Knicks targeting Ilgauskas!! Crawford close.

[BIGSMJS]

The NY Daily News is reporting the the Cavs called the Knicks to discuss a potential Kurt Thomas/Ilgauskas deal.  Now if this was coming from the Post, I'd laugh at it but, the Daily News is usually pretty accurate. The Knicks will have to throw in either Nazr Mohammed or Mutombo. If I'm Cleveland it better be Mohammed who really played well when he got a chance to start for NY. Nothing will go down with this deal until Cleveland is finished with the Boozer situation. In the unlikely event Cleveland finds a way to match the offer Utah gave Boozer, this deal is dead. If and when they realize they cannot match the offer, this deal could get done. Another team going after Ilgauskas is Dallas who is offering Walker but, if I'm cleveland I want no part of Antoine Walker who will be a FA after the year in which you'd be risking losing Zeke for nothing if AW walks. Besides that, Kurt Thomas is a better fit since you want LB handling the ball most of the time and Walker wants to shoot 30 times a game. I think if I'm Cleveland and I can replace the PF I just lost with Kurt Thomas and get a fairly young Center in Mohammed, I'd do it. I see DAL getting Dampier instead. As far as the eventual Jamal Crawford deal it appears the only thing holding this up is what junk each team wants the other to take. If the Knicks are forced to take Jerome Williams, Chris Jeffries AND Eddie Robinson, they want the Bulls to take Moochie Norris instead of Frank Williams. The deal will break down like this:
Jeffries, Williams, Robinson and JC to NY with Moochie, Harrington, Shandon Anderson and Mutombo to Chicago. Harrington and Mutombo are FA after the year so the Bulls will save $8-10M after this year. The crazy thing about these 2 deals for NY is they'd still have their Mid level and Vet. Rumor is the Knicks will use the vet to sign Doleac. If the Knicks pull both trades, the top of the East gets even stronger.
Starting 5 of: Marbury, Houston, T.Thomas, Sweetney, Ilgauskas.
Bench: Frank Williams, Penny, Crawford, DeMarr Johnson, Vin Baker, JYD, E. Rob, Doleac, Ariza, Jeffries and whoever they sign with the mid-level.
Not Bad. I can't put them with Mia, Det, IND or NJ(If they keep KM) yet but, I'd give them a shot.

[SPURSX3]

The NY Daily News is reporting the the Cavs called the Knicks to discuss a potential Kurt Thomas/Ilgauskas deal.  Now if this was coming from the Post, I'd laugh at it but, the Daily News is usually pretty accurate. The Knicks will have to throw in either Nazr Mohammed or Mutombo. If I'm Cleveland it better be Mohammed who really played well when he got a chance to start for NY. Nothing will go down with this deal until Cleveland is finished with the Boozer situation. In the unlikely event Cleveland finds a way to match the offer Utah gave Boozer, this deal is dead. If and when they realize they cannot match the offer, this deal could get done. Another team going after Ilgauskas is Dallas who is offering Walker but, if I'm cleveland I want no part of Antoine Walker who will be a FA after the year in which you'd be risking losing Zeke for nothing if AW walks. Besides that, Kurt Thomas is a better fit since you want LB handling the ball most of the time and Walker wants to shoot 30 times a game. I think if I'm Cleveland and I can replace the PF I just lost with Kurt Thomas and get a fairly young Center in Mohammed, I'd do it. I see DAL getting Dampier instead. As far as the eventual Jamal Crawford deal it appears the only thing holding this up is what junk each team wants the other to take. If the Knicks are forced to take Jerome Williams, Chris Jeffries AND Eddie Robinson, they want the Bulls to take Moochie Norris instead of Frank Williams. The deal will break down like this:
Jeffries, Williams, Robinson and JC to NY with Moochie, Harrington, Shandon Anderson and Mutombo to Chicago. Harrington and Mutombo are FA after the year so the Bulls will save $8-10M after this year. The crazy thing about these 2 deals for NY is they'd still have their Mid level and Vet. Rumor is the Knicks will use the vet to sign Doleac. If the Knicks pull both trades, the top of the East gets even stronger.
Starting 5 of: Marbury, Houston, T.Thomas, Sweetney, Ilgauskas.
Bench: Frank Williams, Penny, Crawford, DeMarr Johnson, Vin Baker, JYD, E. Rob, Doleac, Ariza, Jeffries and whoever they sign with the mid-level.
Not Bad. I can't put them with Mia, Det, IND or NJ(If they keep KM) yet but, I'd give them a shot.

well dont tell dbodz....he doesnt think NY is an serious eastern conference threat thie coming season...

[westkoast]

Uhh...They need Jake.  They have one of the very best young perimeter play makers in the league who handles the outside, Jake handles the paint on the offensive end....yet they want to give up their only effective post player for a lesser big man (at least IMO).   Does that make sense to anyone else?  I dunno what the contract part of that looks like but what a horrible straight up trade.  Ive seen the offense run thru Jake plenty of times....Could the Cavs really run their offense thru Kurt Thomas?

Watch out Mitch Kupchek, you have some competition.

[Derek Bodner]

well dont tell dbodz....he doesnt think NY is an serious eastern conference threat thie coming season...

First of all, nobody thinks they are a serious eastern conference threat.  besides you.  go back, re-read the response, and understand the response.  

Second, Ilguaskas doesn't make them a serious contender.  a Z/TT frontline?  Who's going to grab a rebound?

[SPURSX3]

well dont tell dbodz....he doesnt think NY is an serious eastern conference threat thie coming season...

First of all, nobody thinks they are a serious eastern conference threat.  besides you.  go back, re-read the response, and understand the response.  

Second, Ilguaskas doesn't make them a serious contender.  a Z/TT frontline?  Who's going to grab a rebound?

