Report: Isiah Thomas is Calling the Shots for the Knicks

[EDGECRUSHER]

Isiah Thomas is once again acting as the Knicks' top basketball executive, sources tell Yahoo's Adrian Wojnarowski.
It's unclear why owner James Dolan is obsessed with the seemingly incompetent Thomas, but it may drive Donnie Walsh out of town. "Isiah is calling the shots for New York," said one front-office executive with knowledge of the Carmelo Anthony trade talks. "It's a disgrace. Donnie should walk." Now we know why the Knicks are suddenly willing to give up three starters to get Melo -- Walsh would never gut the team like that.
Source: Yahoo! Sports

I don't deserve this. The people of New York don't deserve this. I really think David Stern should step in and seize control of this team, as unlawful and as un-free market as that sounds. The team didn't fill 60% of the arena for almost a decade and now we are back to sellouts with a .500 team. This will go away very quickly if Isiah comes back. My only hope left is that Carmelo sees that this trade would actually make the Knicks worse and vetoes it.

[MikeO]

Knicks just put out a statment saying it isn't true about Isiah. Sounds this Isiah talk is  more meida BS than actual fact because there is nothing to report on this trade.

And any Knicks fan that doesn't want Carmelo doesn't understand the NBA in the year 2011. Seriously, that type of player comes along once every 20 or so years for a franchise. You don't let role players like Wilson Chandler or Gallo get in the way of stopping you from getting him. You can find the next Wilson Chandler or Gallo easily. You won't find or get the next Carmelo in a Knicks uniform easy at all. Not to mention the NBA has turned into a league where "star players recruit star players". The more star players you have the easier it is to build a team by recruiting guys to play around him. Amare can only do so much alone, he needs someone else. Then those 2 will get the next guy. It's a snowball effect. Happened in Boston and Miami and it is now happening in NY.

Hell Dwight Howard last night said he wants to play with Kobe Bryant. What do you think we will be doing 12 months from now? You guessed it the same thing just with LA and Orlando!!

The Knicks are getting Melo on the cheap. Felton they only wanted for 2 years anyway, so that is no loss. Chandler is good not great, a 6th man in this league on a decent team. And Gallo for Mello....uh OK. Who wouldn't make that deal. Not to mention Eddie Curry never plays so who cares, that expiring contract money woudl go towards getting a star player anyway (ie MELO) and the 1st round pick, big deal!

The Knicks aren't winning an NBA Championship THIS year or NEXT year in the East. So they are sacrifice years. Might as well bite the bullet, get your ducks in a row and be ready for the 2012 free agent period and make your legit run then!  Felton and Chandler wouldn't be on that team anyway, so this has turned into Melo for Gallo. And what NBA person doesn't make that trade

[Sunstroke]

As much as I hate to see a team overpay for a star, the Knicks absolutely have to do this deal. I think more highly than MikeO does about Chandler (I think he's a very good player, and one of the few on that roster that plays any defense), and I like Felton more than most...but you put Amare' and 'Melo together, and it's a nightmare matchup for opponents to deal with every night. Add in Chauncey at the point, the gritty rookie Landry Fields at the 2, and I think you have a pretty solid core. Not much at center...Mozgov, Turiaf or Anthony Randolph, but nobody's perfect.

You have to have the superstars to win in this league. Carmelo-Amare' would be a nice pair.

Kobe Bryant and Dwight Howard...well, that's just crazy. The Suns fan in me refuses to consider the possibility of the Lakers going off on another dynasty.

[MikeO]

I like Chandler as a player, but I wouldn't let Wilson Chandler stop a deal that brings me one of the Top 5 players in the league today!

Melo-Amare-Fields is a nice group to build around. Billiups for half of this year. Maybe you bring him back next year, whatever. As you wait for Williams or Paul in 2012. Center you have a decent rotation with Turiaf and Mozgov...they won't lite the world on fire but they can hold the fort a bit there and not hurt ya any.

Bottom line....it's a lot easier to find a 6th man who can score a bit and play a little defense (like Chandler)  than it is to get your hands on a superstar like Melo!

The Knicks aren't giving up anyone in that trade who isn't replaceable OR has future superstar written all over him. They are giving up quality to above average role players at the end of the day.

[EDGECRUSHER]

I wouldn't let Chandler, Gallo, Felton, Fields or draft picks and contracts stop this deal, but I would let all of them combined. I agree 100% that this is a league based on stars, but it is also based on role players who complement the stars. The supposed trade is:

Knicks Get: Carmelo, Billups, Balkman (former Knick), Shelden Williams (former Knick)

Nuggets Get: Gallinari, Chandler, Felton, Curry and his expiring contract and a future first rounder when we trade Anthony Randolph.

It's not just trading away the 3 starters, it's that they don't have to. What else is Denver going to do, let him walk with no compensation? They have no leverage and that imbecile James Dolan is giving into their stupid demands anyway. The Knicks can easily keep Gallinari or Felton if they put their foot down, but their owner has proven to be a moron.

