Could the Knicks throw us all for a loop and sign a player in free agency after all? Today I explore how it might be possible - and look at some candidates.
Once again masterfully written! There are 2 other guys who are not primary ball-handlers that I have been thinking about who are potential NTMLE FA options: De'anthony Melton and Caleb Martin (if he opts out). While neither fills the creation need off the bench, I think both would slot into the rotation well and fit the overall design of the team.
Will write about Melton at some point, but the more I thought about it, the less I saw them going after a guard who doesn't have, ahem, creation juice, and also isn't a traditional table setter (like Tyus). If they're going that route, I just assume they go with a bigger player because of how their roster is built. Hence, today's list.
I’m looking forward to your column tomorrow Jonathan. I would love to know if there are 2 or 3 let alone 5 FA we could sign for MLE who is better than Bogs.
Seems to me it will take a trade to acquire the a PG who can back up Jalen, plus play along side him at times plus provide instant offense off the bench.
There’s a guy in Toronto named Quickley. I’d love to find a similar player 😉.
I agree about Gordon Hayward. I’d also like to suggest Kyle Anderson, even though he can’t shoot, like, at all, though I’ve not yet looked up his C&S numbers. Like Gordon, he checks a lot of boxes, & is probably a little better defensively & worse offensively. I do this thing where I look up FA players’ o- and d- rating to find diamonds in the rough. Like Naji Marshall in NO if last year’s shooting boost was real.
Maybe you'll get into this with Jeremy at some point, but what happens if they bring over Rokas from a cap perspective? I'd think if he becomes the potential "engine" type guy you'd want to either keep Bogie unless that gets you over the apron (and you don't want to be).
Will put this in the newsletter, but it depends on the contract they give him. since they have no cap space, if they pay him more than the minimum, it'll have to come from a salary cap exception, and all the rules that go with using that exception will apply.
I'm not honestly that stoked about any MLE level candidates. I think Dejounte Murray might be best way to add talent while holding onto the core of the team. Leon making peace with Rich/Klutch this season opens the door for this in a way that seemed like a much tougher obstacle. He's not perfect, but he's at a cost controlled price that we could match salary with just Bojan (not Julius). I just think he moves the needle more than any of these MLE guys would.
In a perfect world, he takes up DaQuan Jeffries' spot, and we use the salary opened up for one of the aforementioned people Jon will talk about tomorrow
I think Jon has said we have to guarantee the contract to trade it. If
Atlantas cap allows them to take back more than they send out it could work even if that is true but I don’t know why bother if Griffen is just going to sit unless there is an injury.
Someone suggested AJ Griffin. If that's at all a possibility, it's not terrible. So is running it ALL back with everyone. We never really got to see a healthy Bogey. Maybe he's exactly what we need? Also, Its been 2 weeks since the season ended, and out of desperation, I've resorted to playing through the full season again in 2K, with the season ending line-up. everyone at full strength and Mitch starting. And you know what? The '24 Knicks were a pretty tough team. Let's give them a chance.
You only focused on PGs for the MLE. What about centers? If the Knicks trade Mitch and a draft pick for a PG/initiator, that would open a roster spot for a backup center. That seems like a better use of the MLE
I remember now! Goga Bitadze. Thats who I was thinking about and Fred’s article just reminded me. Looney(also) from Fred’s article would be good if Mitch or IHart go elsewhere
Also Jon. I was trying to think what teams would value Bogey at 19 million. One team that stuck out to me is Atlanta. It seems like Snyder wants to have a little bit of a culture shift with that roster, and adding an established veteran who "gets him" like Bogey could do it for him.
Using TPEs, Spotrac has Bogey for AJ Griffin working. We were rumored to be interested in Griffin last year. Griffin was dealing with off the court stuff last year, local NYC guy and CAA.
Maybe one way to not have lose Bogey for something would be doing a trade like this. We get a young, deep off the bench guy with some potential (he's just 20 and averaged 9ppg his rookie year), and shed salary to use the MLE.
HOLY SHIT! The John Collins TPE! Only issue there is that they'd surely want significant draft comp for taking on that salary. Would be much easier to send some of our minimum contracts their way to hit the minimum outgoing salary number, although that would hard cap us at the 1st apron. No easy trade here.
Everyone brace yourself for Gordon Hayward. Thibs loves the guy, he's a veteran, and fits the profile of someone running of the offense who can play next to Brunson. Also may have played himself out of a TPMLE
1) are they allowed to eat the 2 million but then bring Bogey back at a significantly smaller number using one of the two exceptions? (I can’t imagine many teams would give him more than one guaranteed year)
2) would this be in any way beneficial to the Knicks’ ability to maneuver?
Once again masterfully written! There are 2 other guys who are not primary ball-handlers that I have been thinking about who are potential NTMLE FA options: De'anthony Melton and Caleb Martin (if he opts out). While neither fills the creation need off the bench, I think both would slot into the rotation well and fit the overall design of the team.
