Dallas billionaire owner Mark Cuban confirmed his twitter feed he was meeting with Jason Kidd in New York at midnight last night when the free-agent market opened, another indication the Knicks’ chances are bleak.
One year after courting Chris Duhon, Knicks brass finds itself back in the market today for another free-agent point guard, with Kidd and young Bucks guard Ramon Sessions on top of its list. The Knicks will also contact reps for standouts Mike Bibby and Andre Miller, according to a source. Their chances aren’t strong anywhere.
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The Knicks hope the recession will scare off teams from paying market rates to players like Bibby and Miller. But Cuban likely won’t be deterred. “We certainly want to keep him,” Cuban wrote.
Donnie Walsh and Mike D’Antoni meet today with Kidd in their longshot bid while their own free agents, Nate Robinson and David Lee, hit the open market.
Portland and Sacramento have interest in Robinson, a source said. “He wants to be back,” a Robinson confidant said. “But he knows he probably won’t be.”
Lee’s agent will receive an initial offer from Walsh, expected to be at $7 million per. Lee likely will be pursued by under-the-cap teams — Oklahoma City, Portland, Memphis, Detroit. The Knicks other free agent, Chris Wilcox, won’t be re-signed.
In recent days, the Knicks made no secret they would pursue Kidd, who said in February he would consider playing in New York for the mid-level exception, worth $5.7M, wanting to be close to his kids and play for D’Antoni.
The Knicks knew this is a tough sell. Under CBA rules, they can offer only three years, totaling $18.3 million. Cuban can offer a maximum four years and go significantly higher than $5.7M per.
Cuban likely won’t do a sign-and-trade. The Knicks also will look into scenarios for Bibby and Miller and can offer expiring contracts. Kidd, 36, is happy in Dallas and wants to hear the Knicks’ strategy to building a playoff team.
“It takes a certain type of player who enjoys playing in the Garden,” his agent, Jeff Schwartz, said.
Sessions, in his first year as a starter, is a restricted free agent and the Bucks can match an offer. The cost-cutting Bucks claim they want to keep Sessions, although they drafted PG Brandon Jennings. The Knicks probably would have to give Sessions four or five years.
“Nothing’s set in stone with the Bucks,” Sessions agent, Jimmy Wells, said. “You can’t predict what Milwaukee will do.”