Zach expects to be in Memphis this season (and Allan Houston hopes to be a Knick again)
A lead note in my story today that might have gone unnoticed:
Zach Randolph is bracing himself for a second trade in as many years and a person close to the Knicks forward said he believes Memphis will be his destination. The Grizzlies and Knicks have had ongoing dialogue about Randolph over the summer and Walsh, who is still looking to add some shot-blocking to the roster, has interest in 7-foot center Darko Milicic.
We first reported that the Memphis Grizzlies were considering Zach Randolph on Aug. 30. As you might have seen today, the Daily News and NY Post have jumped into the pool as the waters start to warm.
Walsh would not confirm what Grizzlies beat writer Ronald Tillery reported on his blog last week, that the Grilzzlies want the Knicks to pick up the deferred portion of Randolph's contract. But where there's smoke, there's fire. And, as we reported today, Z-Bo is telling friends that he's expecting to be traded before training camp and the destination he believes it will be is Memphis.
Walsh likes the idea of getting Darko Milicic back in the trade because of Milicic's shot-blocking ability He has averaged 1.3 per game in the NBA and he does possess a good shooting touch. Could you play him at the four? Possibly. Could you play him with Eddy Curry? Here and there, maybe, but not often.
Randolph's departure could be a major bonus for David Lee, who could move into the starting position at the four. Lee and Curry aren't going to dominate anyone on the defensive end, but Lee's rebounding ability makes up for Randolph's departure. He's not nearly the scorer that Z-Bo is so Lee is aware he has to prove he can make that mid-range, baseline and elbow jumper consistently to be effective.
Another option is if Danilo Gallinari proves himself capable, the spot could be his with Wilson Chandler at the three. But that's why we have training camp, kids. Bottom line, Randolph's departure will open up the low blocks for Curry and, whether it's Lee or Gallinari, add another player on the floor who can move the ball on offense.
Milicic would likely come in and play the role Jerome James was supposed to play: shot-blocking big who can give you decent minutes and a different look (and not order fried fast food in the locker room before games). Marko Jaric is a big guard who is good in the open floor, has decent fundamentals (which means he'd fit in the D'Antoni system, too) and is a willing defender. Jaric would mostly play a reserve roll, but, again, it adds more of what D'Antoni wants.
The Milicic contract works with the 2010 plan because it expires after next season. But Jaric has one more year -- $7,625,000 in 2010-11 -- which the Knicks could try to trade.
But, if anything, the trade for Milicic and Jaric at least gives them almost a $10 million savings from the Randolph contract ($17.3 million) on the ledger in 2010-11.
As we told here before the weekend, the Knicks didn't want the Randolph trade talk to dominate during Patrick Ewing's Hall of Fame induction. Now that the Hall of Fame ceremonies are over, getting this deal done takes center stage.
Stay tuned.
*
We also reported today that Allan Houston has talked to Donnie Walsh about making a second comeback attempt with the Knicks. All signs point to Houston being in training camp in Saratoga Springs to give it one more try at the age of 37.
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Comments (48)
Imitation is the highest form of flattery Alan, and Isola and Berman don't like to do the leg work. They'll leave that to you.
Regarding the Memphis-Randolph rumors.
It would seem that there is much momentum behind this deal . . .
Darko's agent believes its possible.
Randolph thinks it will happen.
The Knicks get $10m in cap room.
The Grizz get a scoring big man.
Only question is what is taking so long to get this done? DW better not wait too long.
Exciting. This sets the stage for a major deadline trade: packaging Jamal and David Lee for some serious future considerations. A team on the fringe looking to make late push could add a top-10 scorer (Jamal) and a top-5 rebounder (Lee) for a $10M player, a young player still on his rookie contract in 2010, and a pick.
I'm still saying this is going to be LA Clippers: Mobley, Eric Gordon, and a No. 1.
Next option, Golden State: Harrington, Brandan Wright, and a No. 1.
Remember, the goal should not be King James in 2010. It should be James and Bosh.
The only good thing about getting Marko Jaric is seeing his super hot girlfriend Adriana Lima at courtside.
