The top 20 remaining free agents

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We are three-plus weeks into free agency, and the cupboard is not quite bare.

There are still some good players out there, whose choices are narrowed to two primary options: (a) go for the money and play for a loser, or (b) pass on the money and play for a winner.

More than two-thirds of NBA teams have no cap room remaining. The ones that do mostly are those in rebuilding mode – Sacramento, Charlotte, Cleveland, Houston, Toronto and Minnesota. There are some pleasant landing spots such as Phoenix and Dallas, but their available space is limited and won’t last forever.

While a power forward tops our list, be forewarned that there are very slim pickings at the two big spots. There is much better value at point guard and the wings.

Also keep in mind that this is all in the eye of the beholder. If you disagree, well, that’s what the comments section is for.

Below is a list of the top 20 free agents, along with which teams have shown interest in them lately.

1. CARL LANDRY: You can pick nits, but we believe he is as clear-cut a top choice as Deron Williams was when this whole mess started less than a month ago. One of just four players remaining from our original top 25 and one of the few who could end up with a starting role, depending on where he lands. Hornets haven’t renounced the power forward because they are holding out hope for a sign-and-trade. INTERESTED: Golden State, Charlotte.

2. DELONTE WEST: There were serious questions about this combo guard at this time a year ago, but he answered those and filled a lot of gaps in his lone season in Dallas, where his per-minute numbers were very strong and was arguably the team’s second-best backcourt player when healthy. Based on that, probably holding out for a multi-year deal. INTERESTED: Dallas says it is and has cap room and an exception but also has seven guards under contract. Chicago also has kicked the tires buy just signed Marco Belinelli.

3. ANDREI KIRILENKO: The highest-ranked remaining player from our original list was believed to be committed to CSKA Moscow for another year but apparently can still opt out of that deal. Unfortunately, it pays him $4 million per year, much more than he will get in a return to the NBA. But his length and defense would be useful to any team looking for a wing defender. INTERESTED: Golden State and Brooklyn, which wants someone to defend LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony.

4. RANDY FOYE: Underappreciated or overrated? Has averaged nearly 12 points per game and 37 percent arc shooting in six seasons but until last season never had done it for a good team. May still be on the market because he won’t budge off multiple years or the mid-level exception. With the money drying up. might have to take a lot less. INTERESTED: Phoenix, Milwaukee, Chicago.

5. MICKAEL PIETRUS: His defense and 3-point shooting are a good fit for almost any team looking for wing depth. One of those teams should be the Celtics, who keep saying they want him back – and also keep signing other players. Has an overseas offer in his back pocket, so he can be a bit picky if he wants. INTERESTED: Boston, which only has the $1.9 million bi-annual exception, and Dallas, which has some cap room.

6. BRANDON RUSH: Restricted free agent has shown steady improvement as a solid shooter and near top-flight defender over his four seasons. Hard to believe he could be joining his third team because in the right spot, he could be a starter in the way Thabo Sefolosha, Avery Bradley and Tony Allen start for their teams. But his qualifying offer is over $4 million, which may be scaring away potential suitors. INTERESTED: Golden State, Minnesota.

7. KENYON MARTIN: Now a 12-year veteran with two microfracture surgeries in his history, his days of multi-year contracts are probably over. But his rebounding, shot-blocking and toughness certainly can help some team for 10-15 minutes a night. INTERESTED: Golden State.

Andray Blatche8. ANDRAY BLATCHE: Amnesty victim in Washington is probably the most talented player on this list and has spent a portion of the summer working out with career rehabilitator John Lucas. He has cleared waivers to become an unrestricted free agent but given his age (25), skills and upside probably is looking for a multi-year deal. But beggars can’t be choosers, and he needs to repair his awful image one season at a time. INTERESTED: No one right now. That will change, though.

