[h1]
Knicks might need bold action to acquireCurry[/h1]BY ALAN HAHN |
[email protected] 10:33 PM EDT, June 16, 2009Donnie Walsh may need to take a page out of the Mike Tannenbaum playbook if
the Knicks are as hot forStephen Curry as the
Jets were for Mark Sanchez. Tannenbaum made a bold move to trade up to the fifth pick in the
NFL draft to grab Sanchez, the "it" quarterbackof the draft after No. 1 pick
Matthew Stafford.
Curry, who has conjured a great deal of "it" factor over the past two weeks, could be the
NBA's version of Sanchez, a hot commodity who entereddraft talk as a borderline top 10 pick and after workouts has skyrocketed into blue-chip status.
Curry is so aware of his sudden rise on the draft board that he changed his mind about shutting down his workouts, which his father, Dell, indicated last weekin Charlotte. After Stephen finished what was supposed to be his final workout Tuesday in Washington, he told reporters he intended to work out for the
SacramentoKings this weekend.
The Kings have the fourth overall pick. The Knicks, who pick eighth, are already preparing for alternative scenarios as interest in Curry has grown since heworked out in New York. And while Curry continues to say his preference would be to land with the Knicks, it doesn't make financial sense for him todissuade teams ahead of the Knicks to pass on him. For instance, the NBA rookie scale for the eighth overall pick is $2.06 million in the first year. The scaleat fourth overall, where the Kings select, is almost $1 million more.
The Knicks' diligent predraft workout process continues Wednesday when Louisville shooting guard Terrence Williams headlines another group of invitees tothe MSG Training Center. On Tuesday, the Knicks, who are owned by Cablevision which also owns Newsday, worked out Arizona power forward Jordan Hill, who couldfall to the Knicks if guards dominate the top seven. Hill, however, is being targeted by the Wizards at No. 5 and would also be a preference of the
DallasMavericks, who have engaged in discussions with Washington for the pick. Don Nelson reportedly told Hill last week that if he were still on the board, theWarriors would take him at No. 7.
Of course, as the rumor mill churns into high gear with almost a week to go before next Thursday's draft, the Warriors are also believed to be veryinterested in Curry and another potential Knicks target,
Brandon Jennings. There is this caveat,however: According to a person with knowledge of the situation, Warriors guard Monta Ellis was assured by team brass that they would not select a guard andHill was the intended target.
The Knicks could attempt to avoid all of this mess by making a bold move up into the top five. It is believed that pick No. 2 (Memphis), No. 3 (Oklahoma City),No. 5 (Washington) and No. 6 (Minnesota) are each available for the right deal. Though the Knicks don't have many assets to trade - restricted free agents
David Lee and NateRobinson, by rule, cannot be included in a sign-and-trade until July 9 - they do have expiring contracts and retired
Cuttino Mobley's contract, which is 80percent paid by insurance. The latter could be extremely valuable to a cash-strapped franchise such as the Grizzlies.
The Knicks could simply stand pat and pick from several solid options - Jennings, Jrue Holiday, Tyreke Evans, Ty Lawson - when the dust settles after picks onethrough seven. There is also good reason to monitor the situation closely involving Spanish guard Ricky Rubio, whose troublesome buyout situation with hisEuropean team and unwillingness to work out for any NBA teams are causing his stock to plummet. But it is highly unlikely the dynamic 18-year-old would lasteight picks into the draft.
Knicks inquire about McGrady. A person with knowledge of the situation said the
Houston Rockets are engaging in verypreliminary discussions involving offers for
Tracy McGrady and, the source said, the Knicks have shown some interest. However, much like the inquiry about
Shaquille O'Neal, it is believed to be strictly due diligence at this point on the part of Walsh.
The oft-injured McGrady, a seven-time all-star who over the last year endured surgeries on his shoulder (arthroscopy) and knee (microfracture procedure),played just 35 games this past season. He has one year and $23 million left on his contract, which, for the Knicks, would make acquiring him a low risk,especially if it doesn't cost them more than an expiring contract.