for Paul this season.
To illustrate this, lets just look at pure mathematics; Chris Paul is set to make $16,359,802 this year. NBA rules require that the team with the highest sum of salary be no more than 125% of the lower team's sum of salary. Hence, $16,359,802 is 125% of $12,269,852, the minimum salary that the Knicks would have to put up in exchange for Paul. Conversely, $20,449,753 is 125% of $16,359,802, the maximum salary the Knicks could put up in a straight trade for Paul.
If the Hornets do not agree to get Billups in a trade, the entire remaining Knicks roster only adds up to somewhere around $10 million. So, in summation absent trading Chauncey Billups and someone else for Paul (the Hornets wouldn't want this, it's stupid) the entire remaining roster of the Knicks would not add up to enough to satisfy the NBA rules for matching salaries in a trade. If the Hornets did accept a trade for Billups and a couple of bums, (they won't) all Knicks fans would rise in unison and thank the happy heavens. The only real asset that we could add with Billups would be (Fields or Schumpert) and Toney Douglas (maybe we throw in Billy Walker too). I would make that trade 7 days a week and then twice on Sunday. The problem of this of course is that none of these players are signed into 2012 (although Fields and Schumpert will probably be when they get their new contracts this season). Anyway, the likelihood of this happening is beyond slim because nobody wants Chauncey Billups for 1 season, especially not in exchange for Chris Paul. The only way this works is if Chris Paul straight up refuses to sign an extension with any team other than the Knicks. Melo didn't have the balls to do this, and I doubt Paul will either.
(2) The Knicks will have cap space for Paul regardless of what the cap is for 2012.
The cap for the 2011-2012 season will be $58,043,000. This cap will be adjusted for revenue for the 2012-2013 season. Economic projections suggest that the cap for 2012-2013 will rise to around $61,000,000. (Source http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/22748484/33070493)
The Knicks only have 2 players guaranteed under contract: Anthony and Stoudemire (this assumes that the Knicks use the Amnesty Clause on Renaldo Balkman, which they will probably do). The rest of the team rounds out to Toney Douglas (Team Option), Imam Schumpert (whatever his contract becomes) and Landry Fields (assuming the Knicks choose to sign him). Therefore, the roster breaks down like this:
2012-2013 Roster
Carmelo Anthony- 19,450,000
Amar'e Stoudemire- 19,948,799
Toney Douglas- 2,067,880 (Option)
Imam Schumpert- 1,444,000 (Second year 17th pick salary scale)
Landry Fields- 1,675,000 (would count as early-bird exception and could go over cap)
______________________________
Total- 40,868,799
This means that under the current cap, the Knicks would have close to $17 million to play with. Under the projected cap the Knicks will have close to $20 million to play with. Under each scenario, there would be 4 players on the roster. That means that after adding Chris Paul, the Knicks would need to have enough money to add 7 more players. None of their rookie signings would count against them, as that is an exception to the cap rule. We should have at least 1 first round pick before the end of the season (we traded ours to Houston, although I can't imagine we don't acquire one before season's end), making it 6 more players needed. In addition, resigning Landry Fields to the 3rd year of his rookie contract would be an exception (early-bird) to the cap, so his signing would not count to cap restrictions (this is assuming the Knicks would be able to sign Paul, putting them at the cap, then exercise Fields Bird-Rights subsequently)**. Meaning there would be 5 more players needed to fill out the roster, under the cap, after Paul is signed. However, if we signed all veteran minimums (which are not restricted by the cap), or league minimums to round out the roster we would be able to pay Paul a decent amount and still field a team.
Under the projected revenue scenario, the Knicks would have $20 million to sign Paul and 5 other players. This seems like a daunting task, however none of the veteran minimums would be restricted by the cap and would allow the Knicks to pay out above the cap. To put in perspective, the Miami Heat had at least 4 players at the veteran minimum last year (Erick Dampier, 35, Juwan Howard, 38, Jamaal Magloire, 33, or Mike Bibby, 33) and I believe they had as many as 6-7 (Carlos Arroyo, Zadrunas Ilgauskus and maybe James Jones). The Knicks would not have to do nearly as much, only needing to sign 4 minimums to field a 12 man roster. Below find minimum salary scale.
Therefore, it appears to me that the Knicks could offer Chris Paul $17 million and still afford a cheap player ($3 million) under the salary cap, and then add 4 more minimums in addition to their roster obligations to Imam Schumpert, Toney Douglas; signing their first round pick and exercising the early-bird exception on Landry Fields.
That would field a roster of:
PG- Paul
SG- Fields
SF- Anthony
PF- Stoudemire
C- Sign Center for $3 Mil
Bench
Imam Schumpert
Toney Douglas
First Round Pick
Min.
