As The 'Middle Class' of The NBA Flees For Europe, We Wonder; 'Will the Superstars Follow?'

As soon as American basketball fans had come to terms with the loss of the likes of Josh Childress, Carlos Delfino and Earl Boykins to Europe this summer, we started hearing about the unthinkable.

LeBron James suiting up for Olympiacos of Greece in 2010? Kobe Bryant becoming player-owner of a team in Italy? Teammates on the U.S. Olympic squad heading to Russia?

Interviews with some of the league's elite players certainly suggested that this summer's trickle of talent to Europe could become a full-blown torrent over the coming years, with annual salaries of $50 million a year tax-free being thrown around.

Just one small problem.

Nobody in Europe -- where execs, agents, fans and media are still trying to get their heads around the $20 million, three-year deal Childress inked with Olympiacos -- is close to offering that kind of contract.

Yet.

"I think that we have to be realistic," Euroleague CEO Jordi Bertomeu told ESPN.com in his first public comments since the Childress signing. "I don't like to dream where there is no room for dreaming and, of course, there could be some kind of exception in the future.

"But we cannot say that the European market, at the level we are at right now, is ready to afford this kind of challenge. The fact that one specific owner can take a very exceptional decision and present this kind of offer [to Childress] does not represent the level of our league. [Bryant or James] would be out of our expectation. It's easy to dream, it's nice and it's cheap but it is not realistic.

"If we are ready, at some point, to offer these amounts of money to the best players in the world then I will be the happiest man in the world, but for me, it is much more important to continue growing with stability and a solid base."

Quite correctly, Bertomeu leaves himself a get-out clause. After all, when the NBA first opened "diplomatic relations" with the world basketball community, via the Dream Team and the 1992 Barcelona Olympics, did anyone imagine the day would come when a dozen players would voluntarily turn their backs on the NBA in a single summer to play in Europe?

But here are the key issues to weigh when considering whether Euro teams will be in a position to compete for the likes of Bryant next summer or a 2010 free-agent class that features LeBron, Dirk Nowitzki, Dwyane Wade, Yao Ming, Chris Bosh and the Phoenix Suns trio of Steve Nash, Shaquille O'Neal and Amare Stoudemire.

1. DO THE MATH

As every NBA fan -- not to mention every player -- is now well aware, salaries quoted in Europe are "net," the figure left in a player's pocket after he has paid tax.

If, as people close to James have been claiming, an annual wage of $50 million would tempt the Cleveland Cavalier to move to Europe when he becomes a free agent in 2010, that would require Olympiacos to pay him around $80 million gross (i.e., before tax) -- assuming the $50 million is a net figure.

That is a colossal amount of money, even for billionaire shipping owners such as Panagiotis and George Angelopoulos, the brothers who own 50 percent of Olympiacos and are bank-rolling the Childress deal.

(As a comparison, Europe's elite handful of soccer players in England and Italy can expect contracts of around $15 million net per year from their teams.)

"It is a huge amount of money," said Bertomeu of the Childress contract. "But in the past few years we've had some offers that have been not of this level, but close to this level.

"For me, the problem would be if European teams go to a level of salaries that we can't fulfill. That would be a problem. We've been fortunate, we have never had problems with paying players. That would be one of the worst possible things."

Nevertheless, European teams have come so far so quickly in terms of salary spending power that nobody dares dismiss the idea of a major star's signing completely out of hand.

The world economic picture is changing so rapidly -- and the world basketball landscape even more so -- that leading European clubs currently believe any NBA player is available, at the right price.

2. BUDGETS

Toronto Raptors assistant GM Maurizio Gherardini told us, at the start of the month, he believes a maximum of three or four European clubs could contemplate offering a deal in the Childress range.

How many could afford to pay James or Bryant? Fewer still. Although …

"This is what is different for American people to understand," Gherardini said. "The difference in the system, the difference in running the business. Over here [in Europe], the owner falls in love with his own team, he is entitled to do whatever he wants, pour as much money as he wants into the team. There is no cap, no salary limit.

"It's very difficult for American people to understand that you can go out and try to sign a player you fall in love with. In the NBA, we talk about restrictions, brought in by the salary cap and rules, but here the owner dictates the philosophy of his club."

Thus, if the "philosophy" of the Angelopoulos brothers is to hand LeBron $80 million for eight months of work, they are well within their rights to do so. But how much of a quantum leap would that represent?

Budgets in the Euroleague last season ranged from $50 million (champions CSKA Moscow) to $3.12 million (Red Star Belgrade) with only six clubs operating at over the $30 million mark.

And those figures are for total budgetary expenditure -- not just players' salaries. Olympiacos spent $35.8 million in 2007-08, indicating how much of a jump the near $11 million (pre-tax) the team will pay Childress this year represents.