Will write about Melton at some point, but the more I thought about it, the less I saw them going after a guard who doesn't have, ahem, creation juice, and also isn't a traditional table setter (like Tyus). If they're going that route, I just assume they go with a bigger player because of how their roster is built. Hence, today's list.
*creation juice
™️
Also, I could talk myself into Russ
I’m looking forward to your column tomorrow Jonathan. I would love to know if there are 2 or 3 let alone 5 FA we could sign for MLE who is better than Bogs.
Seems to me it will take a trade to acquire the a PG who can back up Jalen, plus play along side him at times plus provide instant offense off the bench.
There’s a guy in Toronto named Quickley. I’d love to find a similar player 😉.
I agree about Gordon Hayward. I’d also like to suggest Kyle Anderson, even though he can’t shoot, like, at all, though I’ve not yet looked up his C&S numbers. Like Gordon, he checks a lot of boxes, & is probably a little better defensively & worse offensively. I do this thing where I look up FA players’ o- and d- rating to find diamonds in the rough. Like Naji Marshall in NO if last year’s shooting boost was real.
Wrote about him today!
Maybe you'll get into this with Jeremy at some point, but what happens if they bring over Rokas from a cap perspective? I'd think if he becomes the potential "engine" type guy you'd want to either keep Bogie unless that gets you over the apron (and you don't want to be).
Will put this in the newsletter, but it depends on the contract they give him. since they have no cap space, if they pay him more than the minimum, it'll have to come from a salary cap exception, and all the rules that go with using that exception will apply.
I'm not honestly that stoked about any MLE level candidates. I think Dejounte Murray might be best way to add talent while holding onto the core of the team. Leon making peace with Rich/Klutch this season opens the door for this in a way that seemed like a much tougher obstacle. He's not perfect, but he's at a cost controlled price that we could match salary with just Bojan (not Julius). I just think he moves the needle more than any of these MLE guys would.
I don’t mind Griffin but I don’t see where he would get minutes. So I would prefer someone else.
In a perfect world, he takes up DaQuan Jeffries' spot, and we use the salary opened up for one of the aforementioned people Jon will talk about tomorrow
I see it more as a chance to not just non-guarantee the contract w/out getting anything back.
I think Jon has said we have to guarantee the contract to trade it. If
Atlantas cap allows them to take back more than they send out it could work even if that is true but I don’t know why bother if Griffen is just going to sit unless there is an injury.
Someone suggested AJ Griffin. If that's at all a possibility, it's not terrible. So is running it ALL back with everyone. We never really got to see a healthy Bogey. Maybe he's exactly what we need? Also, Its been 2 weeks since the season ended, and out of desperation, I've resorted to playing through the full season again in 2K, with the season ending line-up. everyone at full strength and Mitch starting. And you know what? The '24 Knicks were a pretty tough team. Let's give them a chance.
You only focused on PGs for the MLE. What about centers? If the Knicks trade Mitch and a draft pick for a PG/initiator, that would open a roster spot for a backup center. That seems like a better use of the MLE
Do you have a good C for the MLE? I can't really find one I trust to be a rotation player.
Me? No. I’m no BKG
I mean, none of us are
I remember now! Goga Bitadze. Thats who I was thinking about and Fred’s article just reminded me. Looney(also) from Fred’s article would be good if Mitch or IHart go elsewhere
Writing about both tomorrow! I love Looney
Ha! You said something very similar on the pod
Also Jon. I was trying to think what teams would value Bogey at 19 million. One team that stuck out to me is Atlanta. It seems like Snyder wants to have a little bit of a culture shift with that roster, and adding an established veteran who "gets him" like Bogey could do it for him.
Using TPEs, Spotrac has Bogey for AJ Griffin working. We were rumored to be interested in Griffin last year. Griffin was dealing with off the court stuff last year, local NYC guy and CAA.
Maybe one way to not have lose Bogey for something would be doing a trade like this. We get a young, deep off the bench guy with some potential (he's just 20 and averaged 9ppg his rookie year), and shed salary to use the MLE.
Just a thought
Jesus...they have a TPE that large?
HOLY SHIT! The John Collins TPE! Only issue there is that they'd surely want significant draft comp for taking on that salary. Would be much easier to send some of our minimum contracts their way to hit the minimum outgoing salary number, although that would hard cap us at the 1st apron. No easy trade here.
Everyone brace yourself for Gordon Hayward. Thibs loves the guy, he's a veteran, and fits the profile of someone running of the offense who can play next to Brunson. Also may have played himself out of a TPMLE
full MLE*
Two questions about Bogey:
1) are they allowed to eat the 2 million but then bring Bogey back at a significantly smaller number using one of the two exceptions? (I can’t imagine many teams would give him more than one guaranteed year)
2) would this be in any way beneficial to the Knicks’ ability to maneuver?
I'm a simpleton but the simplest answer feels like just keep Bogey but I also don't think much of the reinforcement options available.