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**USSKittyHawk** · 07-18-2006, 06:38 AM

Quote:

The Knicks have been granted an extra day to decide whether to match third-string center Jackie Butler's three-year, $7 million offer sheet from the Spurs, but indications are stronger than ever they don't plan to do so. Because of a clerical error on Butler's offer sheet, the Knicks have until Thursday, instead of tomorrow, to make their decision.

That's eight days to realize matching the offer is fiscal insanity. Butler would cost the Knicks $14 million, including luxury tax. The Knicks plan to make San Antonio wait until Thursday to announce their decision.

Nobody from the Knicks has even contacted Butler or his agent, Keith Glass, since the offer sheet was presented last Wednesday. Butler elected to skip summer league, so the Knicks have no idea what kind of shape he's even in.

The Knicks already have two centers in Eddy Curry and Jerome James, and are counting heavily on both of those big investments.

http://www.nypost.com/php/pfriendly/...arc_berman.htm

**Truknicksfan** · 07-18-2006, 08:46 AM

Hes not worth 14 million and the Knicks know that.

alphadog · 07-18-2006, 08:53 AM

It's over 3 years, so that's an EXPENDITURE of roughly 4 1/3 mil per, counting the tax. The SALARY is half of that which makes him a very tradeable commodity to a team in need of a backup center. The question, in my mind, is not whether or not he is worth that to the Knicks but rather can they trade him for another player they might need.

TwinkieFoot · 07-18-2006, 08:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Truknicksfan

Hes not worth 14 million and the Knicks know that.

Then again, this isn't our money that's being spent, its Jim Dolan's. For a while now, I felt that the best solution to dealing with the situation is to sign and trade Butler to the Spurs. The Spurs don't seem to value draft picks heavily so it's possible to get a couple in the deal. Maybe something like Butler along with $500,000 for a 2007 1st round pick and a 2007 2nd round pick could get the job done. The ball is in our court obviously because we have the right to match Butler and the financial means to do so. Let's use that leverage in talks so that we don't lose a valued commodity for nothing. In that situation, we don't have to pay the $14 million but still be compensated well enough that losing Butler does not hurt. Let's not forget that when you are over the cap and trade a player for nothing, you recieve a trade exception in return for the amount per year of the players contract. Basically, we'd end up with about $2.5 million that could be exchanged for another player via trade or signing if necessary.