01-05-2004, 10:54 PM
Quote:I would not be out of line in asking for a thank you from all you Knick fans
As a Knick fan, you can look for thanks elsewhere. This is a bad trade.
Knicks get:
Stephon Marbury
Penny Hardaway
Cezary Trybanski
Knicks give:
Antonio McDyess
Charlie Ward
Howard Eisley
Maciej Lampe
Milos Vujanic
Unconditional 2004 first-round pick
Future first-round pick
Knicks are mortgaging the future for a chance to win now. The problem is, the team still isn't good enough to win now.
Dice and Ward were gone after this season anyway, so that's no loss. Eisley is an overpaid scrub, but Penny isn't much better these days and is guaranteed $20 million over the next 2 years. Trybanski is just filler, and will never be a player. He's 24 and has played a total of 95 minutes in the NBA for the Grizzlies and Suns.
So basically it boils down to: Vujanic, Lampe, and two first-round picks for Marbury. This year's pick would almost certainly be a lottery pick.
Now they've got Marbury and KVH playing on the same team - that's just asking for trouble. Frank Williams was developing nicely, now he'll once again come off the bench and see his minutes decrease. Vujanic and Lampe are two of the best young European prospects, and two first round picks is a hell of a lot to give up when they have no room to sign any big free agents considering their terrible financial situation.
This trade guarantees that the Knicks will continue to wallow in mediocrity. Now instead of a lottery team putting together the pieces for the future, they're a low-seed playoff team with little room for real improvement.
The Suns, though, are in a good position. They've got a nice young core with Marion, Stoudemire, Cabarkapa, the addition of Lampe and Vujanic, two first round picks this year, and plenty of cap space to sign a big name FA.
And people wonder why the West is so dominant...