Is it reasonable to believe a team would pay James $80 million when the entire budget of the biggest spenders in Euroleague was $50 million last year? It is highly unlikely, but not impossible.

The Bryant scenario might be slightly different. It has been mentioned that the L.A. Laker would welcome the possibility of becoming an owner -- or player-owner -- in Italy, where he spent a large part of his childhood.

He very well might like the idea, but last time we checked, becoming an owner usually involves spending money, not just receiving it. Even if an existing owner were to gift Kobe a large chunk of his club in return for playing, the current business model does not exist for Bryant to make any serious money.

Indeed, although figures are not declared publicly, it is believed that none of Europe's leading teams makes a profit.

On the one hand, that means an owner might be more likely to invest a chunk of his personal fortune in a coup like signing James or Bryant.

But it also means that if Bryant wants to own an Italian team, he better not expect to make any money from it.

A situation that may make more sense for Bryant, not to mention older veteran superstars like Nash or Jason Kidd, would be to wait until the final year or two of their pro careers and then seek a final payday in Europe, where the schedule is more forgiving and the standard of play, generally, less demanding than in the NBA.

In that light, as long as the player's Q rating is sufficient to offer value to team owners and sponsors, such a signing may represent better business than busting the bank to sign LeBron in his prime.

In U.S. dollars, here are the unofficial estimates of the total budgets for the 2007-08 season for various teams across Europe, according to the Greek basketball Web site Super Basket:

(* - denotes Euroleague team)

BALTIC	ADRIATIC
Zalgiris Kaunas*: 7M	Montepaschi Siena*: 17.16M
Lietuvos Rytas*: 11M	Virtus Bologna*: 14M
Turof (Polish team): 5.46M	Lyon Villeurbanne: 7.5M
Alba Berlin: 9.36M	Cibona Zagreb*: 4.68M
Dynamo Kiev: 11M	Olimpia*: 3.12M
SPAIN	RUSSIA
Real Madrid*: 39M	CSKA Moscow*: 50M
FC AXA Barcelona*: 34.32M	Khimki: 18M
Tau Vitoria*: 31.2M	Dynamo Moscow: 20M
Badalona: 12.48M	Unix (Russian): 14M
Unicaja Malaga*: 28.08M	Dynamo Moscow region: 14M
BALKANS	ASIA
Panathinaikos Athens*: 42.12M	Maccabi Tel Aviv*: 16M
Olympiacos Piraeus*: 35.88M	Hapoel Jerusalem: 5M
Aris TT Bank*: 12.48M	Efes Pilsen*: 12M
Partizan Belgrade*: 4.68M	Fenerbahce Istanbul*: 11M
Red Star Belgrade*: 3.12M	Besictas Istanbul: 6M

LIST OF PLAYERS THAT ARE LEAVING AMERICA:

Gordan Giricek Signs Deal With Turkish Team 
Gordan Giricek, who has averaged nearly 10 points per game since joining the NBA in 2002, signed a two-year contract with Turkey's premier club, Fenerbahce.

Jannero Pargo Signs With Dynamo Moscow 
Jannero Pargo, 28, signed a one-year contract Aug. 15 with the Russia's Dynamo Moscow. Sources say the deal will be worth $3.5 million after taxes have been paid.

Carlos Arroyo Leaves Orlando For Israel 
Orlando's Carlos Arroyo, 29, has accepted an offer from Israel's Maccabi Tel-Aviv. The point guard from Puerto Rico will receive an estimated $2.5 million net next season -- roughly the equivalent of a $5 million NBA salary after taxes -- as part of a three-year deal.

Earl Boykins Headed For Italy 
Earl Boykins, 32, left the Charlotte Bobcats for a one-year contract with Italy's Virtus Bologna. The deal is said to be worth more than $3.5 million, which would make the 5-foot-5 guard Italy's highest-paid player.

Josh Childress to Greece 
Josh Childress, 25, left the the Atlanta Hawks after four seasons for Greek club Olympiacos. Childress' three-year deal is worth about $20 million after taxes. 

Nenad Krstic Headed To Russia 
Nenad Krstic, 25, who spent four years with the Nets, signed a two-year deal with Triumph Moscow worth about $9 million per year. The 7-footer joined the Nets in 2004 after playing for Partizan Belgrade.

Bostjan Nachbar Returns To Europe 
Bostjan Nachbar, 28, agreed to a three-year contract with Dynamo Moscow that pays the former Nets forward $14.3 million. He joined the Rockets in 2002 after playing for Benetton Treviso in Italy.

Carlos Delfino Joins Russia's BC Khimki 
Carlos Delfino, who had played in the NBA since 2004, has returned to Europe. The Argentine guard, who turns 26 on Aug. 29, had played in Italy for Reggio Calabria and Skipper Bologna before joining the Pistons in 2004. 

