Carmelo Anthony and Amar'e Stoudemire complete two-thirds of the Knicks super team aspirations, and now New York has its sights on Chris Paul and Dwight Howard in 2012. But if the Anthony acquisition was any indication, the Knicks could be in trouble.
Should Howard or Paul enter free agency, the Knicks have a legitimate shot at signing one of them, but such a scenario remains a long shot because of the "LeBron James rule." The New Orleans Hornets and Orlando Magic are not about to let their star players depart for basically nothing.
Especially after seeing the Cavaliers get burned a year ago, and witnessing the abundance of assets the Denver Nuggets got for Anthony. As a result, the Knicks best, and possibly only option, is acquiring either Howard or Paul via trade.
And believe it or not, New York's lack of assets is not the biggest thing that is standing in their way of doing so. The Knicks biggest obstacle in negotiations, as it was with Anthony, is Howard's and Paul's willingness to force their respective team's hand.
When Anthony refused to sign a three-year extension with the Nuggets, we all knew his preferred destination was New York, and yet the Knicks still had to pay an enormous price for the All-Star. Sure, Anthony is a fantastic player, but New York gave Denver the world after getting in a bidding war against itself.
Knicks owner James Dolan is in part to thank for that because Donnie Walsh was intent on waiting Denver out. However, the rest of the blame lies on Anthony's shoulders.
Anthony never really forced the Nuggets' hand. Sure, the media and the organization knew he wanted to go to New York, but concerned with his image, he refused to be firm in his stance, instead opting to say he would sign with New Jersey if he had to.
Part of Anthony's tactics were obviously due to the fact that he wanted an extension before the lockout so he could maximize his income, and the other part of it was he remained reluctant to make any firm demands.
Understandably, Anthony wanted to maintain a respectable image in the public, but at the same time, everyone knew what his end goal was, so why go through the pointless facade of trying to save face?
New York has to hope that if Paul or Howard really want to be with the Knicks that they go about things in a completely different, more effective way.
What has to change this time around?
First off, it has to become clear that it doesn't matter what package the Knicks are offering. Paul and Howard have to be willing to tell their teams that they won't sign an extension with anyone other than New York, thus forcing Orlando or New Orleans to accept whatever offer is on the table.
The Magic and Hornets would have the option of trading their stars to a team who is comfortable with renting either of them for the rest of the season, but this again, is something Howard and Paul have to expect and accept.
Paul and Howard have to be willing to wait to hit the free agency market, unlike Anthony. The new CBA is already under, well, I guess we can call it negotiations, so extra money to be made in a sign and trade could prove to be minimal.
Additionally, both players have to realize while their salaries may be slightly less with New York, their endorsements would sky rocket and make up the difference.
The Knicks have the depth of assets this time around to not go through another Anthony saga. It is up to the players who want to be in New York to actually show they want to be there. Anthony's inability to do so depleted the Knicks' roster.
And why on earth would you want to start off your tenure on a new team as a member of the skeleton crew? Should Anthony have seriously forced Denver's action or been willing to wait until free agency, the Knicks would be in great shape after this lockout subsided.
Instead, the Knicks lack the tangible assets needed to trade for either Howard or Paul. And if New York is as serious as we all think about assembling a "big three" in the Big Apple, this is a real problem.
Should by some miracle the Knicks be able to swing a deal for either Howard or Paul when neither exerts their leverage, it would cost New York the rest of its assets. And as we watched LeBron and the Heat fall short in the finals this year, it became abundantly clear a "big three" needs backup.
Paul and Howard may have one of the best chances of winning an NBA title with the Knicks, but those chances decrease with every valuable role player New York has to relinquish to acquire them.
As a result, Howard and Paul, if they really want to join the Knicks, have to put aside their money concerns, because they will get it one way or the other. And they have to put aside their image concerns, because everyone will know the truth anyway, regardless of how much face they try to save.
In short, Paul and Howard have to view this free agency and trading saga the same way they would a defensive segment if they joined the Knicks and not follow Anthony's lead.
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