For the most part Zach wants out and I think that Donnie will help his Indiana pal out. I still can't see David Lee being our solution at the four because he's an average defender that doesn't block shots. Lee can rebound but is not a scorer and asking to fill that role is a mistake. And how could Curry be a starter in this offense where the ball has to move and be constantly pushed up the court? If any has to go it's Curry. If Donnie had a brain he would buy out Jerome James, Marbury, and trade Randolph. If we bring Marbury in the season then we are throwing in the towel for being competitive with another year of musical players that don't mix just to shop Marbury's expiring contract for next year tryouts.
Alan, Why is Donnie intent on trading Randolph instead of Curry? Randolph is a legitimate 20/10 guy, and is a better rebounder and offensive player than Curry. I know they are trying to get under the cap in 2010, but Randolph is a very good player. I don't get it.
alan--what's an elbow jumper? sounds like something a newborn might wear.
assuming zach and marbury are gone, that leaves about 35 shots a night to redistribute. jamal might lead the league in scoring.
Chris a -
I hear your concerns about trading Randolph rather than Curry but a couple of things to consider.
If you trade Curry - you really have nobody to replace him unless the trade brings back a center (like Milicic). But who knows if Memphis has any interest in Eddy either.
Also - if you don't move Zach - look at the mix at the PF position. You'll have at least 6 players who could possibly play the 4 position in D'Antoni's system. Zach, Lee, Jefferies, Gallinari, Chandler and yes Malik Rose.
Biggest issue may be Eddy's contract and the fact he has an opt out. Would the Knicks be happy to see big Eddy have a strong year and opt out - I don't know - but I think I'd be up for having Eddy take himself off our roster rather than risk having to resign him down the road or count on him and his fat-body & questionable attitude long term.
I wish this deal had gone down....
Eddy for Darko and 2010 #1 pick.
Chris a . . .two reasons why the Knicks are trying to trade Zach and not Curry:
1. Curry can opt out of his contract after this year, and even if he doesn't, its a more reasonable deal than Randolph's.
2. Randolph does not pass the ball well and doesn't like to pass the ball which is anathema to D'Antoni's system
@chris
Curry had a bad year, but at least some of it was that his minutes were down and that he didn't fit with Randoph. All Curry can do is score in the paint, but he's very efficient and good at that. With Randolph gone he will get more touches and minutes. It's better than 50-50 that Curry will be more effective (assuming they laid down the law and he's in at least decent shape). Even though Curry's flaws are well known, at least he's not a disruptive force like Randolph can be. It will be up to D'Antoni and Walsh to keep him in shape and use him to the best of his limited ability. (he would also be very tough to trade because of his heart issues)
Fat Zach, put down the canolis and don't let the door hit you on the wide butt.
Get out of town, you loser.
On the bright side, Memphis is closer to the strip club scene in Gary, Indiana, Fat Zach's place of business and the only aspect, the strip club, in life about which he cares.
Follow the Indiana Pacer Brick Road to get the Wizard of Oz and Wham! The Garden has a Brain.
alan i'm proud of you. you've finally mastered the art of hyperlinking, and you even linked over to berman and isola. that's progress on two fronts!
you know one of the many things that concerns me about this deal is the 2 for 1 with us adding another player over the 15. are we cutting roberson and jerome james or something?
darko did block shots well for orlando when he was healthy.
thats the thing, are we securing durable players? zach's not in the game plan we knew that during the donnie walsh hiring press conference, but danilo and darko and even mr H20 or AH7, can these players sustain for 82 games?
history tells us they have not. but camby is an example of a player that was chronically injured that was able to change and become more durable. there are not many players that have gone from often injured to iron-man, however.
lets see if this thing posts me as anonymous again...
"With Randolph gone he [Curry] will get more touches and minutes."
Ah, no. The year curry averaged 19 a game Curry was the first, second and third option. NBA players dream of having such time with the basketball, but for Eddy it was a laborious chore. He was force-fed the ball every time down on offense and he was still reluctant to shoot it at times.
That was isiah's sh*tty failed attempt to make Eddy an all-star.
This will not happen with D'Antoni.
The ball will move under D'Antoni. If Curry doesn't do damage the first time he touches it, he shouldn't expect players go to out of their way to get the ball back to him.
Not that he can pass it out with any proficiency. I should say that if Curry doesn't do damage early on, he'll probably ride the pine and some one else can have a shot at being productive.
I cant believe you have season tickets and you dont knowwhat an elblow jumper is..