Primoz Brezec Roams To Rome 

Primoz Brezec, 28, the Slovenian center who spent seven seasons in the NBA with four teams, returns to Europe, where he last played for KK Union Olimpija in 2001. He'll play alongside U.S. teen Brandon Jennings for Roma. 

Jaun-Carlos Navarro Rejoins Barcelona 
Juan Carlos Navarro rejoined FC Barcelona after a one-season stint with the Memphis Grizzlies. Navarro signed a five-year contract. The 28-year-old guard averaged 10.9 points for Memphis.

Jorge Garbajosa Leaves Raps For Russia 
The Raptors bought out the last year of the Spanish big man's contract, freeing him to join Russia's BC Khimki for a reported two-year, $18 million deal. Jorge Garbajosa, 30, played in Spain and Italy from 1995 to 2006. 

Brandon Jennings Skips College, Heads To Italy

Former Arizona recruit Brandon Jennings signed with Roma of Italy, completing his plan to pass up college and play professionally in Europe to prepare himself for the 2009 NBA draft. 

'Where Gallinari Happens'

Ewing Jr Will Compete for Knicks' 2008-2009 Roster Spot

NBA.com Reports:

The New York Knickerbockers President of Basketball Operations Donnie Walsh announced today that forward Patrick Ewing, Jr. has been acquired from Houston for the draft rights to center Frederic Weis.

"Patrick Ewing will have an opportunity here to compete for a spot on our roster," Walsh said. "He is a solid defensive player and a very good athlete."

Ewing, Jr., 6-8, 240-pounds, was originally drafted by Sacramento in the 2008 NBA Draft as the 43rd overall selection. Traded to the Rockets on Aug. 14 as part of a multi-player deal, the 24-year-old Boston native played his first two collegiate seasons at Indiana University before transferring to Georgetown. As a senior with the Hoyas during the 2007-08 season, Ewing averaged 6.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 34 games, winning the Big East Sixth Man of the Year award.

"Coming to the Knicks, and hopefully being able to contribute, means a lot to me. It has always been my dream to play for this team," Ewing, Jr. said. "My goal is to show the coaches that I can play and do all that I can to help the team win some games."

Ewing is the eldest child of Knicks legend, Patrick Ewing, who will be enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame a week from today. Ewing played for New York from 1985 through 2000 and is the franchise’s all-time leader in virtually every category, including points (23,665), rebounds (10,759), blocked shots (2,758) and games played (1,039). On Feb. 28, 2003, his jersey No. 33 was lifted to the rafters of Madison Square Garden.

Weis was New York’s first-round draft choice (15th overall) in 1999.

This could be very interesting if he makes the team.  I always imagined him being a Knick, let's see how it plays out.

Another Reason Why Jose Calderon is a Loser

Let's Take a look Back here

Taurean Green Flees U.S. heads to Spain

Due to his extremely brief Knick career, I thought some of you readers might care. As The Independent Florida Alligator reported:

Taurean Green doesn't speak much Spanish, and that may be a problem.

The former UF point guard confirmed Wednesday that he has agreed to play for the Spanish club CAI Zaragoza.

Green is in the process of negotiating what is believed to be a one-year deal with the team.

He would not confirm the specifics of the contract.

“I feel like this is the best move for me right now,” he said in a phone interview.

Green said he is excited to spend some time overseas and that he views the move as a positive step for his career.

“The competition is tough. The guys playing in this league are good players,” he said.

Green points to Spain’s recent Olympic success as proof of the league’s talent level.

CAI Zaragoza was promoted to the top flight of Spanish basketball after winning the second-division title last season.

Zaragoza will now face off with well-known clubs such as Barcelona and Real Madrid in Spanish basketball’s premier league.

Green said he is not worried about his inability to speak the native language, and that he doesn’t think he will have a hard time adjusting to life in Spain.

“I love Spanish food,” he said. “So I’m excited about that.”

Green slipped to the second round of the 2007 NBA Draft, where he was selected No.52 overall by the Portland Trailblazers, after leaving UF early along with former teammates Corey Brewer, Al Horford and Joakim Noah.

While the rest of his UF teammates contributed heavily in their rookie years, Green spent most of his at the end of the bench. Actually, several different benches.

Since draft day, the 6-foot guard has spent time with the Blazers’ Development League team, the Idaho Stampede, the Denver Nuggets and most recently the New York Knicks.

Despite making more than $400,000 in his rookie year, Green only averaged 1.6 points per game and struggled to make it off the bench in both Portland and Denver.

Green, who was cut by the Knicks on July 28, said that he hopes a year overseas will help showcase his talent for NBA teams.