I dont know about that, I would say they could out perform, oh say, the 76ers this season......... :rofl:  

[Derek Bodner]

I could field a team of Drexel intramural basketball players who could beat the sixers this season.  that is not to the test for an nba champion.

Anywho, I'd take a Dalembert/Kenny Thomas frontline over a big Z/Tim Thomas frontline any day of the week.  Dalembert and KT are both double double guys who will average a double/double.

[Joe Vancil]

I like Ilgauskus, but I'm afraid I can't see New York as a threat to anything if they give up Kurt Thomas to get Ilgauskus.

Marbury and Houston make a great backcourt.  But that's never been New York's problem.  New York needs MASSIVE help up front.  And while Ilgauskus helps, he's not the complete solution.  A *PART* of one, perhaps.  But if New York gives up Kurt to get Zydrunas, I don't see that they've particularly strengthened themselves unless one of their prospects pans out.  Then again, if one of their prospects pans out, why get Ilgauskus?

 

[JoMal]

Watch out Mitch Kupchek, you have some competition.

Last summer, Kupchek was annointed the 'genius of the ages' for luring Payton and Malone to LA. Now, he has fallen to 'dumbo of the day' for trading Shaq for future mediocrity and losing the battle of wills with Kobe.

Funny thing is, Mitch had less to do with all this activity then anyone.  

[WayOutWest]

Watch out Mitch Kupchek, you have some competition.

Last summer, Kupchek was annointed the 'genius of the ages' for luring Payton and Malone to LA. Now, he has fallen to 'dumbo of the day' for trading Shaq for future mediocrity and losing the battle of wills with Kobe.

Funny thing is, Mitch had less to do with all this activity then anyone.

I'm not sure if the news traveled your way but it was well known that it was Shaq who recruited Payton and Malone.

That's the main reason behind Shaq wanting to be traded.  Shaq was allegedly promised an extension for landing Payton and Malone.

[Reality]

I'm not sure if the news traveled your way but it was well known that it was Shaq who recruited Payton and Malone.

That's the main reason behind Shaq wanting to be traded.  Shaq was allegedly promised an extension for landing Payton and Malone.

To me that is just sad that both Laker mgmnt and Fatq would act this way.

How about "recruiting" Malone because it helps your chances, Mr Not the Most Dominant Even Currently.

How about Buss saying "help recruit them to L.A. so we can win a title".

How about that rich arse Buss sharing the wealth just because its the right thing to do.

This nonsense about tit for tat......

Hardly just LA.  Wonder if we will ever see a player do what Malone did last year in taking less for the true pursuit of a title.

So Malone and Payton did not get it.  So what, their priorities have now changed??
Don't they still want a title.  Malone really ought to go to the Spurs or Wolves or Indy or Detroit or even Miami if he really "wants" a title.

[westkoast]

Watch out Mitch Kupchek, you have some competition.

Last summer, Kupchek was annointed the 'genius of the ages' for luring Payton and Malone to LA. Now, he has fallen to 'dumbo of the day' for trading Shaq for future mediocrity and losing the battle of wills with Kobe.

Funny thing is, Mitch had less to do with all this activity then anyone.

I love how you guys overhype and overexaggerate comments when it comes to things said about the Lakers.  I don't remember a single person saying he even did a better job than Jerry West.  Save the 'it was sarcasm' line for another time.

Like WoW said, one of the main reasons Shaq wants to go is because he felt what he has done for the team on and off the court warrants a contract extension.

[JoMal]

I'm not sure if the news traveled your way but it was well known that it was Shaq who recruited Payton and Malone.

That's the main reason behind Shaq wanting to be traded.  Shaq was allegedly promised an extension for landing Payton and Malone.

Perhaps I was not clear in my other post, but that was exactly the point I wanted to make.

[JoMal]

Funny thing is, Mitch had less to do with all this activity then anyone.

I love how you guys overhype and overexaggerate comments when it comes to things said about the Lakers.  I don't remember a single person saying he even did a better job than Jerry West.  Save the 'it was sarcasm' line for another time.

Like WoW said, one of the main reasons Shaq wants to go is because he felt what he has done for the team on and off the court warrants a contract extension.

Sarcasm and the Lakers are melded together for time eternal, westkoast.

What I meant was that Mitch did nothing to lure Payton and Malone to the Lakers, Shaq did. He has little control now over Shaq demanding a trade, because Buss apparently refused to be blackmailed into an extention based simply on Shaq "acquiring" players to help the Lakers, so Mitch was left with finding suitable players to acquire for 30 million in salary he has to trade away.

Kupchek also is just a spectator to Kobe's wants and desires, even in the final choice for a new coach, which had to await Bryant's approval before finalizing or Kobe "may not come back" to the Lakers.

So when all Laker fans seemed to embrace what Mitch did last summer in "signing" Payton and Malone, and for such bargain prices, suddenly hearing that his "walk on water" shoes have sprung leaks is highly ironic.

[BIGSMJS]

dbodner, the knickk frontcourt would be Big Z Tim Thomas at SF and MICHAEL SWEETNEY at PF.

Joe V, Sweetney is the reason NY is willing to give up Kurt Thomas. In fact there's talk that even if Kurt stays it won't be long before Sweetney takes his job. For anyone that hasn't seen him play that much, let me tell you he's going to be a VERY GOOD player. He will be a rebounding machine. He didn't play until late last season and then really got some nice minutes in the playoffs. He always impressed me when he was on the floor. He reminds me a little of Ben Wallace rebound wise(obviously not as good YET). It seems he just knows where the ball is going to come off the rim. Keep an eye on this kid, if he starts this year and it looks like he will, he will average a minimum of 10 boards a game.