Linsanity Coming to an End? Knicks Sign and Trade for Raymond Felton

Linsanity Over in New York? Knicks Acquire Raymond Felton

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In what is being considered a very surprising move, the New York Knicks have acquired point guard Raymond Felton from the Portland Trail Blazers as part of a sign and trade.

As part of the deal, Felton and the Knicks agreed to a three year contract worth $10 million. 

To finish the sign and trade, the Knicks also received big man Kurt Thomas.  In exchange, the Knicks will send Dan Gadzuric, Jared Jeffries and a 2016 second round pick. Rumors are swirling there may also be rights to a European player exchanged.

This is a big surprise to some because it was widely considered that the Knicks would be matching the offer that restricted free agent point guard Jeremy Lin received from the Houston Rockets.  Lin and the Rockets agreed to a three year $25.1 million contract that would have ballooned to almost $15 million in the third year.

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Even with such an increase, it was thought that the Knicks would match any deal for Lin, who had become an overnight sensation this past basketball season.  Lin played a big part in the Knicks making the post-season, so it was considered that nothing would keep him from coming back. But, with the acquisition of Felton, matching Lin’s offer sheet is no longer a guarantee.

Matching Lin’s agreement with the Rockets would have put the Knicks into a catastrophic hole of luxury tax in the coming seasons.  This has never been a problem for the Knicks, as owner James Dolan has been willing to pay any amount of money to put the players on the court that he wants.  But with this hesitation, it would seem that the new Collective Bargaining Agreement may actually be working.

The new CBA was put in place to make teams think twice about handing out big contracts by increasing the luxury tax penalties for teams that went over the salary cap.  For once, the Knicks and their management are being cap conscious, hence why the decision to add Felton instead of matching Lin.  Felton will not cost them as much in luxury taxes and will give the Knicks more cap flexibility in the coming years.  If they matched and retained Lin, they would be stuck with very little money and virtually the same team for the next three seasons.

It has not been said yet what the Knicks will do with Lin’s offer sheet, but it is getting harder and harder to believe that they will match.  If the Knicks do match for Lin, you can except to see basically the same Knicks squad for the next three seasons with very little changes in terms of the roster.  You can also expect to see a lot of two point guard sets if Lin is retained, as the Knicks will have to find playing time for Jason Kidd, Felton, Lin and newly acquired Pablo Prigioni. 

New York Knicks vs. Miami Heat Position Match-Ups: Benches

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This is the sixth and final installment in a series of posts breaking down the match-ups between the Knicks and Heat position by position.  The last match-up will be between the bench units.

Coming into the season, both the Knicks and Heat had question marks about their second units.  The Knicks were looked at as a team with only two scoring options and a bunch of other guys.  The Heat had that problem last season and looked to alleviate it with the addition of Shane Battier to go along with a healthy Udonis Haslem and Mike Miller.  But now that the playoffs are actually here, it is the Knicks who have the more secure bench and Heat with question marks.

If the Knicks are looking to actually make noise in the series, the bench is going to have to gain a distinct advantage over the Heat.  If you go by the regular season numbers that is exactly what the Knicks should be able to accomplish.  The Knicks bench averaged a solid 30 points per game compared to 26 for the Heat’s bench. 

There is a real possibility that number can skyrocket for the Knicks though based on the personnel and make up of each team’s second unit.  The Heat’s focus is to stop the dribble drive of opponents, and that is something the Knicks should be able to take advantage of.  If the slashers on the second unit in Landry Fields and J.R. Smith are able to attack the paint it will create open looks for the Knicks shooters.  It will then fall on the shoulders of Steve Novak and J.R. Smith to knock down their open jump shots and make the most of the opportunities given to them. 

Novak has been deadly all season from 3 point range and everyone knows how capable Smith is of going off at any moment.  If Fields is able to regain any of his shooting form from last year in addition to the hot streak Carmelo Anthony has been on the Knicks will be deadly.  Any threat the Knicks can work up outside of Novak and Smith will be a huge. 