For More info on this Spanish team check out their team website

From the Bench To His Blog, Sore Loser, Calderon Continues Spain's Whining

Everyday i find a new reason to be happy about beating Spain twice by a combine 48 points. The latest classless rendition of Spain's arrogance comes from a guy who didn't even participate in the Gold Medal game, Jose Calderon. On his blog, he wept about poor officiating, missing players (himself) and 'different' rules leading to Spain's demise. Considering Spain played a much better match with this Idiot on the pine, I'd have to say he's got some nerve.

Here is Calderon's blog entry where he seemed to take the loss like a man:

I imagine that everyone has seen the game and I expect that you all enjoyed it. I think that we played a great game but I was left with a bittersweet taste thinking that we could have won, that we can win. We played head to head against the best players in the world, and they had to play as a team to defeat us.

There were a few moments in the second half that I thought we could take the lead and that the game could be ours. It didn't turn out this way but I think that this impression wasn't only mine; I am convinced that many others shared these feelings.

Now is not the time to discuss the referees, injuries, absences... but yes, I want to reiterate some things in which I believe: Spain is a team; it has a defined style of playing; whoever plays, plays, in the end everyone brings positive aspects, no cycle has come to an end, but rather we are going to be there fighting for the titles for a long time to come.

Thank you all for your support and your confidence.

José Manuel Calderón

It wasn't until on news site El Mundo that he showed his true colors:

"This is not the time to speak of officiating, but I think with the FIBA rules we would have won. That is why we are a little annoyed, because we were right there at the finish line and we have just missed out."

Calderon is claiming that the slight changes in Olympic rules are very similar to the rules of the NBA, giving an advantage to the Americans who were all in the NBA. This is funny, other than the U.S. Spain had the most NBA players on the International roster. Calderon certainly being one of them. How many excuses can you muster up Jose?

So, to what rule changes exactly is Calderon referring? There have been no specific rule changes that came into effect prior to the Olympics per se, however there has been a perceived difference in the way the rules have been interpreted by referees, in the eyes of many observers. These differences mainly centre around travelling violations, charge/block calls, carrying violations and continuation on shooting fouls.

There have however been legislative changes made to the rules by FIBA, that will come into effect at later dates. At FIBA's 25-26 April, 2008 meeting the Board agreed on a series of rule changes which would come into play after the Olympics, ie from 1 October, 2008 and then a greater set of rule changes that would be effective after the 2010 World Championships (post 1 October, 2010).

The October 2008 rule changes are fairly insignificant and mainly involve backcourt violations and unsportsmanlike/technical fouls. The 2010 rule changes is where FIBA really sends their daughter into bed with David Stern.

As of 2010, the three point line will come out to 6.75m to move toward the NBA's line. The key will no longer be a trapezoid, but will become an NBA-styled rectangle. No-charge semi-circles will be marked under the basket. In short, FIBA basketball will become the NBA -- they just need to adjust the zone defence rules to marry up fully.

I will lose my voice booing you Calderon, Feb. 20th this year when you come to the Garden. Let your teammates say that they would have won had you been healthy, don't toot your own horn. You can keep crying and whining but for at least another 4 years, you and your team of classless cry babies, will be nothing but whipping boys to the United States.

Zach Randolph to Memphis For Darko?

If Zach Randolph was on the Treadmill half as much as he was on the rumor mill, the Knicks would be a shoe-in for the playoffs. The latest news has him possibly headed to Memphis in an article Posted by Ronald Tillery:

What’s going to happen next now that the Grizzlies’ attempt to sign restricted free agent Josh Smith is a little more than two weeks in the rear-view mirror?

Just like they did with regard to Smith, the Griz are methodically crafting their next move. Conventional wisdom suggests that the Griz will consummate a trade before the start of training camp as general manager Chris Wallace has repeatedly said he isn’t interested in pinching away at the team’s money under the salary cap.

Memphis wants to throw all of its money at an impact guy or do nothing in free agency. So with the exception of signing Iranian center Hamed Ehadadi for NBA peanuts there are a few whispers around the league involving the Griz and possible deals:

$$ While the Griz were courting Smith they also had trade discussions regarding New York Knicks power forward Zach Randolph. Those discussions — mostly internal – are still ongoing as Randolph has been made available.

The Griz are willing to part with Darko Milicic (last year’s big free agent signing) in a package that wouldn’t require a core player (OJ Mayo, Rudy Gay, Mike Conley, etc). What the brain trust seems to be debating is whether Randolph fits the Grizzlies’ style on and off the court.

Randolph is a bonafide low-post scorer who can shoot along the perimeter and rebound. But he doesn’t offer much on defense, something the Griz desperately want to upgrade and Randolph’s character issues may present a problem.

