Lord strike this mother f-er down. STRIKE HIM!!!

I cant believe that this guy actually went through with this deal. I really thought there was no way in hell they would actually do this. The dumbest deal made so far this year. Thank you very much for murdering the Knicks. :thumbdn:

Anyone agree or care to disagree??


Francis dealt to Knicks for Penny, Ariza

Steve Francis is headed to the New York Knicks, who acquired the three-time All-Star from the Orlando Magic on Wednesday for Penny Hardaway and Trevor Ariza.

The deal will pair Francis with Stephon Marbury as the highest-paid backcourt duo in the NBA. The Knicks were still talking with several other clubs as team president Isiah Thomas worked at remaking a roster that has stumbled to the league's second-worst record, 15-37.

For the Magic, the trade will provide salary cap relief in 2007 (once Grant Hill's $16.9 million comes off the cap) when they can drop further beneath the cap than any of the league's 30 teams. That will be particularly attractive that summer when a bumper crop of free agents -- including Paul Pierce, Chauncey Billups, Rashard Lewis, Vince Carter and Mike Bibby -- will be on the market, giving Orlando several options in figuring out exactly how to rebuild around 20-year-old power forward Dwight Howard.

Francis is owed $49 million over the next three seasons, while Hardaway's $15.75 million contract comes off the cap at the end of this season.

Ariza, who fell out of favor with Knicks coach Larry Brown, was averaging only 4.6 points in 36 games for New York. He was a second-round pick by the Knicks (43rd overall) in 2004 after spending just one season at UCLA.

Francis, who turned 29 on Tuesday, had been on the trading block since refusing to re-enter a game against Seattle on Jan. 11. The Magic suspended him and sent him home before he was reinstated following a meeting with coach Brian Hill and team executives. He was averaging a career-low 16.2 points this season, a drop of more than five points from last season.

The arrival of Francis could mean the impending departure of Jamal Crawford or Quentin Richardson from New York, where Thomas is willing to try almost anything to reverse the fortunes of a team that has failed to meet even the lowest of expectations. Already with a league-high payroll of more than $120, the Knicks will now be above $130 million next season. But while other owners and general managers have been shocked by the Knicks' free-spending ways (they took on a $34 million obligation when they traded Antonio Davis for Jalen Rose two weeks ago), Thomas has been given the go-ahead by owner James Dolan of Cablevision to spend whatever it takes in an effort at making Madison Square Garden the basketball mecca it once was.

The Knicks began the day 10 games behind Philadelphia for the Eastern Conference's eighth and final playoff spot, and only a miraculous turnaround could get them into the postseason this year. Still, it was a virtual certainty that New York would make a deal of some kind, and Crawford even polled the team's beat writers after Wednesday morning's shootaround to ask them where they believed he would be headed (Insider was the only one who told him Denver).

The Francis trade, first reported by ESPN.com, came on a day when the Knicks awoke to rumors of a possible trade with Minnesota for Kevin Garnett, a rumor that made its way around the league late Tuesday night -- possibly as a piece of disinformation that was disseminated in order to force the Magic's hand. Garnett's future in Minnesota seems secure through the end of this season, but all bets are off once the summer arrives -- especially if Garnett tells ownership he'd like to be traded.

Hardaway was also shopped to the Portland Trail Blazers, who had been unwilling to part with Darius Miles in a deal that also would have brought Theo Ratliff to New York.

Hardaway, a 12-year veteran, will be reunited with the team he broke into the NBA with in 1993 when the Magic acquired Hardaway and three first-round draft picks from Golden State for Chris Webber. Hardaway left Orlando after six seasons to sign as a free agent with the Phoenix Suns, who traded him to New York 4½ years later in the deal that brought Marbury to the Knicks.

Hardaway played in only four games for New York this season and had been away from the team for several weeks, ostensibly to rehab his arthritic knees. It was not known if he planned to play for Orlando this season, nor was it certain whether Francis was to be available for the Knicks on Wednesday night for their home game against the Miami Heat. Francis was expected to at least be in the building, however, as the trade happened while the Magic were in the New York area for a road game against the New Jersey Nets.

"This is a trade that we all feel makes us a better basketball team for both now and in the future," Thomas said in a news release announcing the deal. "In Steve, we add an All-Star caliber player to our team without giving up core assets that are key to our future."

Francis had career averages of 19.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 6.5 assists in 452 career games for the Rockets and Magic entering the 2005-06 season. He was the 2000 NBA Co-Rookie of the Year and was selected to start for the Western Conference All-Stars from 2002-2004.

"Acquiring a player of Steve's level and talent is very exciting for this team," Brown said. "In him, we have added a veteran that could help us in many areas, and assist with our young players' development."

http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/news/story?id=2339941

Stevie brings spd, scoring and lots of excitement. I like the deal considering we only gave up scrubs. Yes its a ton of money but its not like the Knicks will ever be under the salary cap. I for many reasons can see this work, now I can also see this not working but you can't lose with a player of Francis's skills. We're backloaded at SG so I hope he has some more tricks up his sleave by thurs trading deadline.

franchise and nate the great

I have watched Francis since he was in Junior College and he has really made strides. Still, have to agree with you 100% Magneto, Isiah is the anti-messiah for the Knicks and he better run out of town (Lincoln or Holland Tunnel) or swim over to NJ cause he will find a couple of my Knicks buddies in Brooklyn and Queens across the East River.

this sums it up pretty well, to me.......