9. LEANDRO BARBOSA: Under 30 and can still motor a little bit, as Team USA recently discovered. Former Sixth Man Award winner and highly likeable teammate has been a sub his whole career, so role acceptance is not an issue. Has been a bit injury-prone, doesn’t defend very well and can’t really play the point effectively in a structured system. INTERESTED: Virtually no one, which is a real head-scratcher. Maybe teams are waiting for the Olympics to end.

10. CARLOS DELFINO: Still not yet 30, he is a proven NBA player who can play both wing positions. However, he is a bit undersized for small forward and a bit slow for shooting guard. Probably is best as a reserve, backing up both spots for 15-20 minutes per game. Also might have to wait for the Olympics to be over. INTERESTED: Chicago, Atlanta, Indiana.

11. RONNIE BREWER: Solid, versatile defender at both wing spots who can’t shoot a lick, which means your other wing has to have a stroke. A victim of the rollback in Chicago, which declined his $4.37 million option. He will be employed, but not at that price. INTERESTED: Minnesota, especially if the rumored Wayne Ellington trade happens.

12. C.J. MILES: For all his athleticism and promise, cracked double figures just once in seven seasons at Utah, where he made just enough 3-pointers to incorrectly believe he was a distance shooter. Somewhat unorthodox lefthander could be a better rebounder, given his length. However, he is still just 25, has very little mileage on him and might show growth in the right setting. INTERESTED: Dallas was but probably isn’t anymore. Chicago and Cleveland are possible.

13. ROBIN LOPEZ: In terms of age (24) and upside, the best center still on the market, simply because he is not old, broken down or set in his ways. But he is a restricted free agent with a $4 million qualifying offer, so an offer from elsewhere would have to be considerable, either in money or multiple years. And Phoenix could still put him in a sign-and-trade. INTERESTED: Phoenix, primarily because it holds all the cards.

14. DEREK FISHER: When he joined the Thunder last season, it initially looked like he was brought in to provide some veteran leadership. But he showed there was something left in the skills tank as well. Hard to believe Oklahoma City has no interest, although he does turn 38 in August. Knows his role but also knows his worth. INTERESTED: Cleveland, although that is a strange place for someone who has lived in the postseason to end his career.

15. JOSH HOWARD: Given his age (32) and injury history is no longer a starter but showed last season in Utah that he can still be a contributor. Still a pretty solid all-around small forward who would be ideal as a reserve. Was looking for a multi-year deal but that seems unrealistic now. INTERESTED: Dallas.

16. MATT BARNES: Was the best of a bad bunch of small forwards last season for the Lakers, who have added Antawn Jamison and re-signed Devin Ebanks to back up Metta World Peace. That might make Barnes the odd man out despite his toughness, willingness to defend and erratic 3-ball. Has bounced around a lot and has played on some good teams. INTERESTED: No one, really.

17. IVAN JOHNSON: Given the energy he displayed as an absolute unknown rookie last season, it’s hard to believe the restricted free agent has received no offers. At this point, he probably won’t get one. But you gotta love anyone who plays as hard as he does and gives the finger to Celtics fans. INTERESTED: Atlanta, which is taking its sweet time and still could use him in a sign-and-trade.

18. JOEL PRZYBILLA: Offense isn’t more than dunks and putbacks but still a solid rebounder and adequate shot-blocker. Age (32), injury history and propensity for fouling make him an ideal backup. Will probably be a year-to-year guy for as long as he continues to play. INTERESTED: Milwaukee, which is where he started over a decade ago.

19. JERMAINE O’NEAL: He says he is healthier than he has been in the last five years, a span that has seen him miss 165 games. Long playoff runs and international ball early in his career have taken their toll and made O’Neal a very old 33. But he was still averaging 13 points per game two years ago with Miami. He knows his role is a backup 4-5, which certainly helps. INTERESTED: The LA Lakers were – then re-signed Jordan Hill.