Co-sign Jackie J. Well said. Only thing is, if Curry is riding the pine, who are we starting at C? If we trade Zach we don't have anyone else on the roster who could arguably slide to the 5.
I am hoping the hold up in this trade is Donnie trying to get a pick or PG out of Memphis. If he can do that, this trade will be a very, very good one for NY because you know with Zach in Memphis that team will suck.
And if we ever start Darko AND Duhon I'll move to that manure swampfest that is called Jersey and become a Nets fan.
Alan,
I swear man, your blog is the best. Anytime I'm looking for an update about what is going on in Knick land (which is usually mutiple times a day) I always stop here first because I know you always have the latest and greatest. RealGM, Hoopshype, etc. have nothing on you.
This trade NEEDS to go down in the worst way. People need to understand that even though we are not getting equal value back, this move will improve our team chemistry on the court tremendously. It's less about the player and more about adding the right pieces to the puzzle. This is what Donnie is trying to do and so far he gets a thumbs up. I'm not too thrilled about getting Jaric back (would have preferred Walker back since the last year on his contract is a team option) but at this point I'd go for whatever Donnie thinks makes sense.
Keep me posted bro.
@ sunil....
i grew up and still live in manhattan, i played ball all of my life and continue to (i have four knee operations to show for it), was 10 when the knicks won their first championship, and yes, i am a 30 year season ticket holder.
but apparently i missed something along the way, so please enlighten me.
what's an elbow jumper?
An elbow jumper is a jump shot from the top corner (otherwise known as the elbow) of the key (or paint).
While I'm happy to lose Z-Bo and gain $10MM worth of cap in the FA sweepstake year, I'm not as excited as most are about this trade. Mainly because I think Jaric is a piece of garbage who will be impossible to move again -- so we'll be stuck with that $7.6MM in 2010-11.
If the deal was for just Milicic I'd be much happier. Memphis has the cap room to do it without equalizing the salaries which tells you that they WANT to dump Jaric big time...as well they should. I don't believe for one minute that D'Antoni actually wants Jaric.
thanks peter s.
CAN WE PLEASE GET HAKIM WARRICK?!?!?! HOLY !#@4 WHY ISNT ANYONE TALKING ABOUT THIS GUYYY
I'm hoping we get one of the young PG's from Memphis-maybe Javaris Critteton.
" The Knicks actually do have a relatively talented roster, loaded with former first-round draft picks. "
That statement should be "frozen" in case the knicks surprise us and
do better than expected. As it stands now.....we are not excited, we
are just die hard fans with low expectations.
Let me state that I think it would be a blunder to trade Zach for
Darko and Marko. However, unless they include "Harpo" and "Groucho"
to keep us laughing , our title of "joke of the League" will get bigger.
Zach is a Baller. Lee is over rated on this squad. Lee would excell if we had a Pippen and Jordan, which we are not even suspect to have either. When you've played hoop your whole life, and you do not possess a jumper in your mid 20's, you never will!
My opinion on what the Knick's need to do to be competitive;
1. I hate to say this, but I do not say this with my Heart, I say this with my Head. Start and utilize Marbury! He's in a contract year, he's hit bottom and that is required to pull yourself up and become a better person. Marbury's back is against the wall. The only way he survives is to shut his mouth and do the only thing he does best in his ugly world....and that is play pure Basketball
without the rest of his bullshyt! Keep him on a short leash, make Crawford the only "Captian." Marbury must play like the privledge it is to wear a Knick uniform, and be humble.
2. Keep Zach, Start him with Chandler and Curry. Lee, Gallanari and Jeffries
should be the second unit off the bench for Major minutes, along with Nate and Roberson. This may just make the Knicks "Watchable."
2008-09 starters;
1. Marbury
2. Crawford
3. Chandler
4. Zach
5. Curry
Rotation: Lee, Rooster, Jeffries, Nate, Roberson:( Fly boys )
* Chris Duhon is insurance for the first time Marbury scowels or reverts
to Starbury= the self centered azzhole we know is lurking...........
it's up to Marbury to control that evil. Or the rest of the Knicks will!
Alan,
I'm sorry, but I can't help but wonder everytime that Newsday "scoops" a story, nowadays, if it might have to do with the ownership of the paper.
Regardless, your blog is still the best, and most active, although posting can be difficult at times.