That said, the Griz need talent. Randolph would beef up a thin power forward corps of Hakim Warrick and rookie Darrell Arthur. They’ve got a group of “nice guys” so adding one knucklehead in Randolph shouldn’t be a big deal. Although second-year head coach Marc Iavaroni struggled at times effectively communicating with players, he is credited with helping Phoenix big man Amare Stoudemire take his game to the next level.

$$ Portland has been calling. The Trail Blazers want a point guard and are willing to part with Travis Outlaw (Starkville native) to get a floor general from the Griz. It’s probably more likely that the Blazers would want Conley — and not Kyle Lowry — in this scenario because Conley is the purest point guard in the bunch and Portland could pull off a reunion with former teammate Greg Oden.

If that’s the case, the Griz would need more than Outlaw in return. But I don’t believe trading Conley is a wise move. Trading Conley would put the Griz back at square one, again searching for a dynamic point guard to compensate for the loss of the GOOD Jason Williams.

And why would Griz give up on a smart, physically gifted point guard so quickly? So that Mayo can handle the ball? Take away Conley’s quirky injuries and remember he’s just 20 years old, and the Griz would be wise to keep him. My guess is that they will given Conley was a deal breaker in attempts to get the right to draft Michael Beasley.

$$ Speaking of Lowry, I haven’t heard that he is on the move to Miami or anywhere else. The Griz seem more inclined to keep Lowry because of his defensive ability and toughness at a time the team wants to improve in those areas.

$$ The Griz aren’t too concerned about the Achilles injury Milicic suffered last month.
All Milicic apparently needs is rest so he reportedly won’t rejoin the Serbian national team for a qualifying tourney for next year’s Euro championship.

Redeem Team Beats Up Spain, Again. This Time For The Gold

Spain's best effort was nothing but a 'chink' (read definition of the word before you judge me) in the armor for the U.S. As Bryant and Wade lead the 'Redeem Team' to a 118-107 vicotry lap and a Gold Medal.

Country Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Total Top players Spain 31 30 21 25 107 Fernandez (22pts), Reyes (7rbs), Navarro (4ast) USA 38 31 22 27 118 Wade (27pts), Bosh (7rbs), Bryant (6ast) SPAIN FG 2pts 3pts FT Rbds Name Min M/A % M/A % M/A % M/A % O D Tot As PF To St BS Pts 4 P. Gasol 28 9/18 50 9/18 50 0/0 0 3/5 60 4 2 6 1 1 1 0 0 21 5 R. Fernandez 18 7/13 53.8 2/4 50 5/9 55.6 3/3 100 0 2 2 2 5 1 1 0 22 6 R. Rubio 29 1/3 33.3 1/2 50 0/1 0 4/4 100 1 5 6 3 3 2 3 0 6 7 J. Navarro 25 6/14 42.9 6/12 50 0/2 0 6/8 75 0 3 3 4 1 3 0 0 18 8 J. Calderon 0 0/0 0 0/0 0 0/0 0 0/0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 F. Reyes 23 5/8 62.5 5/8 62.5 0/0 0 0/0 0 3 4 7 2 4 2 1 1 10 10 C. Jimenez 25 3/4 75 1/1 100 2/3 66.7 4/4 100 1 2 3 1 4 0 1 0 12 11 R. Lopez 2 0/0 0 0/0 0 0/0 0 0/0 0 1 0 1 0 3 1 0 0 0 12 B. Rodriguez 9 1/1 100 1/1 100 0/0 0 0/0 0 1 0 1 0 3 1 0 0 2 13 M. Gasol 24 5/9 55.6 5/8 62.5 0/1 0 1/2 50 3 2 5 1 3 2 0 0 11 14 A. Mumbru 13 0/2 0 0/2 0 0/0 0 2/2 100 1 2 3 2 1 1 1 0 2 15 J. Garbajosa 5 1/2 50 0/1 0 1/1 100 0/0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 3 TOTALS: 201 38/74 51.4 30/57 52.6 8/17 47.1 23/28 82.1 15 22 37 16 28 14 7 1 107 USA FG 2pts 3pts FT Rbds Name Min M/A % M/A % M/A % M/A % O D Tot As PF To St BS Pts 4 C. Boozer 0 0/0 0 0/0 0 0/0 0 0/0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 J. Kidd 11 1/1 100 1/1 100 0/0 0 0/0 0 0 1 1 0 2 0 0 0 2 6 L. James 28 6/9 66.7 4/6 66.7 2/3 66.7 0/2 0 1 5 6 3 4 3 3 1 14 7 D. Williams 16 2/5 40 1/3 33.3 1/2 50 2/2 100 0 1 1 1 3 2 1 0 7 8 M. Redd 0 0/0 0 0/0 0 0/0 0 0/0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 9 D. Wade 27 9/12 75 5/5 100 4/7 57.1 5/7 71.4 0 2 2 2 3 3 4 0 27 10 K. Bryant 27 7/14 50 4/6 66.7 3/8 37.5 3/3 100 0 3 3 6 4 3 0 2 20 11 D. Howard 17 3/3 100 3/3 100 0/0 0 2/6 33.3 2 3 5 0 4 0 0 0 8 12 C. Bosh 23 1/2 50 1/2 50 0/0 0 6/6 100 2 5 7 0 0 0 0 0 8 13 C. Paul 24 2/5 40 2/4 50 0/1 0 9/10 90 0 3 3 5 3 1 2 0 13 14 T. Prince 8 3/3 100 3/3 100 0/0 0 0/0 0 2 0 2 0 1 0 0 0 6 15 C. Anthony 17 5/11 45.5 2/4 50 3/7 42.9 0/1 0 1 0 1 0 2 1 0 0 13 TOTALS: 198 39/65 60 26/37 70.3 13/28 46.4 27/37 73 8 23 31 17 26 13 10 3 118

