Nash, Diaw and Barbosa to the Knicks?

[Dr.Zoidberg]

Mike D'Antoni wants to add favorite Suns, unload Stephon Marbury

Monday, May 12th 2008, 10:56 PM

One of the first plays Mike D'Antoni is expected to draw up as the Knicks' new coach is for Stephon Marbury to run up the Garden floor ... and out the door back to Phoenix to rejoin the Suns.

Once D'Antoni is formally named to succeed Isiah Thomas, he is expected to try to make a push for two of his favorite Suns - forward Boris Diaw and guard Leandro Barbosa, who reportedly have fallen out of favor with Suns management. According to a person close to D'Antoni, one of his first moves would be to get the Knicks to offer Marbury and his expiring $22 million contract as a central part of the deal.

Because of the Suns players mentioned in this scenario, no one will be surprised if D'Antoni starts lobbying Donnie Walsh today to call Phoenix president Steve Kerr to begin trade talks.

"He loves Boris and Barbosa and he didn't like Marbury when he had him," said the source. "So this is the type of move that can jump-start D'Antoni's program right off the bat. He went to New York with the notion that he will have input and help alter the roster to get his kind of players."

Although Marbury played only a handful of games for D'Antoni before coming to New York in January 2004, after two-plus seasons in Phoenix, D'Antoni doesn't view Marbury as a winning player or someone he thinks can play point guard in his system.

"D'Antoni and Marbury is going to be a bad fit," the source predicted. "He views Marbury as a shooting guard, anyway."

Suns owner Robert Sarver reportedly is looking to get out from under Diaw's contract that averages $9 million over the next four seasons. Barbosa, the 2007 Sixth Man Award winner, makes an average of $7 million over the next four seasons. For cap purposes, they make a combined $15 million, so it can't be a two-for-one. There would have to be another player or two coming from Phoenix to make the deal work.

Why would Marbury be attractive, coming off ankle surgery and an awful season? Sarver and the Suns could take his money off the books in July 2009, leading to future cap flexibility. And with D'Antoni gone, they're also going to want to revamp their roster to fit Kerr's vision.

In the meantime, Kerr still has Steve Nash, Amare Stoudemire and the human cap-killer, Shaquille O'Neal. Other than those three, Kerr is apt to start dealing off players who only help in D'Antoni's system.

The Knicks will be thrilled to get rid of Marbury, given all the losing and controversy he has been a part of. If they can trade him for players who have performed for D'Antoni, it's a win-win - unless Walsh is still making grandiose plans to free up significant cap space for the summer of 2010. Right now, he has very little space. But such a deal could derail those dreams, depending on who's left standing on the Knicks' roster in two summers.

At present, the Knicks will have $48 million on the books when LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Paul lead the NBA's best free-agent class in years. Obviously, the cap isn't going to increase much from its current figure of $56 million, so Walsh has to be careful what he adds to the Knicks' payroll (future first-round draft picks plus any mid-level free-agent signings). Diaw's and Barbosa's contracts run through 2012.

D'Antoni is going to have lots of clout in selecting personnel - he should, too, since he knows what kind of players he needs better than anybody else - so the whole idea of getting into a cap-friendly situation could go by the boards.

How will that make Walsh look, after he came into town talking about trying to land a marquee player in 2010? Just know that D'Antoni is about winning his way, doing it now and he probably isn't keen on waiting to see if Walsh can maneuver his way to cap freedom after two more seasons. But Walsh could overrule him and insist on going the free-agent route.

"D'Antoni's system is built for guys like Boris and Barbosa," the source said. "They can make plays. That's what he looks for in players: Versatility and the ability to score."

Which Knicks fit that description? Jamal Crawford. Maybe Nate Robinson. In other words, nobody of any consequence.

So the big cleanup could start with Marbury, soon enough.

And not a moment too soon.

