Yep, The Knicks Are Still The Knicks

by Jeff Clark on Jul 11, 2008 7:41 PM EDT in NBA Articles

The Knicks have rejected a proposal from the Clippers to trade power forward Zach Randolph, league sources told SI.com. Terms of any proposal were not known, but the Clippers have enough salary-cap space to accept Randolph's contract without having to give the Knicks equal salaries in return. The Clippers, seeking to replace the departed Elton Brand, were trying to take Randolph off the Knicks' hands while offering little more than cap relief to New York, the sources said. Randolph will make $14.7 million next season, and he has three years and $48 million left on his contract.

I love it. The Knicks may be under new ownership, but they just struck out on a golden opportunity to shed huge amounts of salary. But don't take my word for it. Here's what Knickerblogger has to say:

You have to hope that Donnie Walsh knows what he’s doing here. Because getting rid of Randolph fits in perfectly with his plan of getting under the cap by 2010, and many Knick fans would love to see what David Lee could do as the full time starter...
On the other hand if you’re seeing the cup half empty at this point, you’re wondering if Walsh has lost his mind. Because those are the only plausible reasons for Walsh not saying "Hmmm lemme think about that for a - YES I’LL DO IT! Ahem - I mean yes, that’ll do." Randolph is not needed on this team. He wasn’t needed last year when the Isiah acquired him for basically nothing. He doesn’t give the Knicks anything they need (shooting - check, rebounding - check, poor defense - check, man breasts - Curry still on this team? - then check).

So it is nice to know that the Clippers are still the Clippers (losing all their best players) and the Knicks are still the Knicks (stuck in salary cap purgatory).

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My guess is that the deal was Mobley and Tim Thomas for Randolph. And Walsh had the nerve to reject it.

Let’s face the facts. You can never win with Randolph. I’m not the first one to say it. And I certainly won’t be the last.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lvYf08X6tc

This is the kind of possession that Randolph gives you consistently. He is a terrible ball hog. Perhaps the worst black hole in recent NBA history. Very few guys average more turnovers per game than assists, steals, and blocks per game COMBINED. The only other player to do that? EDDY CURRY.

The Knicks will continue to be terrible for at least 3 more years, the way I see it.

by TradeProposalDude on Jul 11, 2008 7:53 PM EDT reply actions

That’s easily the dumbest thing I’ve heard today. Are we sure Isiah isn’t running things still?

by Green17 on Jul 11, 2008 7:57 PM EDT reply actions

Wow, what a terrible move by the NYK, if true.

by Cman on Jul 11, 2008 8:15 PM EDT reply actions

Why should the Knicks give Randolph away for nothing? The Clips weren’t offering payers, they were offering to take Randolph for nothing. You can do that when you are 25 million dollars under the cap.

by Brickowski on Jul 11, 2008 9:30 PM EDT reply actions

Brick makes a good point. We may hate on Randolph because of his contract, but it’s not like the guy gives you NOTHING. He can score, and he’s not too far removed from a 20-10 average (or very close to it), is he?

Time will tell if Walsh made a mistake here, but given that it seems like it’s just absorbing the contract with nothing in return, I’m not inclined to dis Walsh just yet.

by BUTerrier on Jul 11, 2008 9:40 PM EDT reply actions

If all the NBA players were thrown back into a pool and the teams were re-drafted from scratch, it’s my contention that Z-Bo could reasonably be the last guy to go overall.

He is the type of ‘scorer’ who completely stagnates the offense and makes the other four fellas on the floor obsolete. He may well be the worst defender in the league. He isn’t a good locker room guy. His basketball IQ is minimal. His attitude is an absolute disaster.

Giving him away for ‘nothing’ would have been a steal of a move for the Knicks. In fact, it would have been the very epitome of ‘addition by subtraction.’

Love your wrap, Jeff, but one quick note — it’s the management that’s new in the Walsh/D’Antoni tandem. The putrid ownership (James Dolan/Cablevision) remains the same. Just wanted to clarify.

-sw

by Steve Weinman on Jul 11, 2008 10:10 PM EDT reply actions

hey, the knicks are needed as the anti christ. keep it up knicks.

by nazzbo on Jul 11, 2008 10:27 PM EDT reply actions

Yeah, he is a 20/10 guy, but an extremely inefficient one at that. 20/10 isn’t that hard to put up when you consider how Randolph manages to put up those stats. Every Randolph possession is an iso which ends with a low percentage fadeaway or “lefty hook.” Gotta love those.

If indeed the Clippers were willing to trade for Zach for a mere trade exception or pick, Walsh is an idiot for not pulling the trigger. The Knicks look a lot more like a team with no Zach.

by TradeProposalDude on Jul 11, 2008 10:46 PM EDT reply actions

He’s awful. And has to go. But why deal a guy when his trade value is at an all time low?

Why not wait a few months? It’s not like you’re heading for the playoffs this year.

Good for NY for rejecting the deal. It would have been a panic move to dump him now. Play that card later.

by FallGuy on Jul 11, 2008 11:16 PM EDT reply actions

I don’t know what the Clips were offering. But when someone wants to take Zack’s enormous contract and poor attitude out of your hands, you have to give it a strong consideration.

by kozlodoev on Jul 11, 2008 11:50 PM EDT reply actions

Why should the Knicks give Randolph away for nothing?

Cap space

Assuming it’s Mobley and Thomas. Their contracts come off the books one year earlier in time for 2010. NY media keeps running stories about LeBron and Co in 2010 but the Knicks don’t actually have the cap space to sign a max contract that summer. It’s the following year when they get significant cap space. Mobley and Thomas come off in time for them to make a run at all those top free agents like LeBron in 2010.

Donnie is clearly working towards 2010, just look at Duhon’s contract which backs up his words so far. This solves all his problems for 2010, problems which could be difficult to solve if he turns this deal down.

It also clears the way for David Lee who’s a better fit next to Eddy Curry and a quality player. NY are a better team without Zach because of how poor fit all the pieces are. The trio of Lee-Randolph-Curry can’t be kept together because they’re too poor defensively. Randolph’s open minutes could be used to better effect long term on a defensive anchor at power forward allowing Curry to continue on despite his flaws. If they were able to land that player Lee would return to the bench.

That’s the virtue of the trade for NY

Virtue of the trade for the Clips is cap space too, albeit immediate cap space. They retain enough flexibility to go add a top wing to their rotation while having a five-some of Baron-Kaman-Zach-Thornton-Gordon.

by Who on Jul 12, 2008 12:47 AM EDT reply actions

If I were NY, I would be looking to move Eddy Curry first and foremost. They wasted two lottery picks on him and he did nothing last year. Between Curry and Randolph, nobody else was ever a factor really. Jamaal Crawford’s good games were far and few between.
I think B-diddy and Z-bo would’ve been a nice combo, actually.

by Tradetime on Jul 12, 2008 4:05 AM EDT reply actions