Porzingis and the "Process"

[adp98]

The New York Knicks reached an agreement Monday with free agent Amare Stoudemire after receiving assurances it would not be an impediment to their pursuit of LeBron James.

The All-Star forward will receive a five-year, $99.7 million contract that will reunite him with coach Mike D'Antoni.


Stoudemire's agent, Happy Walters, said last week there was a "structure of an offer on the table," but no actual offer was put forth by the Knicks until they met with Stoudemire at Madison Square Garden on Monday afternoon. The deal cannot be signed until Thursday.

"The fact that Amare really wanted to come here and stepped up front, it got to the point that we had to acknowledge that," team president Donnie Walsh said. "That means something to us."

The Knicks believe they are still in the hunt for James (and, to a lesser degree, for Dwyane Wade), but Sunday night's news that James planned to delay making a decision until Wednesday or Thursday helped force their hand in regards to Stoudemire.

New York has been assured the Stoudemire agreement will not be an impediment to their chances of signing James or Wade, sources told ESPN.com, and the Knicks ultimately decided it might give them an advantage in the LeBron sweepstakes because James wanted the Cavs to acquire Stoudemire last February at the trading deadline.

 

[NickleDimer]

Yes, officially a sign and trade on the back end because the Knicks dumped the pick to clear space to sign other FA's. If you read the article on ESPN it says, signed free agent Amare. It was an after the fact trade. The guy was a FA and the Suns simply took the pick because the Knicks wanted to dump it.

I looked into it more - it was a sign and trade b/c the Suns were the only team that could give Amare that type of contract. The pick was top 55 protected and was never conveyed. So, the Suns only got the trade exception, which they used to get Childress and Warrick and possibly some part of Vince Carter and Gortat.

 

[NickleDimer]

For all intents and purposes, it was a free agent signing. But technically, it was a sign and trade.

 

[adp98]

Tell that to ESPN and everyone else. The Knicks simply flipped the 2nd rounder to clear more cap space. The trade exemption was to make the numbers work. It happened because the Knicks wanted to clear space for Lebron or Wade. Amare choose NY first, and this stuff followed. Which was why it was initially reported as he signed a FA deal per ESPN. Which was the point Burrs was debating. He wanted to sign in NYC, it wasn't a straight sign and trade deal where he was holding the Suns up a la Melo. He was already gone, the Suns had already signed his replacements but the Knicks were trying to clear every penny and thus dumped the pick. Doesn't matter if it ever conveyed, it came off their books during that summer of FA. Unfortunately for them, they never got another guy to come join Amare.

 

[Burrs5]

ND, thanks for the update....

OK, so when one glances at something and sees the word TRADED then it's easy to understand why one would think it was a trade without doing additional research. After going back and seeing the date, then it dawned on me that it may have been a sign and trade type thing.

Regardless, the notion that the CoDB basketball team has its way with FAs in the NBA isn't correct. Again, could that change? Yes. We'll see. I think when Melo is done and Zinger develops like people think he will, then they'll have a chance to lure/add. Not until that time, tho. Expect more 3rd-tier moves like Lopez/Affalo/Williams this past offseason.

I'm putting this out there and will take all of the harassment is I'm wrong. I believe the Sixers will become a top 3/4 conference team before the Knicks.

 

[Burrs5]

And if they would of picked up another guy to join Amare it wouldn't have mattered because his skills/body started to erode rather quickly.

 

[adp98]

I agree on the NYC being overstated. In terms of Amare he was a FA and wanted to come there. That was my point. I'm all for bashing CoDBers but we need to keep it fair and balanced. Note, Amare was a terrible signing and he simply took the money because everyone else, including the Suns, knew his knees were done.

 

[NickleDimer]

I'm putting this out there and will take all of the harassment is I'm wrong. I believe the Sixers will become a top 3/4 conference team before the Knicks.

I will call you at the Nursing home in 50 years when this happens.

 

[LizReed]

I will call you at the Nursing home in 50 years when this happens.

You'll be 122 when that happens. Not a chance.

 

[Burrs5]

I agree on the NYC being overstated. In terms of Amare he was a FA and wanted to come there. That was my point. I'm all for bashing CoDBers but we need to keep it fair and balanced. Note, Amare was a terrible signing and he simply took the money because everyone else, including the Suns, knew his knees were done.

Who hasn't kept it fair and balanced? The site said "traded" that's what I went on. Ok, Amare was a FA, even though technically he was traded. Spin if you like. Does fukking one mean that it's been a destination place for players? I hope not.

 

[adp98]

Who hasn't kept it fair and balanced? The site said "traded" that's what I went on. Ok, Amare was a FA, even though technically he was traded. Spin if you like. Does fukking one mean that it's been a destination place for players? I hope not.

I agree it's not a destination for players. We've always agreed on this point. Those tax rates are a killer

 

[Burrs5]

I will call you at the Nursing home in 50 years when this happens.

I'll take the unders

 

[NickleDimer]

Ok, Amare was a FA, even though technically he was traded. Spin if you like.

You're the one spinning it. He was a FA and the entire deal was done so that he could play in NY. The sign and trade was only a tool to structure his salary favorably.