ekstarks94 wrote:TripleThreat wrote:ekstarks94 wrote:From KnicksFilmSchool:Again, there are three ways to build in the NBA: free agency, the draft and trades. Following the Porzingis deal, the Knicks have more cap space than any team in league history, seven first rounders over the next five years – including a likely top-five pick this season – and a bevy of young trade chips to rival any team outside of Boston or LA.All of this, in a market that keeps coming up again…and again…and again, every time one of these big-name guys becomes available.
This(the bolded) is crazy!
A massive amount of open cap space still runs into the question on whether you have the BIRD RIGHTS of the players who comprise your team core.
Many teams will have five first rounders in five years. No one is giving up the farm for Knox, Frank N, Trier and/or MRob. Maybe that changes in time, but not now.
Knicks have slim to none chance at the biggest impact names in FA.
They are better off than compared to two years ago, but it's not the windfall everyone considers it to be.
That is all true...but it allows you to pursue many different avenues to get better than if you do not have flexibility. However if not used wisely it can be a curse and create problems for years...I believe we all know our Knicks history to believe thatAlso with exception of Vonleah we have bird rights to everyone
Cap space is a RENEWABLE RESOURCE. It's like draft picks. And minutes. If you don't use it, and you above the cap floor, you don't get a rebate on it. You don't get a rollover on the money into the next season. You might save some cash (i.e. CASH HIT) but the Knicks are a cash rich team, so this isn't a massive concern ( A team like Atlanta is a different story)
The Knicks MUST get to the cap floor. When Sam Hinkie was ousted, this was made silently clear by the league administration. While it's technically legal to get to the floor during the season, Silver will simply fuck with you if you don't have that locked by the start of the regular season.
The best situation is to rent the space out for picks and/or possible young cost controlled assets. This team is likely not getting a Durant or a Thompson. Without their Bird Rights, you can't go over the cap to build a team around them and any contender needs to go over the cap and into the luxury tax zone to build a real team.
You need the Bird Rights to CORE FRANCHISE TYPE PLAYERS. Which is why all this talk of giving Irving and Durant max money is insane. Odds are they are not coming to the Knicks. Without the Bird Rights, there are limited to no avenues to make the money work to build a team around them. Think about the Warriors, they didn't have the Bird Rights to Durant, but need a historic level cap spike plus a super clean cap sheet and a strange Curry ( ankle) bargain contract situation to make it work, and Durant needed to leave money on the table. It's insanely hard to even have one big top level guy without his Bird Rights on your roster.
A one year deal for a JJ Redick type at a high AAV can be useful. I'm not saying this deal specifically but a series of one year deals that can be traded and offer no long term commitment if you can't rent the space out might be a better alternative than paying a Tier 3 guy some Tier 1 money.
CAP FLEXIBILITY is desired, NOT RAW OPEN CAP SPACE.
Cap Flexibility is a MIX of useful expirings, no bad contracts, no bad stretched contracts, young guys on cost controlled and only the guys making max money are contender level franchise players.
Knicks are in better shape, but the idea that they are in a drivers seat situation is a bit insane.
Would you trade Knox, Trier, MRob and Frank N for Ball, Ingram, Kuzma, Hart and Zubic right now? Tatum, Brown and all from Boston?
Then there is no comparison that the Knicks have some kind of young talent level similar to these teams. They don't. Not yet.
The Knicks need to DRAFT the next Durant. The next Curry. The next AD. This is their best hope. You cannot build a team through FA, not in the current system. ( Feel free not to cite the Heatles, this was a much different cap environment and using features of the old system)
