Friday, November 21st, 2008 at 6:12 pm  |  119 responses

Walsh Keeps Working: Trades Zach Randolph to Clippers

by Ryne Nelson

As promised, Donnie Walsh is taking matters into his own hands. In the course of four hours, the Knicks shipped three players, in two trades, and received three in return.

The most recent deal, according to the L.A. Times, involves Zach Randolph and Tim Thomas and Cuttino Mobley of the Clippers.

The reshaping of the Clippers continued with the acquisition of forward Zach Randolph and guard Mardy Collins from the New York Knicks for shooting guard Cuttino Mobley and forward Tim Thomas.

The Knicks may also have a second round pick, but that’s peanuts. Let’s focus on the backbone of today’s trades.

Walsh dealt the Knicks’ two best players. Plain and simple. Al Harrington can arguably fit well in D’Antoni’s system, but the Knicks are clearly looking to be major players in the 2010 free agency goldmine.

Knicks fans, don’t get excited just yet. The deal is that unless the Knicks get a top free agent—LeBron James, Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh—keeping Zach Randolph’s 20 and 10 might have been the best move.

Still, the Knicks did it right—they received cap relief without trading draft picks or young players. And that’s genius.

Rebuilding starts at the top, and hiring Walsh is delivering. Oh, and David Lee will have playing time again!

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  • http://www.freewebs.com/betcats BETCATS

    my only question is who will take all Jamal Crawlfords shots? Nate Robinson?

  • http://www.another48minutes.blogspot.com Gerard Himself

    @BETCATS: maybe Q-Rich will shift to the SG spot? So you have Duhon, Richardson, Chandler, Harrington and Lee?

  • http://www.freewebs.com/betcats BETCATS

    Gerard: I could see that working if Q-Rich were still dating Brandy, still had Steve Nash helping him get open looks, and still wore a Phoneix Suns jersey. The only thing he has left from those days is Mike D’Antoni, lucky him.

  • thasam

    Cam Jones – well said, I’d like to add that the Knicks have needed to clear cap space for a decade at least.

    Alpha-bet – it was overdue for the Pistons to break up that squad, and yet they got one of the greatest scorers in NBA history and maintain their status as one of the elite teams in the East with an outside shot of going to the Finals, I wouldn’t call that throwing away the season

    Moose – I wouldn’t consider it a foregone conclusion that Wade will stay in Miami. A lot depends on whether the Heat will improve in the next to years and/or get a quality free agent as well. The only thing that South Beach has that NYC lacks is warm weather in the winter months, and with some of the drama that’s beginning to creep in his single life, maybe he would want a change of scenery.

    Russ – Tim Thomas played the best ball of his career under D’Antoni in Phoenix. Granted, it was a contract year for him and it got him paid by the Clippers. But maybe D’Antoni thinks he can motivate him and he would be great for that system, plus next year will be a contract year for Thomas again

  • http://www.freewebs.com/betcats BETCATS

    thasam: He had Steve Nash passing him the ball then, now he has Chris Duhon. No disrespect to Chris, but he aint Steve Nash

  • RV

    i agree with cam, its not like they were building a contender in NY, and they were pretty much a .500 ball club, now they’ll be…yeah a .500 ball club..

  • Teddy-the-Bear

    @ BETCATS: I’d much rather have their old line-up. Definitely.
    @ RV: Its not the same without Jamal Crawford and Zach Randolph. Those two guys were our stars and in 1 day, ONE F*CKING DAY, Donnie Walsh takes those two players away from us. Un-f*cking-believable.

  • Teddy-the-Bear

    Also @ BETCATS: You know, Chris Duhon might not get the stats Nash had, but he is a very effective PG for the D’Antoni system right now. He has a higher Assist-to-Turnover ratio than Nash did in all of his three years playing under D’Antoni, including his MVP years.

  • Teddy-the-Bear

    Why didn’t our Knicks just get rid of Marbury and Curry and keep the two best players? A Duhon, Crawford, James, Z-Bo, Lee would be a championship caliber line-up. Chandler and Nate coming off the bench? Wow.

  • Teddy-the-Bear

    It WOULD be amazing. Too bad Donnie Walsh is a f*cktard.

  • http://www.freewebs.com/betcats BETCATS

    Teddy, i would too, buts its not as bad as i orginaly thought, but it does make the Knicks a lot shorter (unless Jerome James or Eddy Curry are willing to step up)

  • http://www.freewebs.com/betcats BETCATS

    well putting 100% of a franchise’s hope on getting a key free agent while having to compete with the rest of the NBA AND Europe is gonna be hard for the Knicks to do.