First Marv...Now Gus? Holy Mackerel!!!

Bob Raissman from www.dailynews.com reported:

What's up with Gus Johnson? Will he return to his gig as radio voice of theNew York Knickerbockers?

The question became worth asking after Johnson was conspicuously missing in action during Madison Square Garden Network's telecasts of Knicks summer league tilts in Las Vegas. Over the past few years, Johnson teamed with Walt Frazieron those productions. This time around, Mike Crispino joined Clyde.

What gives?

Well-embedded NBA broadcasting moles, pausing to stop shaking their Redeem Team pom-poms, said Johnson's contract with MSG expired following the 2007-08 season. They report he's currently in negotiations with MSG suits.

How are the negotiations going? Here's where it gets sticky. The same sources said MSG Network brass - boss Mike Bair and executive producer Lydia Murphy-Stephans - are playing hardball with Johnson over terms of a new deal.

Would these two be bubbleheaded enough not to ink Johnson? The Excitable One has spent 10 seasons as part of MSG's Knicks radio team - the past five as the Knicks' No. 1 radiocaster, working with veteran analyst John (Legend) Andariese.

The fact that it's almost September and MSG has not come to terms with Johnson is a tad strange. Especially considering what's taking place on the court.

With Mike D'Antoni in place as coach, and Donnie Walsh now the brains of the organization, the fog on 33rd St. has a chance of lifting. The Garden will be selling optimism. It better if it wants anyone to purchase overpriced tickets.

The broadcast end of the operation will be key in describing the transition to friend and foe alike. Johnson should be part of this. He's been with MSG through mostly bad times. If this is the start of a turnaround, Johnson has the chops to chronicle the franchise's resurrection on the radio.

Did Johnson cut Isiah Thomas major slack and spread MSGulag party propaganda? Yep. He, along with all the other MSG Knicks voices who joined him, have been ripped to shreds in this space. A new day may be dawning.

Johnson took the heat. He has thick skin and a unique style. His calls are full of over-the-top passion. The man has a following.

Perhaps this has actually dawned on Bair and Murphy-Stephans. But who knows what these two are thinking? After all, their regime has not made anyone forget about those grand days when MSG was the Rolls-Royce of regional cable sports networks.

I really hope this is resolved very soon. Gus Johnson is one of my favorite voices in sports. He's been with the Knicks and MSG Network for quite some time and it would be a shame to see him walk over a contract beef.

Knicks Kicks-Vol. 1

Over the last seven seasons, mixed in with one pathetic playoff appearance in '04 Knick fans have stopped rooting typically by the time the month of March rolls around. Usually during the time, the playoff brackets begin to unfold, we as Knick fans are already pondering off season trades, and coaching personnel firings and executions. Where do we get our arrogance? I often find myself searching YouTube for old Knicks clips from the 90's watching them on full volume and actually getting excited. That is where we are right now. Truth, I will never forget some of those games for the rest of my life. More painful truth; coming up short so many times has become almost a part of our persona. How many times did we lost to Jordan? What if Ewing was healthy in the 1999 NBA Finals? What if Starks didn't play all those minutes in game 7? The questions arise in rapid fire mode.