Link

DASH OF NASH

D'ANTONI NEEDS KNICK EXCLAMATION POINT

By MARC BERMAN


May 13, 2008 -- Mike D'Antoni no longer has Steve Nash to run his "Seven Seconds or Less" frenetic offense. But in one week, at the NBA Draft Lottery, the new KnicksNew York Knicks coach will find out if he has someone whom he privately believes also can run his breakneck attack to perfection - University of Memphis point guard Derrick Rose.

D'Antoni, who will be introduced at a Garden press conference today at 1 p.m., will have his fingers crossed till the lottery as the Knicks hold the fifth seed, with an 18.4 percent chance of shooting up to the top two spots. Rose will be picked either 1 or 2.

D'Antoni, who is considering sitting on the Secaucus dais instead of Knicks president Donnie Walsh, has told confidants he believes Rose could be the next Nash.

D'Antoni spent a chilly day in New York yesterday finalizing his contract and having dinner with Walsh. D'Antoni's introduction comes two weeks after The Post first reported Walsh would strongly pursue him if he became available.

The Post reported Sunday Walsh isn't too concerned whether D'Antoni's system fits with the current roster because he views him for the long haul after roster maneuverings. Walsh looks at D'Antoni as a potentially mighty recruiter for the free-agent class of 2010, with Walsh's stated goal of being under the salary cap to woo free agents such as LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul and Chris Bosh.

D'Antoni will be working with those players extensively this summer as the U.S. Olympic team's assistant coach. In a recent SI player poll, D'Antoni came in second place to Phil Jackson as the coach they'd most want to play for.

While D'Antoni pines for Rose, he also can try to get Nash to New York if he really wants. Nash can opt out of his contract after next season and force Phoenix into a sign-and-trade with the Knicks.

Nash presumably would want that, as he has lived in the offseason in Greenwich Village with his wife and twin daughters for the past four years. Nash actually makes regular appearances at the Knicks' summer basketball camps for kids.

"He loves the vibe, loves the culture," a Nash friend said.

Nash, however, will be 35 next summer and obtaining him would likely ruin Walsh's bid to get under the salary cap in 2010 for the younger superstars. If Nash doesn't opt out, he'll be a free agent during that 2010 class, and D'Antoni could get him then, too.

In an ominous remark, D'Antoni once told Play magazine, "I have always said, when Steve retires, I'll retire. I don't want anyone to be able to figure out whether our success is because of my system or because Steve's ability to make it work."

Actually, Knicks fans will find that out in the coming years. Longtime Suns owner Jerry Colangelo told The Post D'Antoni will adjust to whatever the roster is.

"He could play any kind of tempo," Colangelo said of D'Antoni. "He coached effectively [in Italy] with the different personnel and how the game was played there. He transformed himself in the NBA. That's a pretty good indication of his flexibility. It's wrong to say the only way he can coach is the up tempo. Maybe it's his preference and choice, but if he doesn't have the horses, he knows he can't. Maybe there'll be a combination."

Link

[Usually Lurkin]

Nash? Zoid?

[Dr.Zoidberg]

Originally Posted by Usually Lurkin

Nash? Zoid?

OOPS!

Edited...

[alby]

wow.

[horse900703]

that will be soooo cool~~~

[Dirkadirkastan]

OK, so NBA Operation Knicks to the Conference Finals was delayed a year.

[Dtownsfinest]

I wonder what big time free agent the Knicks will get in that free agency year? Paul, James or Wade? They can't lose. That's if they get salary cap space.

[Burn this City]

I saw something in the NY Post about how Nash can opt out after next season and force a sign and trade with the Knicks...he apparently lives in NYC during the offseason so it would make sense...

[MavsX]

wasn't starbury quoted as saying he wanted dan and tony because he was looking forward to running with him?

[MavsX]

Originally Posted by Burn this City

I saw something in the NY Post about how Nash can opt out after next season and force a sign and trade with the Knicks...he apparently lives in NYC during the offseason so it would make sense...

if that happens, then this league is fixed!