  • Cam Jones

    They did not get rid of Maurbury because no one wants to cough up 21 million dollars in expirers for Maubury plain and simple. Why pay 21 million when you can get him for less either this year if the Knicks buy him out or next year for peanuts as he needs to fix his tarnished rep.

  • http://www.freewebs.com/betcats BETCATS

    Cam: i thought he was going to Italy after this year…I am out

  • Basketballologist

    @teddy- but who wants curry??

  • Cam Jones

    The Local Krispy Kremes wants Curry…. or is it the other way around

  • jose

    this is scaring the sh*t out of me .supposedly they’ll have enough cash for more than a lebron .enough for 2 superstars .lebron+ wade,bosh,stat or sum other superstar. oh man!!im freakin out man.

  • KP

    why isnt marbury playing????

  • jose

    wade,plz dont be tempted to go .stay in miami things will improve more and more there

  • http://www.myspace.com/bangonthetableproductions Alpha-bet

    @thesam, I do know while the Pistons is still one of the top 3 teams in the east..and they didn’t get worse with A.I.. but I don’t think they got any BETTER either..prolly wasn’t gonna beat Boston and have major trouble with Cleveland either way.

    A.I. is one of my favorite players of all time, and I LIVE in the D so I’m glad he’s added some excitement to this area that’s been hit so hard recently with the auto industry, economy.ect..

    But it is what it is..Allen Iverson is a temp on the Pistons..You seen they just gave A.I. the shirt off Chauncey’s back and slapped “Iverson” on it. As to say “Here just take this for now”..

  • http://www.myspace.com/bangonthetableproductions Alpha-bet

    meant to type “thasam”, apologize about the misspelling..

  • SHERLOCK FOAMS

    $100 SAYS MOBLEY ASKS FOR STEVE FRANCIS’ OLD LOCKER/JERSEY/JOCK-STRAP/SOCKS/APARTMENT/LIMO DRIVER…

    I still think D’Antoni should get over it and use Marbury (not because he has not choice but because he actually WANTS him playing). If not, good luck trying to land Derozan in June!

  • http://www.manutd.com Z

    Make no mistake, this is LeBron or bust for Walsh. Basically, the Knicks just threw the towel for this season AND next season as they won’t try to better themselves and they won’t eat any contract. If LBJ comes, it’s all good. If he doesn’t, it’s a waste. Wade, Melo, Bosh, Amare, none of that matters. LBJ OR BUST.

  • Timmy D

    Why would Lebron want to go to a team with a stank a$$ roster like the one the Knicks have now. Lebron wants to win titles and there is no history of championships with the Knicks no matter what people seem to believe. They might be the most overhyped NBA team in history, theyve won 2 titles in like a hundred years, nice job

  • RV

    because NY is not just clearing cap space for one big free agent, its aimings for TWO big names….rumor is Bosh and Lebron. Once you’ve got two big names like that, and keep guys like wilson, nate, maybe Lee, and Gallinari works out…then you got a nice team, sign another smaller name center in the 2010 class and that’s one hell of a team.

    nate
    Lebron/who cares
    chandler/gallinari
    Bosh/Lee
    Tyson?

  • 007

    d’antoni is actually “trying” to build a suns version in the east..that is d new york..thus d big trade moves..although..walsh wud have done better if he traded other guards like q-rich instead of jamal.

  • http://www.basketballjerseyworld.com NBA-JERSEY-KING

    So the Clips now have Kaman, Thornton, Camby, Z-Bo up front- they gotta trade one of them…..

  • RV

    thornton is a small forward, he’s not up front…they’ll probably just have Randolph split time at the 4 with Camby,

  • jaywhy

    Camby off the bench?

    anw i dont think Knicks should do so much just to clear up cap room for LeBron… sure they want the money to pay LeBron, but they should keep a few talents since they’re a playoff team this season… it will be harder for a superstar to resist both money and a team success… this trade is okay but the Crawford trade was just absurb… Jamal would be a great side-kick to *cough* LeBron James…

  • http://www.basketballjerseyworld.com NBA-JERSEY-KING

    but look at Miami – they desperately need a big – send Kaman to the Heat….