What about the good times? Those wars with the Miami Heat in which we won 3 out of 4, winning each deciding game on THEIR home floor. Sweetness. In many ways, for 5 years or so, winning or losing to them was the season in a nutshell; If we won, good season, if we lost, pathetic. Final scores in the low 80's, surplus of foul calls, technicals, player altercations. The rivalry didn't last long enough to be compared with some of the greatest rivalries in sports, but for those short years, it was a potent as any ever has been. What happened to the Knick teams that could lose 3 horrible games in a row and then conquer the world in 48 minutes on a Sunday on NBC? Nowadays, bleeding never stops. The Knicks are Hemophiliacs. Now, when things get bad, they get worse. Where is the leader? When asked to take a lesser role in certain things he flees the team and flies across the country to sulk. Where is the MONEY!!?? It's in the suit pants of guys like Jerome James, Jared Jefferies, and Stephon Marbury. Did anyone ever even know how much Patrick Ewing made or for how long he was supposed to make it for? In my loathe for the current state of this team, I also find my love, my appreciation, my passion. For it's the nausea that players like Marbury bring upon me, thats makes me appreciate the likes of a Charlie Ward or a Chris Childs. What happened to Larry Johnson? I wonder how he feels about the current front line we roll out there every night like the slabs of cookie dough they really are. Anyone else feel embarrassed when Ewing used to show up for games last year? Watching Eddy Curry get severely outplayed by any opposing center he matched up with. That has to be the psyche in a nutshell. We think of them then and we loathe what we see now.

In some cases we even took what we had for granted both as fans and as an organization. Jeff Van Gundy quits? We booed Allan Houston? In return we get Isiah Thomas and several shoot first guards who can't even SHOOT! All we want to see is a winner. A team that plays hard and has a desire to make themselves and those who root for them, proud. The Knicks haven't had a star-studded team since the early 70's but that doesn't mean we haven't found other ways to be successful. Yeah, the league has changed it's ways, regarding rules; softer contact, stricter penalties and so forth. However there is a medium. Look at the current world champs, the Boston Celtics. Yeah, it makes me sick too but it was hard to root against them, really. They played hard, they played together and they played "the right way," to quote a New York public enemy, Larry Brown.

I know it's going to be a couple years, but it doesn't have to be as bad as it has been. With games ending by the 2nd quarter and fans rooting for the other team, it's just so not New York. I want teams to tremble in the Garden again. Am I delusional enough to think that's going to happen with a roster that consists of Eddy Curry and Zach Randolph? I'd have to answer that in the same tone as the late Heath Ledger did in the 'Dark Knight' when told he was crazy, "No, I'm nottttt." Great Movie. Come November, I will be in my seats, wishfully thinking and dreaming that the Knicks will soon be good again. How hard will I be let down is the question right now. As things seem to be headed in the right direction, is that any different from the past four years? Remember Marbury's reaction to the Zach Randolph trade? Right then and there I knew it was a failure. Anything Marbury thinks is gold, must be shit. Well Maybe Marbury's 'shitty' hands will be bouncing basketballs elsewhere sooner than later as he shared with us his desire to play in Milan. I think I'd personally love him playing over there more than he would. If I could afford it, I'd pay his salary too!

After Walsh's address to the season subscribers last week, in press conference fashion, it seems to be wishful thinking for me that Steph is gone. Hey maybe he'll have a good year, right? Wrong! Truth is, no matter what this man does, he is an enemy to New York. Back in 1999 after the Knicks lost a home game to Marbury and the Nets, Marbury was quoted saying that the Knicks would never win a ring with Childs and Ward running point. Marbury's dream was always to play for the Knicks and when he was traded to New Jersey instead, I guess he felt the need to condescend. So after the Knicks won the Eastern Conference, Childs who just played a magnificent game vs Indiana, was asked how it felt to be headed to the NBA finals. Childs replied, "Ask Marbury."

Changing of the guard has ironically brought Marbury to the Knicks as our franchise player and we as fans will likely suffer for another season. But what happens next? Do we return to the blue collar teams we had under Pat 'the rat' Riley, who would hold teams to 84 points per game? Will we continue to expect to lose or will we be so pissed when we lose that we take out the other teams best player by his legs and make sure he misses the next 5-6 games? Those were the days. How far we've strayed from them is easy to determine, what's in the air is how long will it take to get back to them.

Danilo's Back Injury More Serious Than Expected

Marc Berman from the NYPost reported:

The Italian Stallion's back is still not 100 percent.

Still resting an injured back he suffered during summer league in Las Vegas last month, KnicksNew York Knicks first-round pick Danilo Gallinari has withdrawn from the Italian National Team, which kicks off today its Eurobasket Qualifier tournament vs. Serbia.

According to Gallinari's father, Vittorio, his 6-10 Italian prodigy will sit out all the games so he can be fully healthy when the Knicks kick off training camp in their new site Sept. 30 in Saratoga. Italy did not qualify for the 2008 Games so it must start the process of making it in 2012.

A source said Gallinari made the decision on his own, though the Knicks are relieved he is not playing and are appreciative considering they know how much playing for the Italian National Team means to him.