20. DARKO MILICIC: Another amnesty victim who cleared waivers and could be had very cheaply, seeing as he already is drawing a salary. His 7-foot size, passable low-post game and relative youth (27) make him a nice option as a backup pivot. But his defense and lack of quickness prevent him from being much more. INTERESTED: Somebody will bite. See Kwame Brown.

TEN OTHERS TO TRACK: Chris Andersen, F-C; Anthony Tolliver, F; Louis Amundson, F; Martell Webster, F; Ronny Turiaf, F-C; Michael Redd, G; Keyon Dooling, G; Willie Green, G; Jannero Pargo, G.

TEN FIRE BETS: D.J. White, F; Alonzo Gee, F (R); Terrence Williams, F (R); Yi Jianlian, F; Al Thornton, F; Hamed Haddadi, C; Nate Robinson, G; Lester Hudson; G; Tracy McGrady, G-F; Gilbert Arenas, G.

Chris Bernucca is a regular contributor to SheridanHoops.com. During the season, his columns appear Wednesday and Sunday. You can follow him on Twitter.

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Hamilton: For Knicks, Linsanity May Be Too Expensive

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Though Jeremy Lin may be Houston-bound, in New York City, the Linsanity continues.

Earlier this month, news broke that Daryl Morey, the general manager of the Houston Rockets had reached agreement with Jeremy Lin on a four-year offer sheet that would pay Lin approximately $30 million.

That offer called for Lin to earn approximately $5 million in each of the first two years and approximately $10 million in each of the final two.

All along, the Knicks were expected to match any offer for Lin, but over the course of the past 72 hours, things have changed drastically.

First, on Friday, the Rockets and Lin agreed to alter their initial agreement. Instead of giving Lin a four-year deal worth $30 million in which the fourth year was a team option, the Rockets and Lin re-worked the agreement. The new deal was only for three years. The kicker, though, was that Lin’s third-year salary would increase by about 50 percent.

For the Knicks, instead of being on the hook for $10 million to Lin in the third year of the deal, the new offer made his third year salary about $15 million. By doing that, the Rockets may have made it prohibitively expensive for the Knicks to match their offer.

Beginning in the 2013-2014 season, the era of the NBA’s “Super Duper” Luxury tax—which I’ve written about previously—will begin.

What is most important to note about the luxury tax threshold is that it is a derivative of the league’s basketball-related income (BRI). As the league’s business grows and its profit increase, so will its salary cap, average player salary, and—yes—its luxury tax threshold.

Over the past 10 years, the NBA’s BRI has increased by an average of about 3 percent, per-year. The truth of the matter, though, is that it’s impossible certainly predict what the salary cap and luxury tax thresholds will be in the future because it’s impossible to predict how much money the league will generate over the next few years.

But, if we functioned under the reasonable assumption that the league’s revenues will increase by 4 percent each year, this season’s $70 million luxury tax threshold would about $76 million for the 2014-2015 season.

The Rockets knew that for that season, the Knicks already had huge commitments to Carmelo Anthony ($24 million), Amar’e Stoudemire ($23 million), and Tyson Chandler ($15 million).  And after re-signing Steve Novak, signing Jason Kidd, and trading for Marcus Camby, the Knicks tacked on about $10 million to their books for the 2014-2015 season. Meanwhile, they will hold a fourth-year option on Iman Shumpert’s rookie contract at $2.7 million.

And since the Knicks own their first-round pick in the 2013 draft, they could have another $2 million on the books heading into that 2014-2015 season.

All of that to say that the obligations to Anthony, Stoudemire, Chandler, Novak, Kidd, Camby, Shumpert, and whoever they select in the 2013 NBA Draft will amount to approximately $77 million in 2014-2015.

In all likelihood, even without Lin’s $15 million salary for that season, the Knicks will probably be a tax team. However, they are guaranteed to be a tax team if they re-sign J.R. Smith next summer and add one or two more players to their existing core.

So, even before the Knicks agreed to re-acquire Raymond Felton on Saturday night, retaining Jeremy Lin and his $15 million salary in year three was a very expensive proposition.