  • http://thesportsdiaryonline.blogspot.com Roy

    nice trade but they are still keeping Starbury…

  • pennydunk_1

    7th seed in the East

  • http://twentythreenine.blogspot.com Russ Bengtson

    The whole thing wouldn’t bother me that much except for Donnie Walsh stating that the players they got were the main thing, and the fact that it’ll increase cap flexibility down the road is secondary. Uh, what?

  • http://www.basketballjerseyworld.com NBA-JERSEY-KING

    coo blog RUSS – just checked it out…

  • ClydeSays

    So I’m watching the Knicks V. the C’s earlier in the season and during a time out, Randolf pulls up his jersey for some reason to reveal a gut. Not like muscles but a beer drinkers, hanging over his shorts, gut. I think “There is no WAY Walsh can trade this guy unless his contract is expiring. I guess I was wrong.

    Get rid of Curry & JJames & I’ll really be impressed.

  • http://www.freewebs.com/betcats BETCATS

    What happended to my “Be Ups”? I found this story, i want my credit.

  • http://www.freewebs.com/betcats BETCATS

    well i got work to do and do to work. Peace!

  • http://twentythreenine.blogspot.com Russ Bengtson

    I also love how every knee-jerk blogger and beatwriter mentions that Tim Thomas played well under D’Antoni in ’04-05. Yes, it was called a CONTRACT YEAR. This year he’s shooting a robust 38 percent and playing with his usual lack of anything resembling a care. Things are going to get much worse in New York before they get better. This is the equivalent of dumping your wife in hopes that the hot 16-year-old down the block will be interested in you when she turns 18.

  • http://twentythreenine.blogspot.com Russ Bengtson

    Not to mention I don’t see how they’ll have the cap space to sign both LeBron AND another superstar free agent unless they plan on either having a four-man team or fielding a squad of LeBron, Bosh, and a mess of D-leaguers. Enjoy Nate Robinson and David Lee while you can, Knicks fans, because they won’t be coming back.

  • Tom

    So on the other side of the coin, does bringing in Z-bo pretty much guarantee Kaman gets dealt soon? I mean Camby, Kaman, and Randolph, one of them has to go

  • http://twentythreenine.blogspot.com Russ Bengtson

    I’m just curious how many more times Z-Bo will get traded before his contract runs out. He’s definitely gonna get dealt as an expiring in the ’10-11 season, but will he still be a Clipper then?

  • http://slamonline.com Spurs fan

    If they don’t get Lebron,D-Wade,or Bosh they will be really pissed

  • http://slamonline.com Josh D

    Knicks! Nets! Teams which are thinking about freeing up space for a run at LeBron,Wade and Bosh i think they said that if they change teams it would be to go to a team with a decent chance at the championship! If Cavs didn’t have LeBron,Heat didn’t have Flash and Raptors didn’t have Bosh they’d all be better than the Knicks are right now after these trades

  • Quail

    the clippers are a sure top 5 team in the west now. that big 3 of camby, randolph and BD is gonna be D O M I N A N T. now i just cant wait to see wut happens in the summer of 2010.

  • RV

    why does having 3 guys who can play the 4 and 5 mean one of them HAS to be traded?? One of them may get traded, but its not necessary. Camby wasn’t playing a lot to begin with, he was playing like 26 mins, there’s plenty of time available for Randolph. And the Clips said earlier this season Kaman isn’t going anywhere.

  • http://twentythreenine.blogspot.com Russ Bengtson

    If I WAS going to trade one of them, it would be Camby. But yeah, I can see those three all getting minutes.

  • http://www.basketballjerseyworld.com NBA-JERSEY-KING
  • http://www.basketballjerseyworld.com NBA-JERSEY-KING

    the trade is Curry and Marbury for Marion, Blount and Banks – the salaries match, Miami gets what it needs in a C and PG, D’Antoni gets his favourite Marion back and Miami gets rid of Blount.

  • http://twentythreenine.blogspot.com Russ Bengtson

    No way do the Knicks do that—they’re not taking on any salaries that go past the summer of ’10.

  • thasam

    @Russ – I hope that comment about Tim Thomas playing well under D’Antoni wasn’t aimed at me because I acknowledged that his time in Phoenix was his contract year and he got paid by the Clips, for which he proceeded to do what he has done his entire career – not give a s**t. But maybe D’Antoni thinks he can keep him interested this year and next year is another contract year for Thomas as well. I’m not saying it’s gonna work, I’m just pointing out a possible rationale for getting Thomas beyond his favorable contract

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