A Modest Proposal

UPDATE, MILES:

As Stuart Scott would say: "Booyah!" Just protect the 2012 pick, Donnie, then pull the trigger. Two max free agents are coming to New York this summer. The only question is, which two? LeBron and Bosh? Wade and Bosh? Johnson and Bosh? Wade and LeBron? For my dashed-off hagiography of the great Donnie Walsh, click here. 

That is all. 

I've had it with the Knickerbockers. Last night's loss, a blown 15-point, 4th-quarter lead to the Sacramento Kings, was the clincher. This team needs to be scrubbed clean. No longer in contention for the playoffs, the Knicks are nonetheless facing an important 8-day stretch between now and the NBA's trade deadline. To remain real players in this summer's free agent bonanza, it is imperative for Donnie Walsh to unload Jared Jeffries's contract, a complete albatross for the Knicks, but an otherwise reasonable deal for teams not looking to sign one or two max free agents this summer.

Somewhat serendipitously, then, Yahoo!'s Adrian Wojnarowski reports this morning the Knicks are in semi-serious talks with the Houston Rockets about acquiring the Player Formerly Known As Tracy McGrady, as part of a three-way trade with the Washington Wizards. "The centerpieces of the trade," Wojnarowski reports, "would include the Washington Wizards shipping forward Caron Butler and center Brendan Haywood to the Rockets. The Knicks would send Al Harrington to the Wizards." Wojo also explains the Wizards would need to add another player for the trade to work under the league's Collective Bargaining Agreement. The Wizards might also want a draft pick.

Here's what I'm thinking. The Knicks should send Jeffries, a very good defensive player, to Houston and Darko Milicic's expiring contract, along with the aforementioned Harrington, to Washington, a franchise desperately trying to shed salary. Since Houston, currently in a dog-fight for the playoffs, clearly gets the upper hand in talent (Butler et. al), they'd send their first-round draft pick to Washington. Everybody wins: the Rockets immediately get better, while simultaneously gearing up for Yao's return next season; the Knicks clear some much-needed cap space; and the Wizards start in earnest their much-needed rebuilding phase.

What do you think?

UPDATE: I just read this morning that Jared Jeffries has a $3-million trade kicker in his contract, which somewhat complicates my proposed trade. I'm not sure, though, if the trade kicker would be a total deal breaker.

BEN:

Chris Sheridan has been reporting that Jeffries is a big impediment to a Knicks-TMac deal. From what little I know on the topic, I think McGrady finding his way to MSG is pretty likely, but they may not be lucky enough to move Jeffries. Houston knows they have a valuable commodity, and unless the Knicks are giving them something they can't get anywhere else, I don't see why they would take on an expensive bench player like Jeffries, especially if they're hoping to win next year. If I were running the Rockets, I'd rather have the flexibility to go get the 7th man I needed, rather than the one the Knicks are desperate to be rid of.

That being said, I don't think it's cosmically impossible. After all, the Knicks do need to move more than just Harrington if they want the trade to work under the CBA; and I don't think an extra $3m to Jeffries means much to the Dolans, if they're persuaded that they can go get a player like Bosh or LeBron.

I don't know the NBA trade market like I know baseball, but I'd be pretty damn shocked if McGrady didn't have a new address starting next week. So, why not the Knicks?

MILES:

Well, talk about pouring cold water on a boy's dream. Wojnarowski is now reporting that Washington is in serious talks with Boston about swapping Caron Butler and Antawn Jamison for Ray Allen, Brian Scalabrine and J.R. Giddens. This is a much better deal for Washington than the rumored three-way deal with Houston and New York. Washington gets out from under $24 million next season (as opposed to only $10.5 million in the Houston-New York rumored deal). As for Boston, they get some serious talent in exchange for taking on two pretty serious contracts. 

This sounds like a no-brainer to me. Why would either team say no?

This doesn't necessarily preclude the Knicks from working out a deal with the Rockets for McGrady. You're right about that. It does, however, make a possible transaction between Houston and New York that much more difficult. Why would the Rockets want to exchange expiring contracts, especially those of Al Harrington and Larry Hughes? It doesn't make much sense from either a business or basketball perspective. They'd have every right to ask for more talent. And, if I were Donnie Walsh, I would not even consider parting with Jordan Hill or Wilson Chandler or a future draft pick just to get three months of a rickety Tracy McGrady. 

BEN:

I would not complain if that happened. Does that mean Jamison would be coming off the bench? And 'Sheed would be the 7th or 8th man? It's been 20 years since the Celtics had that kind of depth.

You're right about the Rockets deal, but don't forget that they still have to make a move, and not every team has a $10m expiring contract to move. So anybody looking to be in on this summer's talent sweepstakes should keep the Knicks high up in their rolodex. I could see another team coming into the negotiations--there are more than a few that are ready to start rebuilding.