NEW YORK — If Knicks president Donnie Walsh doesn’t get LeBron and Dwyane Wade this summer, he could sign one such megastar and wait for Carmelo Anthony next year.
“It depends what we can get this summer,” Walsh said Tuesday night before Danilo Gallinari and the Knicks topped ‘Melo and the Nuggets, 109-104, at MSG. “Let’s say we can’t get everybody we want [this summer], then we’ll look at it another way.”
The Knicks have freed up more than $30 million in salary-cap space and could pursue two max-contract free agents this summer from a group that includes James, Wade, Chris Bosh and Joe Johnson.
Or they could sign one and divide up the rest of the money between, say, Tracy McGrady and David Lee.
Or they could sign one this summer and save the rest for the Class of 2011, which includes Carmelo, Zach Randolph and Tim Duncan.
Anthony is averaging 28.8 points and 6.7 rebounds.
The Knicks will also drop Eddy Curry’s $12 million contract in 2011, giving them still more flexibility.
“I’m going to spend all my time on that now, just trying to figure it out,” Walsh said in regards to his options for 2010 and beyond. “But I’m not going to say that I’m for sure going to have money next year. If you’ve got a chance to get certain guys in this [year], you might use it.”
As attractive as the 2010 free agents are, don’t sleep on the class of 2011.
“It’ll be attractive,” Walsh said. “They always are.”
(Photo courtesy NBA.com)
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