If, for argument’s sake, the Knicks payroll was equal to the luxury tax threshold, adding an extra $15 million for Jeremy Lin’s salary would cost the Knicks a total of $43 million. They’d have to pay Lin’s salary, and the luxury tax payment for a team $15 million over the tax threshold—in 2014-2015—will be about $28 million.

Now, after adding Felton, retaining Lin becomes even more expensive.

If the Knicks match Lin’s offer and end up being $19 million above the luxury tax threshold because of it, they would owe $41.75 million in luxury tax penalties, and when you include Lin’s $15 million salary, his total cost could be about $57 million.

When I pointed this out on Friday, most of my Twitter followers yawned at the numbers and reminded me that James Dolan prints money and probably doesn’t care. And as true as that may be, that’s an awful lot to risk on a point guard who has such a small body of work.

But now, after re-acquiring Felton, and after Anthony called Lin’s contract offer from the Rockets “ridiculous,” evidence seems to be amassing that the Knicks will elect to allow Lin to go to Houston.

For the Knicks, whether or not they match Lin has very little to do with their salary cap situation, and everything to do with their luxury tax situation.

During the Isiah Thomas regime, the Knicks routinely paid the luxury tax. However, one important thing to consider is that Madison Square Garden—the holding company that owns the Knicks—is now an independent and publicly traded corporation. After going public in 2010 with an initial public offering of about $20 per share, on July 13, MSG’s stock closed at almost $37 per share.

Linsanity has a lot to do with MSG’s good stock performance, and I’m no economist, so perhaps I’m way off. But, if the Knicks found themselves paying hefty luxury tax penalties, is it ridiculous to think that could have an adverse effect the company’s earnings and its profit margins?

Would that have an adverse effect on its stock price?

I’m sincerely asking because I don’t know. But it is definitely something worth knowing, and it’s definitely something worth pondering as we await the official word as to whether or not the Knicks will retain Lin.

That’s what makes this entire ordeal so compelling. The Knicks are being painted into a corner and will be forced to roll the dice—one way or another—on a player whose true value and talent is so difficult to gauge.

Linsanity may have been a flash-in-the-pan sham. But Jeremy Lin may be a future All-Star and Hall-of-Famer. Odds are, he’s something between.

But either way, we don’t know for sure. Only time will tell.

And only time will reveal just how much James Dolan and Madison Square Garden are willing to risk in finding out.

Moke Hamilton is a Senior NBA Columnist for SheridanHoops.com and will be providing the latest news and commentary during the NBA’s free-agency period. Follow him on Twitter to stay up-to date.

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Hamilton: Welcome To Free Agency Under The 2011 CBA

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NEW YORK — Once the clock struck midnight on the East Coast and the calendar read July 11, NBA free agents were free to sign their deals and offer sheets.

By the end of today, there will be a resolution to the Dwight Howard saga. “It’s all coming to a head (today),” a source close to the trade talks told SheridanHoops.com editor-in-chief Chris Sheridan.

For everyone involved—the fans, press, players, agents, and owners—the past 11 days have been pretty exhausting. In all, there were more than 150 free agents when July 1 came around. And though many free agents that hit the market are still in search of new deals, the cream of the class—Tim Duncan, Steve Nash, Deron Williams, Kevin Garnett, Ray Allen, Nicolas Batum, and Eric Gordon—are all locked up.

Teams like the Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics came into the process concerned about retaining their stars while other teams like the Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets and Phoenix Suns were concocting grand schemes to steal them away.

If you’re exhausted, spend August doing wind sprints and stomach crunches, because under the NBA’s 2011 collective bargaining agreement, this is going to become the new norm.

The NBA: Where All Hell Breaks Loose Each and Every July.

In the old economic era of the league, we saw six- and seven-year deals, huge extensions, and owners like Mark Cuban, Jerry Buss, and Jim Dolan laugh in the face of the so-called dollar-for-dollar “luxury tax.”