Min.
Min.
Min.
If this analysis is accurate, then why are all the prognosticators acting as if this would be such a difficult task? Are we to believe that Paul would not play for New York for a reduced salary because he could get a couple more million a year elsewhere? Even despite the fact he would make it up in endorsement revenue just due to the fact he was in the biggest media market. I don't understand the logic on saying that the Knicks couldn't get this done.
**Not sure if this is allowed, i.e. Knicks might have to exercise Bird-Rights prior to signing Paul.
There are two realities that need to be expressed up front:
(1) Unless the Hornets give him away, we will not be able to trade for Paul this season.
To illustrate this, lets just look at pure mathematics; Chris Paul is set to make $16,359,802 this year. NBA rules require that the team with the highest sum of salary be no more than 125% of the lower team's sum of salary. Hence, $16,359,802 is 125% of $12,269,852, the minimum salary that the Knicks would have to put up in exchange for Paul. Conversely, $20,449,753 is 125% of $16,359,802, the maximum salary the Knicks could put up in a straight trade for Paul.
If the Hornets do not agree to get Billups in a trade, the entire remaining Knicks roster only adds up to somewhere around $10 million. So, in summation absent trading Chauncey Billups and someone else for Paul (the Hornets wouldn't want this, it's stupid) the entire remaining roster of the Knicks would not add up to enough to satisfy the NBA rules for matching salaries in a trade. If the Hornets did accept a trade for Billups and a couple of bums, (they won't) all Knicks fans would rise in unison and thank the happy heavens. The only real asset that we could add with Billups would be (Fields or Schumpert) and Toney Douglas (maybe we throw in Billy Walker too). I would make that trade 7 days a week and then twice on Sunday. The problem of this of course is that none of these players are signed into 2012 (although Fields and Schumpert will probably be when they get their new contracts this season). Anyway, the likelihood of this happening is beyond slim because nobody wants Chauncey Billups for 1 season, especially not in exchange for Chris Paul. The only way this works is if Chris Paul straight up refuses to sign an extension with any team other than the Knicks. Melo didn't have the balls to do this, and I doubt Paul will either.
(2) The Knicks will have cap space for Paul regardless of what the cap is for 2012.
The cap for the 2011-2012 season will be $58,043,000. This cap will be adjusted for revenue for the 2012-2013 season. Economic projections suggest that the cap for 2012-2013 will rise to around $61,000,000. (Source http://www.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/22748484/33070493)
The Knicks only have 2 players guaranteed under contract: Anthony and Stoudemire (this assumes that the Knicks use the Amnesty Clause on Renaldo Balkman, which they will probably do). The rest of the team rounds out to Toney Douglas (Team Option), Imam Schumpert (whatever his contract becomes) and Landry Fields (assuming the Knicks choose to sign him). Therefore, the roster breaks down like this:
2012-2013 Roster
Carmelo Anthony- 19,450,000
Amar'e Stoudemire- 19,948,799
Toney Douglas- 2,067,880 (Option)
Imam Schumpert- 1,444,000 (Second year 17th pick salary scale)
______________________________
Total- 40,868,799
This means that under the current cap, the Knicks would have close to $17 million to play with. Under the projected cap the Knicks will have close to $20 million to play with. Under each scenario, there would be 4 players on the roster. That means that after adding Chris Paul, the Knicks would need to have enough money to add 7 more players. None of their rookie signings would count against them, as that is an exception to the cap rule. We should have at least 1 first round pick before the end of the season (we traded ours to Houston, although I can't imagine we don't acquire one before season's end), making it 6 more players needed. In addition, resigning Landry Fields to the 3rd year of his rookie contract would be an exception (early-bird) to the cap, so his signing would not count to cap restrictions (this is assuming the Knicks would be able to sign Paul, putting them at the cap, then exercise Fields Bird-Rights subsequently)**. Meaning there would be 5 more players needed to fill out the roster, under the cap, after Paul is signed. However, if we signed all veteran minimums (which are not restricted by the cap), or league minimums to round out the roster we would be able to pay Paul a decent amount and still field a team.
Under the projected revenue scenario, the Knicks would have $20 million to sign Paul and 5 other players. This seems like a daunting task, however none of the veteran minimums would be restricted by the cap and would allow the Knicks to pay out above the cap. To put in perspective, the Miami Heat had at least 4 players at the veteran minimum last year (Erick Dampier, 35, Juwan Howard, 38, Jamaal Magloire, 33, or Mike Bibby, 33) and I believe they had as many as 6-7 (Carlos Arroyo, Zadrunas Ilgauskus and maybe James Jones). The Knicks would not have to do nearly as much, only needing to sign 4 minimums to field a 12 man roster. Below find minimum salary scale.