Where the Knicks may struggle some with the bench squad is on the defensive end.  Jared Jeffries is questionable at best because of a sore knee which has bothered him for much of the past eight weeks.  Jeffries isn’t expected to play more than 15 minutes a game for the Knicks, leaving them with a huge void on the defensive end. 

The worst part is that the Knicks do not have a clear decision of who will pick up the slack for Jeffries.  Dan Gadzuric was signed last week because of the concerns over Jeffries, but he looks out of shape and incapable of picking up any sort of meaningful minutes right now.  Josh Harrellson has shown the ability to play well, but seems to not have the full trust of Mike Woodson.  Woodson will have to get creative in filling the void left behind by Jeffries.

The advantage for the benches goes to the Knicks.  Novak and Smith are capable of knocking down shots in bunches and can turn a series quickly in favor for the Knicks.  The Knicks bench has come a long way this season, and actually is a big reason the Knicks have made it this far, in comparison to the Heat who have yet to find consistent production from their bench unit even with the additions they have made. 

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New York Knicks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers Pre-Game News and Notes April 20

Friday April 20^th 7:30 P.M. ET
New York Knicks vs. Cleveland Cavaliers

The Knicks awoke tonight to the news that they are now definitely playoff bound.  With the loss suffered by the Milwaukee Bucks last night to the Indiana Pacers, the Knicks locked up a playoff spot for the second consecutive year.  The Knicks cannot take it easy now, as they need wins if they want to win the division or move up the standings.  The Knicks will finish up the regular season by traveling to Atlanta for a game Sunday then finishing up with two home games against the Clippers and Bobcats next week. 

-Team News and Notes

With Amar’e Stoudemire returning to the lineup tonight, moves and decisions had to be made.  Stoudemire will be inserted into the starting lineup from the start, which means someone has to go back to the bench.  Mike Woodson has decided that man will be Landry Fields, leaving Iman Shumpert in the starting lineup along with Baron Davis, Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler.  Fields can still be in for big minutes because Davis and Stoudemire will be on minute restrictions to start. 

The Knicks also made some front office decisions today.  Jared Jeffries is expected to sit out the remainder of the regular season in hopes that his knee will heal in time for the playoffs.  With this news, the Knicks made a roster move, signing Dan Gadzuric.  Gadzuric will add a big body and depth to the Knicks for the playoffs and end of the season.  He is very active around the basket and is very aggressive on the boards.  This is something that the Knicks desperately need facing a potential first round match up with the Chicago Bulls. 

To make room for Gadzuric, the Knicks waived Bill Walker.  Walker was just returning from left elbow surgery and had not been receiving minutes upon his return. 

-Get off to a quick start

Much like Wednesday night when the Knicks jumped out to an early 21 point lead over the Nets and cruised to a win, doing the same tonight would be beneficial.  If they jump out to an early start they can ease their way to victory in a game which is expected to be lopsided in favor of the Knicks.  Getting some rest for players like Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler would also be very beneficial for the playoff stretch.

-Maintain Rhythm

The Knicks have been in a nice groove on the offensive end running the offense through Carmelo Anthony.  They must figure out a way to continue this with Amar’e Stoudemire returning to the lineup.  The Knicks at times struggle with both Anthony and Stoudemire on the court together, looking confused and lacking an idea of how to score.  They have a total of four games to start getting it together before the playoffs start. 

-Continued Bench Production

With the playoff now a lock, bench production will become even that more crucial.  The presence of the bench will be very important if the Knicks want to make some noise during the post season.  The Knicks have compiled a very deep bench with the possibility to cause problems for opposing teams.  Specialists like Steve Novak and Jared Jeffries and instant offense from J.R. Smith are all important when it comes to playoff time.  Mike Woodson will be looking to tighten his rotation and really set up playing time and situations for players in these last four games.