Nobody is talking about hakim Warrick because he wouldnt not make any difference on any team..Cant wait for this deal to go down. Its in both teams 100% best interest.
Keeping 2010 alive
with some bulljive
I would do the trade but I wouldn't expect much from it - its benefit is mostly financial. Purge Zach's contract and get something back. I actually don't mind Jaric's game, but I think he's been asked to do to much in the past. He doesn't cut it as a starter at point, but could play a role off the bench, and his contract will be easier to dump than Zach's. Darko has always seemed kind of immature and lacking in court sense, but is big, fast and can block shots. I don't see him ever getting much better, but would wind up playing some center on this team.
I don't think Walsh would really mind losing a lot this season, despite his claim that the Knicks will be competitive. He and D'Antoni would love a shot at drafting Rubio or Jennings this year.
It looks like my trade ideas from www.nbagauntlet.com were utilized. I still think trading Curry and Richardson instead of Randolph would be better.
Can Zach dunk??
I think Marbury can be the key this season. He received a lot of criticism last season, which was not all deserved. I would hate for the Knicks to release him, only to watch him sign with Boston and play like the Stephon of old. It is a huge mistake to sleep on this guy.
Hahn, as an FYI re: #33 as reported in your Ewing story: Went to the Hall of Fame dinner and Ewing Jr. said he won't wear #33 in NY. I don't know what the difference is between un-retiring it in New York as opposed to Georgetown but he said he'll be picking another number.
what do u think about Mardy Collins, I think he the right fit for this system.
No!!! Don't let Randolph go to Memphis! You have to potential superstars on that team(Mayo and Gay) and you can we all know how bad of an influence Randolph is!
if memphis gets randolph they can have record of 41-41 just because of there young nucleaus just think (mayo, rudy,conley,
randolph,gasol, in two years they'll be in the playoffs.
Hello:
Trade Zach Randolph now. He is a cancer and we don't need him on this team. I would buy out marbury right now. Then take Curry and trade him to LA for a future consideration. The team would lose about 60 games and end up with the first pick and land a high talent.
alan, dude,
nba.com is now linking to your BLOG in their news section
that's huge!!!
the knicks should try to get o.j mayo for zach randolph instead of darko that cant score.he cant even stop guards from coming into the paint. they should try to get o.j because he can score and play defense very well
i think that the grizzlies should get crawford and randolph for 2009 1 round draft choice and rudy gay
The really sad thing about this trade is the attempt of getting LeBron in '10. I mean really though, you can give him up to 30 million a year but come on Stern can't beat the way Euro is handing out money like the Salvation Army. I think LeBron will ditch the NBA and play in Euro for 50 million rather than 30 million.
the knicks are goin to the finals this year babyyyyyyyyyyyyyy i believe!!!!!!!!11
this is a good trade. ok. so stop thinking were doing this to win this year.this is a PR year. the houston thing the lebron thing, the rooster thing,the new style and coach thing . look im not expecting to win this year . im just gona watch the transision and see what we have on the team in 2011 to make lebron or wade or bosh say ok i can work with that type of chemistry. hopefully it will include the roster,lee,chandler,and nate. so there i siad it.
Knicks sucks
The Knicks will definitely improve this coming NBA season due to Dantoni's system, but they need good shooters & fast passing players to succeed.
Trade Curry he's a bum!
Keep Zach he's a good player
DAM I HATE BEING A KNICK FAN
knicks should clean up house get rid of collins,curry,marbury,malik rose,nate robertson make one more trade after the zach deal for a center and yes add allen houston,scottie pippen and sprewell off the bench they will win games old vets got game but clean up get rid oof waste.
Rudy Gay, OJ Mayo and Zach Randoph on the same team? Better role out some more basketballs. You are going to need them.
Some of you posters need to step away from the Trade Machines that are out there and come back down to earth. Zach Randolph for O.J. Mayo? What makes you think they'd ever consider that? They're trying to get a first round pick FROM US, just for taking Zach Randolph (Which is in no way justifiable), even after we take back two of their worst contracts.
Just because it works in NBA Live, doesn't mean it works in real life.
Use your brains people.
The day Knicks win .500 is the day Greg Ostertag becomes a Hall of Famer...seriously Knicks fan, move to Jersey..at least they have some potential of getting into the playoffs considering its the East