Therefore, it appears to me that the Knicks could offer Chris Paul $17 million and still afford a cheap player ($3 million) under the salary cap, and then add 4 more minimums in addition to their roster obligations to Imam Schumpert, Toney Douglas; signing their first round pick and exercising the early-bird exception on Landry Fields.
That would field a roster of:
PG- Paul
SG- Fields
SF- Anthony
PF- Stoudemire
C- Sign Center for $3 Mil
Bench
Imam Schumpert
Toney Douglas
First Round Pick
Min.
Min.
Min.
Min.
If this analysis is accurate, then why are all the prognosticators acting as if this would be such a difficult task? Are we to believe that Paul would not play for New York for a reduced salary because he could get a couple more million a year elsewhere? Even despite the fact he would make it up in endorsement revenue just due to the fact he was in the biggest media market. I don't understand the logic on saying that the Knicks couldn't get this done.
**Not sure if this is allowed, i.e. Knicks might have to exercise Bird-Rights prior to signing Paul.
Free Agent Profile: Jason Collins
Collins is the fifth profile of the not unlikely, but not terribly likely the Knicks will pick up this free agent list. Collins made $854K last season.
Center
Played last season with the Atlanta Hawks.
7'0'' 255lbs Age 32. Career averages of 3.9 PPG and 4.0 RPG. (2.0/2.1)
Collins has the potential to be a good signing despite being utterly useless. While Collins numbers are traditionally low, and his impact on the game tends to be lower from a competitive standpoint, he still finds a way to remain 7 feet tall on a daily basis. If osteoporosis does not set in, allowing Collins to keep his 7 foot stature, he could be an effective addition to a team that will only require him to rebound and pass the ball. The reason he is so low on the probability scale is that despite his uselessness there are plenty of teams that still believe he has an upside and will be willing to overpay for his services. This includes his former team, who knows first hand of his uselessness and still would like to resign him. The Knicks will not be able to compete in this madness market. I would place Collins in a place similar to Dampier: only pull the trigger if you can get him for the minimum and between 1-2 years. This is unlikely, unless Atlanta passes on him, preventing the madness market from driving up his asking price.
Player most likely to be waived to add this player: Jerome Jordan.
Center
Played last season with the Atlanta Hawks.
7'0'' 255lbs Age 32. Career averages of 3.9 PPG and 4.0 RPG. (2.0/2.1)
Collins has the potential to be a good signing despite being utterly useless. While Collins numbers are traditionally low, and his impact on the game tends to be lower from a competitive standpoint, he still finds a way to remain 7 feet tall on a daily basis. If osteoporosis does not set in, allowing Collins to keep his 7 foot stature, he could be an effective addition to a team that will only require him to rebound and pass the ball. The reason he is so low on the probability scale is that despite his uselessness there are plenty of teams that still believe he has an upside and will be willing to overpay for his services. This includes his former team, who knows first hand of his uselessness and still would like to resign him. The Knicks will not be able to compete in this madness market. I would place Collins in a place similar to Dampier: only pull the trigger if you can get him for the minimum and between 1-2 years. This is unlikely, unless Atlanta passes on him, preventing the madness market from driving up his asking price.
Player most likely to be waived to add this player: Jerome Jordan.
Free Agent Profile: Dan Gadzuric
Gadzuric is the fourth profile of the not unlikely, but not terribly likely the Knicks will pick up this free agent list. Gadzuric made $7.2 million last season.
Center
Played last season with the New Jersey Nets.
6'11'' 240lbs Age 33. Career averages of 4.7 PPG and 4.4 RPG. (2.8/3.2)
This profile may be irrelevant considering the fact that he signed a contract to play in China. However, assuming he is able to get an out clause in his Chinese deal, Gadzuric would be a decent option for the Knicks. I won't waste much time considering his contractual obligations, but in summary: Gadzuric is an unimpressive center that can provide a body on the inside for rebounding and may be willing to accept a 1 year minimum deal for the promise of increased playing time and a chance to reestablish himself in the NBA. He literally can do nothing well, but he is a mediocre rebounder. The Knicks could use him as an insurance policy for Ronny Turiaf, stealing minutes from the old man's back. Other than that, don't hold your breath and if we do end up signing him, don't go jumping for joy.
Player most likely to be waived to add this player: Jerome Jordan
Center
Played last season with the New Jersey Nets.
