The Knicks finally have a sky full of cap space, glorious cap space. But is there enough room left over in the dream Tracy McGrady dreamed aloud yesterday for fans beaten down by a decade of Glen Rice, Stephon Marbury, Steve Francis, and Eddy Curry?
“I’m a guy who has made a lot of money in my career,” McGrady said. “I could retire right now. . . . Money is not an issue. [If] these guys want to bring in a LeBron [James] and D-Wade [Dwyane Wade], along with a Chris Bosh, or an Amar’e Stoudemire, I would be a damn fool to not want to stay here.
“Don’t get me wrong, if I come back healthy and playing well, we’re going to do some negotiating,” he added. “What I’m saying is, if LeBron comes, D-Wade comes and you pair [one of them] up with Stoudemire or Chris Bosh, I know I’m not going to get the big bucks.
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“But save a little for me, is all I’m saying.”
Line all these diamond-studded dominoes up at the risk of them crashing your patience and loyalty one more time. But this cynic believed he would see Marbury and Larry Brown picking out furniture or Vin Baker leading the Knicks back to the Promised Land before team president Donnie Walsh could get rid of this many onerous contracts in under two seasons.
So, even if this gut still says James is going to have a difficult time pulling himself away from a just-crowned hometown NBA champions or what he still feels is a champion-to-be, there is also no question Walsh has positioned the Knicks in a unique spot on the suitors’ list come July 1.
James now wouldn’t be coming here just for the bright lights or out of some messianic death wish, but with the opportunity to bring his own, hand-picked wingman. And because — sorry Tracy — decisions are never all about winning, but also about the money, this same cynic believes if Nike or somebody wants James in New York badly enough, other things are now equal enough for him to come.
To turn down an instant, serious contender in New York to stay with a team that already would have ended the curse of Northeast Ohio or may never? Is there enough rubber in Akron to line the rooms of LeBron’s mansion to keep this man from hurting himself?
But OK, let’s say James proves to be a simple, and an admirably loyal, guy. McGrady has 29 games to make himself the Knicks’ best fallback since Dick Barnett, baby.
If, at only 30, he can regain his prime 12 months following microfracture knee surgery, the Knicks have a star to tide them over until they can make their pitch for Carmelo Anthony in 2011 or, better yet if you can stand the wait, Chris Paul in 2012.
Having cleared this space, it would be a mistake for the Knicks to use too much of it to keep David Lee, as admirable and beloved as he has become. One would doubt McGrady has enough season remaining to prove he has enough game left to warrant a maximum deal. So there is room to play and yet still reason to believe Anthony or Paul might see the opportunity to join a McGrady living happily-ever-after in New York as a best option.
Now McGrady only has to prove that he still is that level of performer. However this plays out, at least the Knicks will not have to make up eight games in the loss column to make the rest of this season worth watching.