Today? Four year deals are the norm, superstar extensions are practically obsolete, and the luxury tax penalties are stiff enough to make even Paul Allen—the Portland Trail Blazers billionaire owner—keep an eye on his checkbook.

The seeds were planted long before the 2011 NBA Lockout. Since the 1983 CBA created the salary cap and bird rights, different features of subsequent CBAs and the creation of the “midlevel exception” in 1999 yielded a system under which imprudent managers and players who didn’t fulfill their promise, together, created a faulty business model that saw the NBA’s owners collectively lose in excess of $300 million during the 2010-2011 season.

David Stern vowed to change that in 2011, and he made good.

But where does that leave us?

Shorter Contracts

Today, player contracts may only be four years in length if a team does not own a player’s bird rights, and five years if they do and the player re-signs. This is a measure that helps to protect teams from making a mistake that straps their payroll for a longer than reasonable term. It’s one thing if it’s 2004, you’re Jim Buss and you sign Kobe Bryant to a seven-year, $136 million deal, but it’s another if you’re Stan Kroenke, who—in the same summer—signed Kenyon Martin to a seven-year deal worth $92 million.

For every one Bryant, there have been 10 Martins. And that’s why the 2005 CBA limited non-bird and bird contracts to five and six years, respectively, and the 2011 CBA limited deals to four and five.

The net effect is that players of today will become free agents more often. After his first 11 seasons, Martin had been a free agent just once.

For sure, those days are gone. Guys will be hitting the market more often, and while it’s a great protective measure for the NBA’s owners, it’ll result in NBA teams being tighter with their dollars in the short-term, especially since superstars will be hitting the market much more frequently.

Incentive To Become a Free Agent

Prior to the 2011 CBA, extensions were commonplace. Back in 2004, Bryant cut against the grain when he became an unrestricted free agent only to re-sign with the Lakers — although by doing so, he was able to get a rare no-trade clause. For the most part, a player who wished to remain with his team would continually extend his contract when he became eligible to do so. After being drafted by the Timberwolves, Kevin Garnett played his first three seasons under a rookie scale deal before signing a six-year extension in 1998 that would pay him $126 million to remain with the Timberwolves.

Garnett then signed a five-year extension in 2004 and another three-year extension prior to the 2007 trade that sent him to the Boston Celtics. And on June 30, the day before his contract with the Boston Celtics was set to expire, Garnett agreed to extend his contract for three more years.

Technically, Garnett has never been a free agent. And in days past, that wasn’t uncommon.

However, the 2011 CBA saw the NBA’s owners crack down on extensions and “extend-and-trade” scenarios. Carmelo Anthony became the poster child for an extend-and-trade deal, but he only followed Kevin Garnett’s example.

The bottom line here, though, is that under the terms of the 2011 CBA, a player extending his contract may not extend the contract beyond the fourth season in the future. So, if Player X has two years left on his current deal, his extension cannot be for more than two additional years.

Deron Williams opted out of the final year of his contract with the Brooklyn Nets and became an unrestricted free agent. Shortly after 9 p.m. in Las Vegas, he signed a new five-year contract worth nearly $100 million. Had he opted to extend his then existing contract with the Nets, he would have opted into his 2012-2013 contract year and could have only signed a three-year extension, giving him four guaranteed years.

That’s the same reason why Chris Paul recently turned down the offer from the Los Angeles Clippers to extend his current contract.

Under the 2011 CBA, the same rule applies to an extend-and-trade, with the difference being  that under any such agreement, a player may not extend the contract beyond the third season in the future. So in essence, by executing an extend-and-trade deal, a player is receiving two less guaranteed years of income than if he became a free agent and re-signed with the team holding his Bird rights.

That’s why it would behoove Dwight Howard to not extend his contract with any team and go the route that Williams did. Accept a trade, become a free agent, and re-sign.

