Knicks/Celtics DOA Deal

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Newark Star Ledger

Knicks: Financial limitations put Knicks on hold



Thursday, July 03, 2003


BY DAVE D'ALESSANDRO
Star-Ledger Staff

Two days into the free-agent grab bag, the Knicks are on the sidelines
waiting their turn, and they figure to be there for a while.

Team president Scott Layden and assistant GM Jeff Nix made all their
perfunctory phone calls the past two days, informing agents for no fewer
than a dozen players that the Knicks are willing to spend their salary
cap exceptions, and that they should keep them in mind.


Among the players were centers Rasho Nesterovic and Brad Miller, whom
the Knicks have no chance of getting unless there is a nuclear winter
for free agents, as Dallas owner Mark Cuban predicts; forward Lamar Odom
of the Clippers, who is restricted, and therefore likely to stay in
L.A.; and point guard Andre Miller, who is also unobtainable.

There are more affordable, unrestricted solutions that would fill needs
for the Knicks, be it for a point guard upgrade (Speedy Claxton), muscle
(Andrew DeClercq, Tony Massenburg), post presence (Elden Campbell), or
athleticism (Donnell Harvey).

One development, however, suggests that the Knicks could be in the
running for some bigger names because of the prevailing economic winds:
Sacramento forward Keon Clark, one of the most valued forwards on the
market, decided not to opt out of his contract and will settle for a $5
million contract next season -- ostensibly because he anticipates a
tight-fisted climate. This could create a domino effect, whereby others
will find themselves settling for less, if most teams are unwilling to
use their $4.8 million mid-level exception -- and the Knicks, of course,
are not one of them.

Either way, the Knicks are in a holding pattern, awaiting some of the
bigger names to fall through the cracks when signing day arrives July
16.

Until then, Layden is pursuing trades that will satisfy four priorities:
Acquiring a center; upgrading the point guard position; relieving the
power forward congestion; and getting more athletic. But no trade that
includes Kurt Thomas can be completed unless the Knicks get a center in
return. Therefore, the proposed deal involving Thomas for Antoine Walker
is problematic: The Celtics won't do the deal unless Thomas is involved,
but adding up the salaries -- Walker will make $13 million, Thomas a
shade over $5 million -- is not even the hardest part to resolve; the
Knicks would be left without anyone who can defend the post.

There aren't many great defensive centers available. Even the good
offensive pivots will prove elusive -- landing Nesterovic, for example,
is a pipedream, just as it was a year ago. The 7-foot Slovenian, a poor
rebounder for his size, stands to get far more from the Timberwolves
than what the Knicks can offer.