at the end of next season, Melo will have his player option (just like JR does this summer). So if things dont get better next yr (and i dont think it will with rondo, DRose and the heat still around), then Melo could walk and look to JOIN a winning team. Nowadays it wouldnt even surprise me if he joins the enemy (THE HEAT) just to get a ring. To me, Melo is a great one-dimensional offensive talent but with weaknesses. You can build around him to win a ring ONLY if you have a GREAT supporting cast (a good cast takes you to the 2nd rd and thats it). Being that we dont have ANY cap room to make any major improvement for next yr, he might get frustrated and join someone elses team
Nah, I can't see him leaving. He is a Knick. Just gotta help get a more reliable supporting cast. The old and injured bunch we tried to surround him with this year didn't work out
I agree. He has a better chance of becoming a hall-of-famer if he has a reduced role as the 2nd scoring option on a championship-contending team. That could be Miami, OKC, or some other team. He could fit in well with Harden, Parsons, and Asik actually - as long as Harden and Melo were willing to sacrifice their own scoring #s.
None of the old worked out in the playoffs. JKIDD broke down, KT, Wallace and Camby all broke down too. Grunwald failed the playoff test. Second straight year the old broke down see Bibby and Davis. Youth movement needs to start.
I could only see him opting out if there was a good team that could offer him the same amount of money as us. Other than that unlikely scenario Melo's staying here.
He went thru a lot to get to New York and had a very good year. Don't see why he would leave. Not everyone is a ring-chaser. Maybe when he is 36 but not 29.
@matt...these players nowadays are only loyal to themselves and their legacy. He needs a ring and miami might win the next three...
http://www.hoopsworld.com/2014-nba-free-...Let him opt out then so we can go after Kyrie Irving and Andre Drummond in 2015. The future is bleak knowing how good the Bulls probably will be next year at full strength, Indy is young and Miami is about to win another ring. This year was the window.
Vmart wrote:None of the old worked out in the playoffs. JKIDD broke down, KT, Wallace and Camby all broke down too. Grunwald failed the playoff test. Second straight year the old broke down see Bibby and Davis. Youth movement needs to start.
Youth movement was suppose to start 10 yrs ago.
Everybody thinks championships are built in a NY minute.
NYC culture is our worst enemy. Between the media and the fans, there is no patients to build a team through youth movement.
So we continue this trend of adding free agents, and vets trying to cheat our way to a championship. It's like a broken record thats been broken for a decade!
sealy wrote:http://www.hoopsworld.com/2014-nba-free-...Let him opt out then so we can go after Kyrie Irving and Andre Drummond in 2015. The future is bleak knowing how good the Bulls probably will be next year at full strength, Indy is young and Miami is about to win another ring. This year was the window.
We don't want to just lose him for nothing. Even trading him for an expiring contract a few draft picks would be better.
sealy wrote:http://www.hoopsworld.com/2014-nba-free-...Let him opt out then so we can go after Kyrie Irving and Andre Drummond in 2015. The future is bleak knowing how good the Bulls probably will be next year at full strength, Indy is young and Miami is about to win another ring. This year was the window.
They are restricted free agents. Their team will match. 
sealy wrote:http://www.hoopsworld.com/2014-nba-free-...Let him opt out then so we can go after Kyrie Irving and Andre Drummond in 2015. The future is bleak knowing how good the Bulls probably will be next year at full strength, Indy is young and Miami is about to win another ring. This year was the window.
Kyrie Irving will be a restricted free agent that Summer, he's not going anywhere. Drummond has a team option that year and in all likelihood won't be a free agent at all.
The good thing about Melo is that he's in his prime and will be for another 2-3 seasons or so depending on how he takes care of himself.
Stat and Chandler are coming off the books after 2 more seasons. If we're going to trade them in their expiring year it can't be for anything stupid to put us in the same mess the Ewing trade put us in.
We have a chance to land Kyrie in 2015. If Melo doesn't have too severe of a decline and we can build around him, Shumpert and make some smart depth moves, we can have a decent run after this core.
We're in pretty tough shape in terms of flexibility for the next 2 seasons, but we can still be good until we can turn STAT and Chandler into something better over a little time.
Melo can be a Champion but he needs help though, just like every other star in the history of the league. I refuse to blame this on him. He was great this year. He's not LeBron, but he's still our best shot at competing. And I'm happy we have him.
The Knicks arent getting Kyrie Irving in 2015. He is going to get the MAX and Cleveland will match.
2015 potential unrestricted free agents
Kevin Love
Lamarcus Aldridge
Marc Gasol
Roy Hibbert
No good guards in 2015.
MSG3 wrote:The good thing about Melo is that he's in his prime and will be for another 2-3 seasons or so depending on how he takes care of himself. Stat and Chandler are coming off the books after 2 more seasons. If we're going to trade them in their expiring year it can't be for anything stupid to put us in the same mess the Ewing trade put us in.
We have a chance to land Kyrie in 2015. If Melo doesn't have too severe of a decline and we can build around him, Shumpert and make some smart depth moves, we can have a decent run after this core.
We're in pretty tough shape in terms of flexibility for the next 2 seasons, but we can still be good until we can turn STAT and Chandler into something better over a little time.
Melo can be a Champion but he needs help though, just like every other star in the history of the league. I refuse to blame this on him. He was great this year. He's not LeBron, but he's still our best shot at competing. And I'm happy we have him.
No we don't. He's a restricted free agent and Cleveland can match any offer for him. There's no chance he's leaving Cleveland.
VCoug wrote:sealy wrote:http://www.hoopsworld.com/2014-nba-free-...Let him opt out then so we can go after Kyrie Irving and Andre Drummond in 2015. The future is bleak knowing how good the Bulls probably will be next year at full strength, Indy is young and Miami is about to win another ring. This year was the window.
Kyrie Irving will be a restricted free agent that Summer, he's not going anywhere. Drummond has a team option that year and in all likelihood won't be a free agent at all.
Option is after 2014 season, which is why I wrote 2015.
If Melo leaves after next season we wont have to take garbage back to dump him. If we can still trade him for the like of Kyrie we should do it now.
loweyecue wrote:If Melo leaves after next season we wont have to take garbage back to dump him. If we can still trade him for the like of Kyrie we should do it now.
Now the Knicks need to 'dump' Melo?
sealy wrote:VCoug wrote:sealy wrote:http://www.hoopsworld.com/2014-nba-free-...Let him opt out then so we can go after Kyrie Irving and Andre Drummond in 2015. The future is bleak knowing how good the Bulls probably will be next year at full strength, Indy is young and Miami is about to win another ring. This year was the window.
Kyrie Irving will be a restricted free agent that Summer, he's not going anywhere. Drummond has a team option that year and in all likelihood won't be a free agent at all.
Option is after 2014 season, which is why I wrote 2015.
You're talking about the Summer of 2015, yes? Kyrie will be a restricted free agent and Cleveland will match any offer for him; Drummond has a team option and almost certainly won't be a free agent.
Yeah and he is going to screw us to the wall. He will force us to give him a max extension eating up 50% of are salary cap. He will get 23 million a year with 15% raises for 3 more seasons. It will totally destroy any chance of winning
AnubisADL wrote:The Knicks arent getting Kyrie Irving in 2015. He is going to get the MAX and Cleveland will match.2015 potential unrestricted free agents
Kevin Love
Lamarcus Aldridge
Marc Gasol
Roy Hibbert
No good guards in 2015.
Marc Gasol has been fantastic. Had we had him instead of the overrated Tyson Chandler we would of won the Pacer series. not sure Melo would be okay with the O running through Marc though