The moral of this story is that the NBA’s owners sought to make it more difficult for modern players like Anthony to execute extend-and-trades and they removed the incentive for doing so by shaving a year off.

The problem? In the process, and in practice, they’ve made it more attractive to any player and any agent that understands the new system and new rules to become a free agent.

So, just as we have the Dwightmare this summer, we may have the CP3-For-All next summer. Let’s just hope that no other NBA owner pulls the plug on a championship team the way Mark Cuban did back in the Summer of 2011.

The Super-Duper Luxury Tax

The luxury tax was born under the 1999 CBA and was simply a dollar-for-dollar tax until the 2011 CBA.

The NBA’s “soft” cap system makes it possible for a team to continually increase its payroll, even if it’s over the salary cap. So back in July 2008, though the NBA’s salary cap was set at $58.7 million for the 2008-2009 season, the New York Knicks managed to have a season ending payroll of about $94 million.

That season, the luxury tax threshold was about $71 million, meaning that any team whose payroll exceeded that number had to pay one dollar for each dollar that it’s payroll exceeded the threshold.

In other words, that summer, the Knicks paid the NBA a luxury tax of about $23 million.

Beginning with the 2013-2014 NBA Season, though, the NBA will implement a much harsher luxury tax system. Under that system, a team that exceeds the luxury tax threshold by $25 million would have to pay a tax bill of about $64 million.

A team $20 million over the threshold would owe $45 million, while a team $10 million over the threshold would owe $16.25 million.

No, those are not typos, and yes, I’m sure.

So don’t expect to see any payrolls approaching $100 million in the near future. If that happened, it could create a scenario in which the taxpaying team would be paying more in luxury taxes than its actual payroll. For example, if the tax threshold was $75 million and a team managed to field a payroll of $115 million, the tax charge in that instance would be about $135 million.

Under the new system, tax-paying teams will pay an incremental tax that is higher the more they exceed the cap. The NBA’s purpose was to make the tax so oppressive that teams would be more discerning with their payrolls. Small market owners wanted the tax to be so oppressive that even the Lakers, Knicks, Bulls, and Celtics would be reluctant to pay it. It’s the second best thing to a hard cap.

With the 2011 CBA, the NBA changed the economic landscape of the league and as a result, owners will probably be more discerning when signing free agents to long-term contracts.

Together, over the life of this CBA, these three factors will work in concert to ensure that—at least until July 2017— scores of free agents will hit the market.

Depending on which team you root for, that could be a good thing, or a bad thing.

Either way, every future July is going to be like this July.

Moke Hamilton is a Senior NBA Columnist for SheridanHoops.com and will be providing the latest news and commentary during the NBA’s free-agency period. Follow him on Twitter to stay up-to date.

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Hamilton: Knicks Overpaid for Camby

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NEW YORK — Back in November 2007, a displeased David Stern said that the New York Knicks were “not a model of intelligent management.”

Back then, Isiah Thomas was running the franchise into the ground and getting his employer, Madison Square Garden, sued in federal court.

That was five years ago and since then, Donnie Walsh and Glen Grunwald have both done wonders for the credibility of the general manager’s office over at 2 Penn Plaza. But one thing that forever seems to ring true for the Knicks is that nothing ever comes easy.

No deal, no acquisition — not even for a 38-year old free agent center.

In professional sports, the GM with the bifocals will win. You’ve got to be able to see the bigger picture and you can’t be so blinded by optimism that you don’t objectively evaluate everything.

So that’s my challenge to you.

On Monday night, news broke that the Knicks agreed in principle to execute a sign-and-trade deal with the Houston Rockets for Marcus Camby. Camby is scheduled to earn $13.2 million over three years, but only $10 million is guaranteed.

In return, the Knicks agree to trade Toney Douglas, Josh Harrellson, Jerome Jordan, and the Knicks’ own second-round draft picks in 2014 and 2015. As a part of the deal, the Knicks will also send the Rockets $2 million in cash.

