Knicks · Raymond Felton officially a Knick (page 1)

Jeremy Lin could be a former Knick by midnight Tuesday.

The Knicks have until the end of Tuesday to decide whether to match the three-year, $25.1-million offer sheet the wildly popular Lin signed with Houston. The offer includes a $14.89-million "poison pill" in the third year that prompted Knicks All-Star Carmelo Anthony to call it a "ridiculous contract" and might make the organization cut ties with Lin.

The Knicks haven't commented since Lin received the offer sheet, but they finalized the trade for point guard Raymond Felton Monday, which could signal the end of Lin-sanity in New York.

The Knicks had every intention of matching offers for Lin, a restricted free agent who averaged 17.7 points and 8.2 assists in 25 starts and was even more valuable to them from a business and marketing standpoint.

But the Knicks can't be happy that the terms of the deal Lin originally agreed upon with Houston changed. It was a four-year, $28.8-million contract, and the fourth year was a $9.3-million team option.

Besides perhaps being upset that they were blindsided by the addition of about $5.6 million in the third year, the Knicks will face immense luxury-tax ramifications if they match.

More than $70 million already is committed to Anthony, Amar'e Stoudemire, Tyson Chandler, Jason Kidd, Steve Novak and Felton for the 2014-15 season. Lin would put the Knicks at more than $85 million.

The luxury-tax penalties are stiffer starting in 2013-14. Based on the collective-bargaining agreement, Lin's third-year salary could cost the Knicks an additional $28.5 million in luxury tax.

The deal isn't as onerous for Houston. The average salary of the contract counts on the Rockets' books for $8.35 million each year.

The Knicks might go right to the deadline before letting Lin and the Rockets know their decision.

Last Wednesday, coach Mike Woodson said "absolutely" when he was asked if he expected Lin back. He also was asked if the Knicks blinked at Houston's original offer. Woodson replied "never once" and said Lin would be the starting point guard heading into training camp.

But after Houston upped the ante in the third year, the Knicks started looking for an alternative at point guard and brought back Felton.

He and another former Knick, Kurt Thomas, returned to the Knicks in a sign-and-trade that sent Jared Jeffries, Dan Gadzuric, the draft rights to Kostas Papanikolaou and Giorgos Printezis and a protected future second-round draft pick to Portland.

Felton signed a guaranteed three-year deal with a fourth-year player option that could make the contract worth about $18 million overall.

In 54 games with the Knicks in the 2010-11 season, Felton averaged 17.1 points and 9.0 assists before being traded to Denver in the Anthony deal.

Thomas, 39, remains a solid post defender.

The Knicks also signed 6-8 forward Chris Copeland to a non-guaranteed contract. Copeland, who has played the past five seasons in Europe, is on the Knicks' summer-league team.

Source:http://www.newsday.com/sports/basketball...

crzymdups wrote:oh, good thing we haven't discussed this yet today.

This makes it offical. People were saying the deal might not go through.

Deal is for 4 years at 4+ million per. They gave him a player option which shows how much they want him.

AnubisADL wrote:

crzymdups wrote:oh, good thing we haven't discussed this yet today.

This makes it offical. People were saying the deal might not go through.

Deal is for 4 years at 4+ million per. They gave him a player option which shows how much they want him.

we covered the official-ness of the deal pretty extensively in the other thread. but ok.

If the Knicks front office is willing to give Felton this deal but not willing to match on Lin.....I'm definitely done with this franchise.

This wreaks of Isiah era....Grunwald (or Isiah if he is pulling the strings) is giving up every single asset we have to go all in with a team that might not even be better than last year's team (last year's team at full strength).

If we bring Lin back....fine, this just becomes the Knicks cashing in on the Jeffries/Gadz contracts to add more "win now" talent through sign and trade before this stuff is outlawed next season. If we don't bring Lin back, this becomes us overpaying for mediocre talent (which we're really doing even if Lin comes back).

BigDaddyG wrote:Cool. Hopefully he can last a week without getting caught in drug bust, alcohol related incident, sex scandal.....

i'm more worried he'll get caught in a KFC

crzymdups wrote:

BigDaddyG wrote:Cool. Hopefully he can last a week without getting caught in drug bust, alcohol related incident, sex scandal.....

i'm more worried he'll get caught in a KFC

CashMoney wrote:It's amusing that so many were pissed when Felton was included in the Melo trade becuase he was a baller but all of a sudden he's a fat, brick shooting, no passing skill bumb.

Lin > Felton > Billups (at his advanced age)

doesn't that make sense?

also, it's inarguable that Felton had a really bad year and seemed to be in the worst shape of his career.

i just hope he comes to NY motivated and in shape.

i like the guy. i don't want to lose Lin, but I don't hold that against Felton. Ray seemed to like NY and i respect his effort and heart.

I just don't think he's as good as Lin. By a lot.

CashMoney wrote:It's amusing that so many were pissed when Felton was included in the Melo trade becuase he was a baller but all of a sudden he's a fat, brick shooting, no passing skill bumb.

and no Dantoni offense

CashMoney wrote:It's amusing that so many were pissed when Felton was included in the Melo trade becuase he was a baller but all of a sudden he's a fat, brick shooting, no passing skill bumb.

Small ball lineup. AKA the beat the Heat lineup.

Amare
Melo
Smith
Shumpert
Felton

AnubisADL wrote:Dam. Cant wait to see Felton and Shumpert in the backcourt. 2 Rottweilers in the backcourt.

Small ball lineup. AKA the beat the Heat lineup.

Amare
Melo
Smith
Shumpert
Felton

good luck with that.

the way to beat the heat is size inside. knicks have size in camby and tyson... unfortunately they have no offensive game.

lol

felton...surely the answer to it all!

PresIke wrote:beat the heat?

lol

felton...surely the answer to it all!

There ain't no answer unless his name is Chris Paul

mrKnickShot wrote:

PresIke wrote:beat the heat?

lol

felton...surely the answer to it all!

There ain't no answer unless his name is Chris Paul

Well then, type to pack it in and start rebuilding again.

mrKnickShot wrote:

PresIke wrote:beat the heat?

lol

felton...surely the answer to it all!

There ain't no answer unless his name is Chris Paul

well, the knicks literally have no chance of acquiring chris paul if they don't re-sign Lin. and even if they do re-sign Lin they have no chance of acquiring chris paul.

and since when is chris paul gonna beat the heat?