I also don't but that Isiah isn't in the picture. Dolan tried to rehire him just recently.

[MikeO]

Melo isn't passing up $65 mill. He has even said as much. As much as Melo wants to be in NY he wants the $65 mill more. Denver can trade him to Dallas or LA in a rent a player situation, get a lesser deal but at least its something. Get the best deal they can from one of them, and let Melo go F' himself essentially and if he wants his $65 mill have to take it there and NOT in NY. That's what Denver can do. That's why NY MUST make thsi deal! If they don't then they won't get him in the offseason as a FA. Melo isn't passing up $65 mill and taking $20 mill less. He ain't!

Even under your scenerio, where the Knicks wait and sign Melo as a FA. If you do that then Chandler you can't afford and he walks next offseason as an RFA. And Felton is gone after next season as NY doesn't want him anyway and wants Paul or Williams. Thats why they gave Felton a 2 year deal to start with! The Knicks are trading guys who aren't gonna be here anyway. You aren't losing anything if your the Knicks. It has turned into Gallo for Melo straight up esentially.

The Knicks are losing nobody of value. You can replace role players. You can't find superstars! If these guys the Knicks have are all so damn good how come they are only 2 games or so over .500 in the east? This team ain't winning anything. They aren't any good!

[Fau Teixeira]

the knicks will never win with a d'antoni coached team .. you don't win in the nba by playing 6 seconds or less baskateball

[EDGECRUSHER]

I understand the situation, but I disagree about $20 Million less. I don't think the CBA will mean that much less money for superstars. On top of that, the endorsements in NY are much higher than in Denver. Derek Jeter is basically Robin Yount, only with a better location (That was an exaggeration, but you get the point).

Chandler is gone because some fool GM will overpay. However, I am not so down on Felton who has played at an All-Star level. The original intent was 2 years, but at age 26 I think he may be a keeper.

I think Galinari is our version of Manu Ginoboli. Guarding Amare and Melo will be very hard, but it will be next to impossible if you have Gallo nailing open 3's. That's pretty much why the Heat got Mike Miller.

The draft pick and Curry are nothing. I just don't want to get rid of all of them at once. On top of that, the math doesn't work out. Billups makes too much, so some more players will have to be moved. The Knicks can't make this trade under NBA rules as it currently stands.

[MikeO]

The draft pick and Curry are nothing. I just don't want to get rid of all of them at once. On top of that, the math doesn't work out. Billups makes too much, so some more players will have to be moved. The Knicks can't make this trade under NBA rules as it currently stands.

Uh, yeah they can. NY is also taking back like 3 scrubs as well.

And Mozgov is now part of the deal too. He's gone!

And you can disagree about the $20 mill less but you are wrong. It is actually closer to $25 mill less. The NEW CBA will only hurt Anthony more!!

[EDGECRUSHER]

Mozgov is not gone yet, the Knicks supposedly gave their final offer and he wasn't included. Seeing as how he is starting now, that would make 4 starters.

I saw 2 different places say the math doesn't work without some other moves because of Chauncey's contract.

In the end, the trade is basically for Gallo and Felton, while taking back Billups. That is doable, it just seems a lot worse because of all the other pieces and the presence of Isiah lurking.

The players will never let their superstars make less than $14 Million a year. That will never happen.

[MikeO]

If the Knicks let Mozgov and his 4pts and 3 rebounds per game stop this deal, then they deserve to be losers for another 10 years! Spend 10 more years in "NBA JAIL"

[MikeO]

Deal is done according to Denver Post and all the NY newspapers. Details not released yet. Only thing known is Mazgov IS part of the deal according to Frank Isola

[Landshark]

I'm seeing reports coming out that it's definitely a done deal.  Add to the fact that Chris Paul will be a free agent next year and will want to come to New York, things are about to get a little crazy there. 

Now if the Knicks could learn to play some defense, they just might challenge the Celtics and the Heat

[MikeO]

I'm seeing reports coming out that it's definitely a done deal.  Add to the fact that Chris Paul will be a free agent next year and will want to come to New York, things are about to get a little crazy there. 

Now if the Knicks could learn to play some defense, they just might challenge the Celtics and the Heat

Billups $14.2 mill  expiring deal becomes a valuable trade asset next season. This team has the cap room and assets to make another big move next year in-season.

[Fau Teixeira]

I'm seeing reports coming out that it's definitely a done deal.  Add to the fact that Chris Paul will be a free agent next year and will want to come to New York, things are about to get a little crazy there. 

Now if the Knicks could learn to play some defense, they just might challenge the Celtics and the Heat

and that's where this little dream of NY winning anything comes apart

D'antoni is allergic to defense

not to mention, the trade as reported is a trap for new york .. they're giving up way too much for a 2nd tier player .. carmelo is ok .. but he isn't a wade or lebron .. he's more of a paul pierce