With Jason Kidd—whom the Knicks agreed to terms with last Thursday—and Camby, the Knicks have fortified their reserve unit and have unquestionably upgraded their talent base. Though Kidd (39) and Camby (38) are each closing in on their 40th birthdays, neither will be expected to play heavy minutes and are upgrades over Baron Davis and Jared Jeffries—the men who emerged as last year’s primary reserves.

So, that’s the good news.

But the Knicks had few trade assets before agreeing to the Camby deal and have almost no assets remaining after executing it.

And since the Knicks aren’t expected to match the three-year, $20 million offer sheet that the Toronto Raptors extended to Landry Fields, they’re probably in need of another wing player.

The Miami Heat won the NBA championship with Joel Anthony as their starting center and the Oklahoma City Thunder won the Western Conference with Kendrick Perkins. The truth is, in today’s NBA, you don’t need a great center to be successful, and few teams have two very good centers.

Although the Knicks now do, they still lack a center or power forward who can consistently score points in the post, and the Knicks will probably struggle to score if Camby and Chandler play together.

So while Camby provides a good insurance policy in the event of an injury to Chandler, he is a luxury.

A 38-year old luxury who just so happens to be a free agent.

Earlier this month, it became known that Camby would not be returning to the Rockets and was gauging the market to determine his demand. During the last week, it was clear that the three most likely landing spots for Camby were with the Knicks, Nets, and Heat. Initially, it was thought that the Miami Heat was his preferred destination since he would have presumably been their starting center, but that option fell through after the Heat used their mini-midlevel exception to sign Ray Allen.

Daryl Morey, the Rockets’ general manager, wasn’t interested in executing a sign-and-trade deal with the Heat, so Camby’s only means to end up in South Beach was to accept the veteran’s minimum salary of about $1.4 million from the Heat. Camby, though, let it be known that he was looking for a richer payday, and I got word earlier on Monday that the Miami Heat conceded that they couldn’t afford Camby and turned their attention to wooing free agent Rashard Lewis.

The Nets were said to have interest in Camby, but its brass has been so busy trying to pry Dwight Howard away from the Orlando Magic that their recruiting pitch wasn’t even delivered in-person; they called Camby on the phone.

Morey was in a position of weakness. He had a 38-year old free agent who was poised to defect and only one team with whom he could make a deal and salvage some assets in return. Yet somehow, in typical Knicks fashion, they ended up needlessly surrendering the balance of their limited assets for a player that they didn’t really need.

Initially, I was somewhat surprised at the fact that nobody in the media seemed perplexed by the Knicks giving the Rockets three prospects, two draft picks, and $2 million for a player that the Rockets were prepared to lose for nothing. And when I took to Twitter to gauge the reaction of Knicks fans, I was abused.

Surprisingly, despite evidence to the contrary over recent years, I was told second round picks are worthless. Never mind the fact that Trevor Ariza, Landry Fields, and Harrellson—the prospect most Knicks fans were saddest to lose—were all second-round picks. And never mind the fact that the Knicks already traded their 2013 second round draft pick and 2014 first round draft pick in prior deals.

Second round picks, I was told, are a dime a dozen!

That is, until you realize, that the NBA’s new collective bargaining agreement limits the aggregate amount of cash a team sends out per year at $3 million. And if you don’t think teams have paid over $1 million for a second round draft pick, guess again.

So, today, the Knicks have two less draft picks, $2 million less cash, and—depending on how you view Toney Douglas—one less $2 million expiring contract that could have been used to address more glaring needs.

Whether you like it or not, the Knicks gave away their assets in this deal, and from where I sit, it looks like they did so needlessly.

In all fairness to Grunwald, the Knicks got the best player in the trade, and they can probably fill out the roster with veterans to compete in the East.

But for a 38-year old free agent who was leaving anyway, Grunwald shouldn’t have had to submit so many of his limited assets to Morey.

