Like most other teams in the NBA, the Knicks are doing everything they possibly can to clear out salary cap space in preparation for this summer's free agent class which includes Dwayne Wade, Chris Bosh, Joe Johnson, and of course, the King Himself, Lebron James. The biggest move the Knicks made was acquiring Tracy McGrady and his expiring contract which will provide them with an additional $9 million of additional cap space. Here is a breakdown of the players included in the blockbuster three team trade:
Knicks get: Tracy McGrady, Sergio Rodriguez
Kings get: Carl Landry and Joey Dorsey from Houston and Larry Hughes from Knicks
Rockets get: Kevin Martin and Hilton Armstrong from Kings and Jordan Hill and Jared Jeffries from Knicks
The Knicks save the $9 million by unloading Hill and Jeffries, and now, own McGrady's expiring contract. This move puts the Knicks under the salary cap for the first time since 1996 and they are now in a position to make a big run at two of the big money free agent's on the market this summer. In a separate trade, the Knicks sent Nate Robinson and his $6.9 million contract along with Marcus Landry to the Celtics for Eddie House, J.R. Giddens, and Bill Walker. After clearing about $30 million in cap space, I think it's safe to say that the Knicks had a good day yesterday.
The other big trade that took place was a three team trade between the Cavs, Wizards, and Clippers. Here are the players involved:
Cavs get: Antawn Jamison, Sebastian Telfair
Wizards get: Zydrunas Ilgauskas, rights to Emir Preldzic, 2010 first-round pick draft pick from Cavs and Al Thornton
Clippers get: Drew Gooden
In an effort to improve their front line, the Cavs acquired Antawn Jamison who is currently averaging just over 20 points a game. Jamison has been an All Star multiple times and is a solid veteran that will provide a leadership presence in the Cavs lockeroom. Jamison is a scorer and doesn't need to have special plays run for him to get good shots. Aside from all that, Jamison is an excellent rebounder, and his desire to get deep into the playoffs this late in his career will be a big factor. With this trade, the Cavs are now knocking on the door of the Celtics, Magic, and Hawks to challenge for the East title.
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