I wasn’t planning on starting the column discussing a Minnesota Timberwolves trade, let alone one involving LaMelo Ball, but here we are. YIK broke the news (at least to me) in the comments section, so kudos to him for staying on top of it. Better salute one of us than Shams, you know what I’m saying? Spoiler: the Wolves package is ludicrous.
Anyway, Kento covered the news while I was working on this, and he has a delicious summary of the trade impact in the NBA as well as the Knicks going forward.
If you ask me, I’m cool with removing a threat from the East (the Hornets were looking good at the start of last season and LaMelo was a big part of that) and sending him to the West so it’s now a four-team war for the rights to Western Conference finals, not to mention the actual Finals.
- This just in: ESPN’s Brian Windhorst says it’s 51/49 for Mitchell Robinson to return to New York. We have you covered. Check out the latest here.
- Now starting for good, with the man who helped build the title Knicks, Brock Aller… welcome to another Knicks draft! Four trades, a bunch of second-round picks, extra cap flexibility, cash, and somehow the rights to Melvin Ajinca again. The man treats draft night like it’s 2KGM with God Mode turned on.
- Before we move forward, keep Melvin Ajinca’s name in mind. You’ll need it for an extraordinary feature I have dropping later today.
- International Knicks superstar Jack Kayil doesn’t sound interested in becoming another overseas stash. Quotables in the Bulletin.
“My plan is to stay here and get into the organization and keep growing with them.”
- Freshest Knicks superstar Tyler Nickel, meanwhile, claimed to be “delusional” last January. And I love it.
- If you somehow haven’t listened to Leon Rose’s appearance on the Roommates Show yet, make some time for it today. This felt like Christmas in June, and Rose touched a whole lot of topics from Jalen and Mikal trades, the firing of Thibs and why he chose Brown, how the Knicks FO operates, and plenty of other saucy stuff. Check it out asap.
- Newsday’s Steve Popper wrote an interesting piece on the Knicks’ second-apron situation, and one question is at the front of Popper’s mind: Why did James Dolan publicly reveal the team’s financial intentions before free agency even began? Here’s a bit of what he wrote, but check out the full post.
“The first question is why would (Dolan) go public about this when the Knicks have masked their intentions so well for years? If the Knicks intend to stick to this plan then it basically sets the price for the Knicks free agents, meaning if a team intends on making an offer for Robinson, they would know just how far the Knicks could go to remain under the second apron. But the deeper question is why are the Knicks so determined to remain under the second apron?
- Stefan Bondy wrote a similar column for the NY Post and echoed the same thoughts Popper floated after speaking with league sources. According to Bondy, plenty of people around the NBA believe ownership will ultimately be convinced to spend because the championship window is simply too valuable to just break the core over a few million dollars. We all agree, don’t we?
- The Lakers and the Kings keep being mentioned as the main suitors for Mitchell Robinson if he hits free agency, and the Knicks indeed refuse to get into the second apron. Current Kings and former Knicks GM Scott Perry might have something to do with Sacto’s links. We have plenty of great thoughts and discussions going on in the comments section here. Go chime in!
- I am no capologist, so I won’t be judging Spike Lee’s Joint idea to bring back all three of Mitch, Shamet, and Jose. Thoughts?
“I think there is one way to re-sign all three of Robinson, Shamet and Jose with some but not a lot of discount. Jose opts in at $4.5 million. He will then be extended at a reasonable price. Shamet re-signs starting at just under $6 million. This is probably around his market value, maybe a small discount.
“Here’s the doozey: Mitch re-signs to a five-year, $50 million deal. With 8% raises, this allows you start his contract at $8.5 million. If you assume his market is somewhere around two years, $30 million, then it essentially matches that and then gives 3 years and $20 million starting in his age 30/31 season. I’m not sure it’s a wise decision—he’d be getting paid $11.5 million in year 5 as a 32/33 year old Mitch… but it might be the best combination of staying under the apron and keeping this team together.
This scenario, plus trading Pacome and signing the second-round picks (Nickel and Kayil) to two-year rookie minimum deals would get you in a hair under the second apron with 14 players. Plus, the Pacome TPE would mean you would be able to trade for a Vet minimum at the deadline
- New York Magazine dropped an outstanding Jalen Brunson feature on Wednesday. It’s packed with little stories about JB and a bunch of fresh post-championship quotes, which honestly makes it all a thousand times better. Funny nugget: Brunson talks about sleeping through Lionel Messi’s World Cup hat trick and being mad about it. Check it out to know all about that and a whole lot more.
- Speaking of Rick Brunson, the old man keeps messing around with his son. Across multiple interviews this week, RB again said that 1) Patrick Ewing remains the greatest Knick ever, 2) Jalen still has years to go before entering that conversation, and 3) Prime Derrick Rose would vaporize his own son in a one-on-one game. If you’re too young to know, please don’t skip D-Rose’s MVP mixtape.
- Barack Obama appeared on All The Smoke (how far we’ve gone folks…) and spent plenty of time praising the champs, from OG to Brunson.
“I’m trying to think of a better series from somebody who’s never been an All-Star, and it’s hard to think of one, right? Through the whole playoffs, he was just a rock.”
- Windhorst nearly lost it discussing a hypothetical scenario about a Lakers-Cavaliers trade that would flip LeBron James for Jarrett Allen in a sign-and-trade. The Lakers would “kill” for Allen and that deal, he believes. I do, too.
- Boston continues having an incredibly normal week. Jaylen Brown called ESPN “unethical,” singled out Stephen A. Smith by name, and defended his previous comments about last season.
- Sports Illustrated’s Chris Mannix, meanwhile, doubled down on his information regarding Brown’s future in Boston, which isn’t nearly as settled as Brad Stevens publicly suggested after the Giannis trade left the C’s and Brown in the cold. Sister site CelticsBlog is already publishing mock trades. Here’s one of them:
“A potential pick: Boston gets Kawhi Leonard and the Pacers 2029 first round pick, unprotected. Los Angeles gets Jaylen Brown.”
- Jeremy Schneider of NJ.com was joined by Jerry Carino to discuss KAT’s path from middle school to hosting the Larry O’Brien trophy, his evolution as a player, his most personal side, and what makes him an all-time all-New Jersey basketball hooper.
That’s probably enough internet for one day. The draft is in the rearview mirror, and free agency is almost here, with the first item on the to-do list being Jose Alvarado’s player-option decision.
Never a dull offseason around these parts, whether we’re champs or chumps.