6'11'' 240lbs Age 33. Career averages of 4.7 PPG and 4.4 RPG. (2.8/3.2)
This profile may be irrelevant considering the fact that he signed a contract to play in China. However, assuming he is able to get an out clause in his Chinese deal, Gadzuric would be a decent option for the Knicks. I won't waste much time considering his contractual obligations, but in summary: Gadzuric is an unimpressive center that can provide a body on the inside for rebounding and may be willing to accept a 1 year minimum deal for the promise of increased playing time and a chance to reestablish himself in the NBA. He literally can do nothing well, but he is a mediocre rebounder. The Knicks could use him as an insurance policy for Ronny Turiaf, stealing minutes from the old man's back. Other than that, don't hold your breath and if we do end up signing him, don't go jumping for joy.
Player most likely to be waived to add this player: Jerome Jordan
Free Agent Profile: Joel Przybilla
Przybilla is the third profile of the not unlikely, but not terribly likely the Knicks will pick up this free agent list. Przybilla made $7.4 million last season.
Center
Played last season with the Charlotte Bobcats.
7'1'' 245lbs Age 32. Career averages of 4.0 PPG and 6.3 RPG. (1.8/4)
If you can get past the inexplicable placement of the Z before the Y in his last name, Przybilla provides the most talent upside of anyone on the list. However, he is also the player most likely to demand more money on this list. Przybilla received over $7 million and last season and is not on his last legs. Despite his injury history, Przybilla has continuously had teams coveting his services. In fact, the Knicks tried to make an in-season trade for him last year. Unless he has a strong yearning to play in New York, I don't see why Przybilla would take a pay cut to come play for the Bockers. Especially, since he has openly stated that he wants to play for Milwaukee where his family resides. Then again, after being traded to the Bobcats midseason last year, Przybilla started 0 of the 9 games he was in Charlotte. The Knicks would be able to promise Przybilla significant playing time and this could appeal to a player trying to reestablish himself as a contributor in the NBA.
In any event, assuming we are able to get Przybilla to lower his asking price, the Knicks will get a big body with a decent offensive glass game. He does not bang on the boards like the previous two players profiled, but Przybilla has a strong reputation as a player who just flat out gets boards and blocks when he gets an opportunity to get on the court. In particular, his 7'1'' frame will provide much needed intimidation in the post area, circa the Marcus Camby days, to compensate for the poor team perimeter defense.
The big knock on him is that he is just coming off his second knee surgery and does not have the same athleticism he once had. This could be a gift or a curse for the Knicks. The gift side would be that his diminished upside will make him lower his asking price, allowing the Knicks to acquire him without sacrificing their long term goals. The curse side could be that he is so far gone from his productive days that he cannot even handle the limited role of cleaning up the boards and passing to Melo that will be required of him in a Knicks uniform. Overall, the likelihood of signing Przybilla is entirely dependent on other teams desire to sign him. If their is any sort of competition on that front, upping his asking price, the Knicks will pass on him and move on to one of their other options (limited as they may be).
Player most likely to be waived for him to replace: Jerome Jordan.
Center
Played last season with the Charlotte Bobcats.
7'1'' 245lbs Age 32. Career averages of 4.0 PPG and 6.3 RPG. (1.8/4)
If you can get past the inexplicable placement of the Z before the Y in his last name, Przybilla provides the most talent upside of anyone on the list. However, he is also the player most likely to demand more money on this list. Przybilla received over $7 million and last season and is not on his last legs. Despite his injury history, Przybilla has continuously had teams coveting his services. In fact, the Knicks tried to make an in-season trade for him last year. Unless he has a strong yearning to play in New York, I don't see why Przybilla would take a pay cut to come play for the Bockers. Especially, since he has openly stated that he wants to play for Milwaukee where his family resides. Then again, after being traded to the Bobcats midseason last year, Przybilla started 0 of the 9 games he was in Charlotte. The Knicks would be able to promise Przybilla significant playing time and this could appeal to a player trying to reestablish himself as a contributor in the NBA.
In any event, assuming we are able to get Przybilla to lower his asking price, the Knicks will get a big body with a decent offensive glass game. He does not bang on the boards like the previous two players profiled, but Przybilla has a strong reputation as a player who just flat out gets boards and blocks when he gets an opportunity to get on the court. In particular, his 7'1'' frame will provide much needed intimidation in the post area, circa the Marcus Camby days, to compensate for the poor team perimeter defense.
The big knock on him is that he is just coming off his second knee surgery and does not have the same athleticism he once had. This could be a gift or a curse for the Knicks. The gift side would be that his diminished upside will make him lower his asking price, allowing the Knicks to acquire him without sacrificing their long term goals. The curse side could be that he is so far gone from his productive days that he cannot even handle the limited role of cleaning up the boards and passing to Melo that will be required of him in a Knicks uniform. Overall, the likelihood of signing Przybilla is entirely dependent on other teams desire to sign him. If their is any sort of competition on that front, upping his asking price, the Knicks will pass on him and move on to one of their other options (limited as they may be).
Player most likely to be waived for him to replace: Jerome Jordan.
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