At the end of the day, the Knicks overpaid for a player they didn’t really need and it’s reminiscent of the way they overpaid for Carmelo Anthony and Amar’e Stoudemire, and the same way Isiah Thomas overpaid for Jerome James, Eddy Curry, and Stephon Marbury.

The bright side in all of this? Camby isn’t a max-salaried player and his deal is only for three years.

Even still, for the Knicks, overpaying and underachieving has become a way of life.

Whether or not next season will be any different remains to be seen.

Moke Hamilton is a Senior NBA Columnist for SheridanHoops.com and will be providing the latest news and commentary during the NBA’s free-agency period. Follow him on Twitter to stay up-to date.

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Sources: Howard deal now includes fourth team, 12 or more players

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Significant progress was made over the weekend on a proposed trade that would send Dwight Howard to the Brooklyn Nets, but there was still work being done Monday to get a fourth team involved –a development that would increase the total number of players in the deal to 12 or more.

Three league sources told SheridanHoops.com that there were “several moving pieces and parts” that were keeping the deal from being agreed to by all parties, but that the Cleveland Cavaliers would be “extremely well-compensated with draft picks and money” for taking on Kris Humphries in the trade.

Humphries and Howard share the same agent, Dan Fegan.

No deals can be announced until July 11, meaning the trade could not take place until 12:01 a.m. EDT Wednesday at the earliest. And while other teams continue to engage new Orlando Magic general manager Rob Hennigan with proposals, the package of players and picks that Brooklyn is offering could end up being the most enticing.

Brook Lopez, Humphries, MarShon Brooks and three of the Nets’ No. 1 draft picks over the next five years would be the main pieces leaving Brooklyn in the deal, but additional players including Damion James, Shelden Williams and Armon Johnson were being worked into the deal to make it work under salary-cap rules. Additionally, Brooklyn could surrender several second-round draft picks.

The end result would be a deal that lands Howard in his preferred destination, forming a superstar threesome of Howard, Deron Williams and Joe Johnson for the Nets’ move into their new arena in Brooklyn this fall, and a massive rebuilding project in Orlando in which Hennigan would attempt to rebuild the team in the same manner his old boss, Oklahoma City general manager Sam Presti, did with the Sonics-Thunder franchise.

Adrian Wojnarowski of YahooSports said the framework of the deal includes Howard, Jason Richardson and Earl Clark to Brooklyn, and the Magic receiveingthe Nets’ Brook Lopez, Damion James, Sheldon Williams, Cleveland’s Luke Walton and three future first-round picks. Cleveland would receive Orlando’s Quentin Richardson, Brooklyn’s Sundiata Gaines, Humphries (on a one-year guaranteed deal), a first-round pick and $3 million from the Nets.

ESPN.com’s Chad Ford said the Los Angeles Clippers would be the fourth team, taking on Brooks in exchange for a first-round pick that would be sent to Orlando.

The Magic have reportedly already agreed to a sign-and-trade deal that would send Ryan Anderson to the New Orleans Hornets for center Gustavo Ayon and other compensation. New Orleans also is expected to match the four-year, $48 million offer sheet that Eric Gordon has agreed to with the Phoenix Suns.

Jarrod Rudolph of RealGM.com, who has been out front with this story, reported that Orlando will make one last weep around the league before accepting a Nets offer. Rudolph said the currently proposed deal would include 11 players, cash and multiple draft picks.

One obstacle that threatened to derail the Nets — Brooklyn’s signing of Mirza Teletovic —  has been resolved by Teletovic agreeing to take a lesser salary that originally proposed, preventing the Nets from running up against a new collective bargaining rule that would impose a hard cap on their salaries at $74 million. The salaries of Howard, Johnson, Williams, Teletovic and Gerald Wallace would total about $70 million, and Brooklyn would still make an effort to re-sign Gerald Green — although he could receive double the compensation that the Nets could offer if a different team signed him using exception money.

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