The Basketball News:Knicks push for LeBron James
Article Summary:
One would think that the big news is a 3 way trade at the NBA trade deadline between Houston, Sacramento, and New York, but that would be flawed thinking. This trade was all about reestablishing the New York Knicks
Article Content:
NBA Obsessed takes you into the hit and run game of NBA Basketball.
One would think that the big news is a 3 way trade at the NBA trade deadline between Houston, Sacramento, and New York, but that would be flawed thinking. This trade was all about reestablishing the New York Knicks as an NBA power to be in the NBA and returning one of the largest sports markets in the world to David Stern.
In my youth there were three NBA hotbeds for basketball that made tremendous amounts of money for the NBA. The three were the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, and Los Angeles Lakers. The Celtics and Lakers had all the titles, but the Knicks had all the fans. In recent times the Knicks have fallen on hard times in terms of talent and fans. Even Spike Lee is struggling, but he has to be happy now.
Why? Because of Tracy McGrady? After all he is an All Star and they just traded for him at the NBA deadline.
No! Because Tracy McGrady’s expiring mega bucks contract plus the contracts the Knicks unloaded at up to about 35 million in cap space to chase LeBron James, Joe Johnson, Chris Bosh, and who knows who else.
With Jeffries’ contract off the books, the Knicks will have enough salary cap space this summer to sign two max free agents. The plan all along is to sign James, the top free agent in the 2010 class. But now the Knicks have the option of signing James and allowing him to pick which other free agent – perhaps Chris Bosh or Wade – the club should pursue.
The opportunity to land two superstars is why Walsh agreed to send Jeffries, rookie Jordan Hill as well as two first round picks to the Houston Rockets. The teams will flip flop first round picks in 2011 but not if the Knicks have the top overall selection in the draft. The 2012 pick is protected Nos. 1 through 5. The Knicks also sent disgruntled veteran guard Larry Hughes to the Sacramento Kings.
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Will LeBron James and Chris Bosh wear the same Knicks uniforms next year?
Only in the wacky world of the David Stern NBA could a team like the New York Knicks pick up a perennial All Star and all anyone can talk about is how great things will be when they get rid of that same All Star. What must Tracy McGrady be thinking right now?
Still NBAObsessed has always been in favor of a strong New York Knicks franchise for the health of the NBA as a league. Don’t take this as a biased view, because my loyalties lie with my beleaguered Pistons of Detroit.
Can you imagine LeBron James and Chris Bosh on the same team playing in Madison Square Garden? Hello, NBA Finals!
Image: Zuma Press
As always, any NBA Basketball related comments are welcome.
Post from: NBA Obsessed
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Tags:chris bosh, lebron james, NBA Basketball, NBA Championship, New-York-Knicks, Tracy McGrady, trade-deadline