Gallinari played just one summer-league game, injuring his back in his lone contest, after getting knocked around by Cleveland's Tractor Traylor. Gallinari sat out the final four games, raising questions about his durability for his rookie season.

The Knicks announced only Gallinari had sustained a sore back and was not more specific. Knicks president Donnie Walsh said yesterday he can't comment on Gallinari's injury because of HIPPA laws.

However, Knicks brass believes Gallinari showed enough offensive versatility to make the rotation this season and believes he will get stronger by camp. His selection at No. 6 led directly to the club ridding itself of 2006 first-rounder Renaldo Balkman.

This worries me a bit. Training camp is going to be extremely important for Gallinari now. Hopefully he really is missing out on the Eurobasket Tournament, so that he is fully recovered and ready for an 82 game NBA season. We'll see.

Go Zach Go

www.Newsday.com reported that the Cavs have interest in Zach Randolph:

This rumor surfaced with a one-line mention in a Cleveland report late last week and blew up on the web because there's not much happening out there right now. Basically the talk was that the Cavs were talking to the Knicks about a big man. It did not specify Zach Randolph, but that's always the assumption when you're talking about Knicks bigs who could be on the move.

The Cavs, who are clearly trying to load up around LeBron this summer (see: Mo Williams), could use legit low-post scorer. But is Zach a good fit there, especially for defensive-minded coach Mike Brown?

I've always had this opinion about Z-Bo: he's a better player when he's on a good team. When he's in a losing situation, Zach tends to go for self. Last season Zach seemed to be ready to buy into being part of the team concept but quickly fell into get-mine mode once he saw the mayhem around him (and the obvious lack of discipline). Perhaps in a situation like Cleveland, where LeBron is the clear leader, Zach would buy in and be less inclined to fall into the get-mine approach. And when Brown needs defense down low, he can go to Anderson Varejao.

It's worth some exploration and since we've got Fixers all over the place, some of them embedded in strategic places, we can say that we're hearing there's been some chatter about a Zach Randolph-to-Cleveland scenario inside NBA circles. Most team executives are on vacation right now (just like your favorite blog host) so details aren't easy to dig up right now. In the meantime, we can open it for a rhetorical discussion.

Who would the Knicks take in return? One idea could be Wally Szczerbiak, because shooters are always welcome. Another thought, however, could be Ben Wallace, which would make more sense for the Cavs from a contract standpoint and despite his painfully obvious weaknesses on offense, the Knicks could use the low-post defense and rebounding abilities.

The contracts work in either scenario with Zach's numbers (he's owed $14.6 million this season). Wally has an expiring deal at $13 million and Big Ben has two years left at $14.5 mil this year and $14 mil the year after (just in time to melt away in that critical Summer of 2010).

We know that right now the Knicks are preparing to go into the season with Zach on the roster. I've been told that Mike D'Antoni has chatted with fellow Team USA assistant coach (and Portland Trail Blazers coach) Nate McMillan about coaching Zach.

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We've been saying here this summer that Stephon Marbury's days with the Knicks will be soon over. This point was echoed by the Boston Globe on Sunday.

But we heard Donnie Walsh last week told season ticket holders that Marbury had "a clean slate" -- those exact words couldn't be confirmed on video provided by nyknicks.com, but Fixer "david" insists that's what DW said -- and Walsh also suggested Marbury would be in training camp this fall.

He very well may be there to unwittingly (or not) steal the spotlight at Media Day on Sept. 29 and could even be there the next day for the opening practice of training camp in Saratoga. But that doesn't mean it is a given that Marbury will be on the opening night roster. Camp may be the place D'Antoni and Walsh use to decide that Marbury -- aside from everything else -- doesn't fit the "plan" and moves on without him.

You have to read into Donnie's words sometimes because he tends to speak very carefully and, at times, cryptically. All along he's suggested that he doesn't know what he has on this roster because the team played so poorly. He wants to "see" what he has, which is why I am starting to believe he may want to bring Marbury into camp. At that time he and D'Antoni can make the decision to cut Marbury for basketball reasons instead of dumping him in August or September for what everyone will view as personality issues.

In the end, behind closed doors, the truth may be that D'Antoni and Walsh don't want to invite the potential for trouble by having Marbury on the roster this season. But publicly they'll call it a basketball decision...that Stephon doesn't fit what they want to do going forward. That's what I'm reading in the tea leaves right now, Fixers.

Hey, if the Cavs want to make the mistake and gamble on Zebo, hand me Ben Wallace and be my guest. I've loathed Randolph ever since that game vs the Pacers, where he had an offensive rebounded taken from him and instead of recovering on D, he stood in the paint and argued with the official while Troy Murphy stepped behind the three-point line and drained a three. In the rebuilding process the Knicks seem to be taking, they should stay away from these types of players. All teams should.