KNICKS OUT OF OPT-IONS
Will have to wait till ’15 for shot at James
THE KNICKS once again have LeBron James exactly where they want him — without a contract and open to relocating.
But unlike the summer of 2010 when the Knicks had the salary-cap space to sign the NBA’s most sought-after free agent, new club president Phil Jackson will have to sit this one out. But all hope is not lost. If James were to re-sign with Miami for one season and test the free agent market next summer, the Knicks could become players.
Jackson is targeting next offseason as the time when the Knicks can significantly upgrade their roster. Besides holding a 2015 first-round pick, the Knicks will have salary-cap space to sign free agents with the contracts of Amar’e Stoudemire, Tyson Chandler and Andrea Bargnani all set to expire next July.
A best-case scenario for the Knicks would be to re-sign Carmelo Anthony next month, hope that James signs a one-year deal with the Heat and then convince him to come to New York in 2015.
Of course, the Heat will attempt to resign James to a five-year contract, which would eliminate any chance of him ever playing for the Knicks. At least i n his prime that is. “I was informed this morning of his intentions,” Heat president Pat Riley said in a statement after James announced he was opting out of his contract to become a free agent. “We fully expected LeBron to optout and exercise his free agent rights, so this does not come as a surprise. As I said at the press conference last week, players have a right to free agency and when they have these opportunities, the right to explore their options.
“The last four seasons have been historic, and LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Erik Spoelstra have led the Miami Heat to one of the most unprecedented runs in the history of the NBA. We look forward to sitting down with LeBron and his representatives and talking about our future together. At the moment, we are preparing for the opportunities in the draft and free agency as we continue with our goal of winning NBA championships.”
Miami is regarded as the front runner to re-sign James, assuming he is satisfied that the club, which won has two of the last three NBA titles, is in position to contend. To achieve that goal, Miami will need Wade and Bosh to opt out of their contracts and take less in order for Riley to make improvements.
If James has doubts about the direction of the franchise, this could turn into 2010 all over again, with teams lining up to acquire the league’s best player.
There is already talk about the Lakers, Clippers, Mavs, Rockets, Hawks and Cavs all ready to make the necessary roster moves to sign James. In the case of the Lakers, Hawks and Cavs, it has been reported that those clubs will try to sign both James and Anthony, who have long expressed a desire to become teammates.
There was a report during the NBA Finals that the Heat will look to sign Anthony. Riley last week called it a pipe dream before adding that anything is possible.
Anthony officially opted out of his contract on Monday. His preference is to remain in New York, but the Chicago Bulls are looming as a legitimate threat. It has not been decided whether Anthony will visit the Bulls when the free agency recruiting period begins at 12:01 a.m. on July 1.
Jackson has made it clear that while he’d like to re-sign Anthony he would not view Anthony leaving as a crushing blow to the franchise. Jackson, who has been vacationing and attending the wedding of his son in Turkey for the past week, is expected back in New York before the start of Thursday’s NBA draft.
A team source claims that the Knicks, who currently don’t have a pick, are confident they can acquire a first-round and/or second-round pick.