2021-2022 ROSTER TALK: [ARCHIVED]

[Jason Terry]

If you listen to the podcast, Detroit is actually the first team Fischer mentions.  He doesn’t have any sourcing on it.  He’s just speculating that the fit works and he could see Detroit having interest in Brunson’s leadership in the locker room.  He acknowledges that Detroit could go after other players (Ayton) and much depends on how much salary they take back in any trade for Grant.  So, nothing more than we already know.  Detroit has a high pick.  Many teams are calling on Grant and a deal is likely.  Brunson would fit with Detroit and they will have cap space.

Fischer says all Knick veterans are on the table.  They were available at the TDL, and he suspect they will be on the table in the summer.  He expects Brunson to be a target.  He thinks part of what NY was trying to do at the TDL was to create cap space for Brunson.  Stein says if the Knicks had the space, Dallas would be seriously freaked out right now.  Fischer thinks NY will try to create cap space this summer.

As I’ve written before, I don’t think it will be difficult for NY to create $18-$21mm in cap space in the summer.  They have excess picks.  They have four contracts that will be expired a year from this summer (or better, three are TO’s next summer).  They have some decent youngsters.  AND, NY has the leverage of Detroit’s cap space.  I think they can make Dallas blink.  What I mean by that is if Brunson won’t sign immediately, Dallas can 1. Wait it out daring NY to create the cap room.  Or, 2. Negotiate with NY taking back a package similar to what they are sending out to create the cap room.  BYC comes into play, but as I’ve indicated in past writing, it isn’t hard to get the numbers right…especially if we have the TPE to fit in some of the returning talent.

One last topic while I’m at it.  We hear a lot about “getting a seat at the table”.  The table is free agency where the player has control over his destination.  But who is out there that we’d be in a conversation for….Irving?  Ayton? LaVine?  Bridges?  Two of those guys are restricted…LaVine seems the most reasonable, but not on a team that retains Brunson.  Or, is the seat at the table understood to mean strictly at some later date?

NYK: Brunson and Maxi (plus minor OKC players)

DAL: Randle and mavs FRP 

OKC: Bertans and Reddish

Not sure if this is legal but if we are to lose Brunson we need to take the opportunity to make a big move out of it like this. The boxes i would want to see checked are: 1) get a good player at a need position (Randle/Grant) 2) shed excess salary(Bertans is top choice, THJ if we must) 3) get an asset (pick/player i.e. FRP/Killian Hayes) 4) keep our pick this summer if possible 

Maybe we don’t get everything we want but we can’t let him walk for nothing under any circumstances 

To your last point, a “seat at the table” could mean more than just FA. Almost all the biggest trades these days the player has a major say compared to before. Just like how we wouldn’t want Brunson to change teams without their being a trade. He has a major say and would even if he was an RFA or under contract. The seat at the table move might not be right now it could be in the future. I think Nico means having a seat more so than in years past. We will see