Did Cuban/Nellie use the Knicks?

[djb]

FOR KNICKS, IT'S NO DEAL

By MARC BERMAN

February 22, 2002 -- Knicks GM Scott Layden sounded tired and dejected and, according to an NBA source, felt "used."
Dallas and Denver hooked up yesterday and Layden was left out in the cold as yesterday's trading-deadline turned into another Knick disaster. The Nuggets and Mavericks completed a seven-player deal that featured Raef LaFrentz, Nick Van Exel and Juwan Howard - three players the Knicks tried to acquire this week.

The Knicks attempted to get in on a three-way deal but ultimately the Mavericks and Nuggets were not interested in injury-prone Marcus Camby.

According to an NBA source, Layden felt Mavericks owner Mark Cuban used the Knicks solely to get Denver's attention. Layden believes, the source said, Cuban was never prepared to do a deal despite feigning strong interest in Camby, who could be out until early April. The only silver lining is LaFrentz, a free agent, and Van Exel could be available in a summer trade.

A Western Conference executive said of Cuban's and Don Nelson's deceptive negotiating style, "You really never know what they're really thinking or trying to do."

The Knicks' willingness to do the Camby-for-Howard deal demonstrated two shifts in philosophy: they no longer want to build the franchise around Camby because of his lack of durability and are seeking cap relief in 2003 when the spectacular free-agent class becomes available. The Knicks would have thrown in two players with large contracts - Charlie Ward and Shandon Anderson - to match Howard's $18.75 million salary. Howard's deal expires after next season and it would have given them a chance to get under the cap.

"We're always looking to see if there's anything to improve the team but we weren't making a trade just for the sake of change," Layden said. "There wasn't anything to make us better. The deadline comes and passes and we move on."

Layden may sign an unemployed free-agent big man - Otis Thorpe, Olden Polynice, Shawnelle Scott, even Ike Austin if waived. Layden spoke to more than 15 teams yesterday, shopping Camby and his point guards whose long-term contracts have scared off luxury-tax-conscious teams.

Source: For Knicks, It's No Deal

[MFFL]

I was just reading something similiar in the New York Times.
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Here's the link

February 22, 2002
Van Exel and LaFrentz Are Dealt to the Mavericks
By CHRIS BROUSSARD

The balance of power in the National Basketball Association did not shift yesterday, but it certainly twitched a little when the Dallas Mavericks, with the league's third-best record, traded for Nick Van Exel and Raef LaFrentz of the Denver Nuggets.

The deal, which involved seven players, was one of two trades made before yesterday's 6 p.m. deadline. The other was a minor move that sent Marc Jackson from Golden State to Minnesota for Dean Garrett and a second-round pick in 2007.

Dallas's trade was more significant. While Van Exel's attitude is always a question mark, the move significantly improves the Mavericks on paper. In addition to Van Exel and LaFrentz, Dallas received Tariq Abdul-Wahad and Avery Johnson from the Nuggets.

Denver, which wanted to move the unhappy Van Exel at all costs, received Tim Hardaway, Juwan Howard, Donnell Harvey, a first-round draft pick and $1 million from the Mavericks.

Dallas, which had a 37-17 record and was averaging a league-best 105 points a game going into last night's contest against the Boston Celtics, now will feature a starting lineup that includes four players who were averaging more than 19 points a game in Dirk Nowitzki (23.8), Steve Nash (19.6), Michael Finley (19.1) and Van Exel (21.4).

Not only that, but LaFrentz was averaging 14.9 points, and all five starters are legitimate threats from 3-point range.

"Dallas made out pretty good," said one Eastern Conference general manager, who spoke on the condition of anonymity. "They have a lot of firepower, so it's going to be interesting to see how things come together. They're going to have a lot of scoring on that team, but those guys are all used to taking a lot of shots, too."

Dallas's chief problem this season has been defense, particularly inside, and the addition of the 6-foot-11 LaFrentz, the league's second-leading shot blocker at 3.0 per game, should strengthen the Mavericks considerably.

Denver, Golden State and the Knicks were viewed as the three teams most desperately seeking a trade. The Knicks were interested in five of the players who were moved — Van Exel, LaFrentz, Howard, Jackson and Garrett — but with Marcus Camby's trade value being damaged by his current hip injury, they were unable to get anything done. So the Knicks, who blew a 16-point lead in losing to the league's worst team in Chicago on Wednesday, will stay with the group that has played to an appalling 20-32 record.

Scott Layden, the Knicks' president and general manager, tried to hide his frustration.

"We always work hard to try and improve our team, but we're not disappointed because we weren't going to make a trade just to make a change," Layden said on a conference call last night. "The popular phrase now is, `Just do something to shake things up,' but we're not into that."

They are not into the playoff hunt either. All the Knicks can do now is play out the season. While the postseason is still a mathematical possibility, their hope of qualifying for the playoffs is no more realistic than those of the Chicago Bulls, who beat them by 113-109 Wednesday despite playing with two newcomers (Jalen Rose and Travis Best) who did not even know their team's plays.

The Knicks appear destined for the draft lottery, which is not such a bad thing. In fact, they are playing so poorly that they may end up with one of the top five picks. Their record was the eighth worst in the league before last night, but they could sink lower, having lost 15 of their last 21 games.

Layden did not fail for lack of trying. He had worked on getting Van Exel and LaFrentz, but the Knicks' offer of Camby, Mark Jackson and Travis Knight was not enough. The Knicks then turned their attention to Phoenix guard Stephon Marbury before getting involved in talks with Dallas over the last few days. While they were never close to obtaining Marbury, they will go after him again this summer if he continues to struggle in Phoenix.

The Knicks offered Camby, Shandon Anderson and Charlie Ward to Dallas for Howard, but the Mavericks were not interested, in part because of Camby's health. The Knicks thought they had a chance to pull off the deal if they could get a third team involved, but when Dallas began talking with Denver, the Mavericks dropped the Knicks.

Some league executives believe Dallas showed interest in the Knicks' package only to entice Denver into making a trade.

Whatever the case, Layden's interest in Howard, whose $105 million contract expires after next season, may show that he has accepted the necessity of rebuilding the Knicks. A trade probably would not have made them any better this season or next season, but it would have been a great first step toward gaining salary-cap relief because they could have chopped $20 million off their payroll after the 2002-3 season.

Since it did not happen, the Knicks were left to watch the Mavericks get richer, while they remained poor.

[Rhylan]

I don't know what you have to put on your resume to be a GM in this league, but suffice it to say I don't have it on mine.

Regardless, I can see the stupid things Layden has done, just as a fan with a basic knowledge of the CBA.

Man, you took the job, you know what kind of an industry it is. It all centers around competition and guys bargaining for known resources. I mean TOTALLY known. It's not like a business where you've got trade secrets and stuff like that. You've got assets and for the most part, everyone who wants to be better than you knows everything about them. Who you've got that's good and bad, who you want to get rid of, and who you will have to get rid of to unshackle your team from salary cap captivity. If you get taken, Boo-frickin-hoo.

[mick]

Layden could have stepped up and increased the value of his offer, (say Curt Thomas?).

Which deal would any sane person rather have, given that money is not an issue in negotiations.

Healthy Raef vs. Injured (uknown for how long) Camby
Nick the quick vs. Charlie Ward
AJ/Tarig vs. Shannon Anderson