[V]

from Chad Ford

Will the Knicks pull off another blockbuster? As I just wrote above, the feeling on Wednesday was that Thomas was looking to make one major trade. Both scenarios (Portland and Cleveland) are still just rumors in my mind. But they're interesting and more plausible than they first appeared on paper.

Upon taking over the Knicks, Thomas set out to get two marquee players -- Marbury and Wallace. Thomas used up most of his trade bait to get Marbury, leading many to believe that Wallace was unattainable. Given the latest talk, that may be misguided. While Blazers GM John Nash has been adamant in the past about not taking back long-term deals for Wallace, a trade with the Knicks may make some sense for Portland if the Knicks are willing to take back Ruben Patterson as part of the trade.

If the Knicks sent Van Horn, Williams, Sweetney, Michael Doleac and Dikembe Mutombo to Portland for Wallace and Patterson, the Blazers' cap number would rise from a projected $42 million next year to around $55 million. That's a pretty big increase to swallow, but if they can last one more year while they wait for Dale Davis and Damon Stoudamire to come off the books, the number gets much more palatable.

Right now the Blazers have only $18.3 million in committed salaries for the 2005-06 season. That number would go to $27.6, still far enough under the cap to make a big free-agent signing and re-sign Zach Randolph. In 2006-07, their number would actually go down from a projected $18.5 million to $11.5 million because Van Horn comes off the books before Patterson.

The bottom line for the Blazers is that, at $42 million, they won't have enough cash to get a marquee free agent to replace Wallace anyway. Why not take on a good small forward (whose talents are better suited to the West Coast style anyway) and a bright young point guard, clean up the image of the team by dumping Wallace and Patterson without sacrificing wins (Van Horn, Williams, Sweetney and Mutombo should at least be able to duplicate the wins Wallace and Patterson are giving the team), and still have enough cap room in 2005 to start reloading the team?

For the Knicks, the addition of Wallace, a superstar talent with a NDBL head, would be another major coup. Thomas believes he can get through to Wallace, and combined with Marbury, Houston and Kurt Thomas, the Knicks would have enough talent to compete with any team in the East.

The other scenario with Cleveland (Van Horn, Williams and Sweetney for Ilgauskas and Miles) makes plenty of sense for the Cavs, though you wonder if Thomas would just be better off swapping Williams and Othella Harrington for Miles (sources claim the Thomas turned that deal down on Tuesday). Ilgauskas, paired with Mutombo, would give the Knicks their best low-post scoring option since Patrick Ewing. Concerns about Ilgauskas' feet, poor defense and lumbering approach are issues. But the ability to platoon Ilgauskas, Mutombo and Thomas should give Don Chaney one of the better front lines in the league. Thomas has also been a fan of Miles for a while. He gives them that long, athletic presence at forward that Thomas has been craving.

Why would the Cavs do it? They're into surrounding LeBron James with the "right" players and this trade makes some sense. Van Horn's ability to play multiple positions and to stretch the defense are an asset, as is his unselfish style of play. He has just one year more on his contract than Ilgauskas, and given the Cavs' current cap projections, shouldn't hinder what they're trying to do.

Williams would immediately be the best full-time point guard on the team's roster, and Sweetney gives the Cavs more muscle in the paint. Cap wise, the Cavs would actually shave about $2 million off the cap for this season. Next year, the presence of Van Horn, Sweetney and Williams would add around $3 million to the cap assuming the team lets Miles go without compensation. In 2005-06, the Cavs would still be looking at roughly $10 million in cap room, even with Van Horn on board. The deal doesn't quite work as well as the Portland one, but it's still in the realm of possibility.