The Knicks really are that dumb
February 22, 2006

It's entirely possible that I just don't know what I'm talking about. I made the rounds of radio call-in shows this morning, and the same question kept coming up: "The Knicks aren't really going to trade for Steve Francis. Are they?" Inevitably, my answer -- despite being told the opposite by two GMs and a prominent player agent over the weekend -- was, "No, I just don't think they're that dumb."

Well, OK. They're that dumb. The Knicks are taking on Francis from Orlando, sending Trevor Ariza and Penny Hardaway (will he actually show his face in Orlando, I wonder?) the other way.

Let me start by saying this: The first person who, in discussing Francis and new backcourt mate Stephon Marbury, mentions the names, "Clyde Frazier" and "Earl Monroe" should be tied up and put into a room, forced to watch 154 consecutive hours of NBA TV with his or her eyes pried open, like Alex in Clockwork Orange.

Clyde, you see, could play defense. He was 6-5 and an excellent defensive guard. Both he and Monroe were fast with the ball, excellent decision-makers and had good court vision. None of the above applies to Francis or Marbury.

But let me shrug off the stupidity of Isiah Thomas -- I think I've written about that extensively enough, and I don't think there's a clear-thinking Knicks fan left who still has faith in the guy. It's gotten too easy to bash him, and besides, there's no sense preaching to the choir, right?

Acknowledging that Thomas is clueless, it's time to turn the criticism onto the real enablers here, Jim Dolan and Steve Mills, the fellows in charge of Cablevision and MSG -- i.e., Isiah's bosses. This is their business, and at the moment, the business is spending $125 million for a bunch that has 15 wins, one away from being worst in the league. That's $8.3 million per win. They're spending nearly 30 percent more than any other team, and yet, they are just about the worst performer. Get this -- they'll be over $130 million next year, and they'll be older.

In what business would this be considered OK? In what business would you not look at the CEO of such a company and wonder if the guy's got a screw loose?

Now they're adding Francis, after already adding Jalen Rose. They're piling on salary, and they're making themselves worse as a team. Thomas is the guy making the phone calls on these trades, but it's Dolan and Mills who have the power to say, "Isiah, everyone in the league thinks this is a bad idea . . . maybe we should take a pass, whaddya say?" It's time to point fingers their way.

What Dolan and Mills are doing is bad for the NBA, and not just because this is the Knicks, a marquee franchise. This would be bad if it were the Hornets or the Sonics or the Magic. If there is a team that is inflicting terrible damage to itself, one that has become a laughingstock among other front-office personnel in the league, one that has become a laughingstock to its fans, then that's bad news for the league.

I don't know that there is anything the NBA could do. The only thing I can compare it to is the Blazers under Bob Whitsitt, when Portland repeatedly added bad seeds to the roster and wound up alienating most of the Pacific Northwest. In that case, the league quietly suggested the Blazers opt for an all-out image overhaul. Portland has done that, but the franchise still is suffering fallout from the damage of Whitsitt's final years.

The Knicks need much more than a nudge.

There was the Ted Stepien rule, too, in the 1980s. Stepien was the Cavaliers owner who nearly ran the team into the ground with terrible trades that usually included his draft picks. Other teams were duping him out of picks. The league created a rule that says you can't trade your first-round pick in consecutive years, basically, to rescue guys like Stepien from themselves.

Can the league enact an Isiah Thomas rule, which stipulate that the owners of any franchise giving decision-making power to Thomas would have to give up ownership of that franchise? That might be the only hope for Knicks fans eager to trash the current MSG honchos.

Somehow, David Stern needs to wrestle the franchise from the clutches of Dolan and Mills, and give it to someone who has a conscience and a clue. Alas, that's all but impossible. But make no mistake, blame for the bad moves the Knicks have made over the last few years -- not just under Thomas, but under Scott Layden, too -- ultimately falls to Dolan and Mills.

Until then, enjoy the starting five of Francis, Marbury, Jalen Rose, Malik Rose and Eddy Curry. And get off Isiah's back.

i cant figure out what Isiah is doing either

this was on rumor central on ESPN

Knicks Target Garnett
Feb 23 - Some league executives suggested yesterday's deal for Steve Francis was part of a risky long-term strategy by Isiah Thomas to trade for Kevin Garnett this summer, reports Newsday.

According to the newspaper, one NBA GM said Thomas sold Knicks owner James Dolan on a strategy to stockpile as many marketable assets as possible to make a play for Garnett, who has grown increasingly restless with the Timberwolves.

"There will be plenty of changes this summer," one team official told the New York Daily News. "Now, there is more to use in trades."

Dwane Casey said yesterday that Kevin Garnett is not on the market, as far as the coach is concerned, despite vague reports nationally speculating otherwise, reports the St. Paul Pioneer Press. "He's not tradable for me," Casey told the newspaper. "It'd be just like saying, 'Is Michael Jordan tradable for Chicago?' Kevin Garnett is not the issue with us right now."

this might explain why Issah is doing what he is doing :confused:

KG isnt going anywhere. Sorry, but they arent making a believer out of me. If somehow this happens, then more power to them. Good luck. SO if they do go through with this deal, then they would trade Marbury for Garnett?? Didnt Marbury and Garnett have some issues before they traded away Marbury back in the day??

As it is right now, they have to many players that do basically the same damn thing. All of them are good players, but I just dont see it helping the team out that much. Marbury, Francis, Rose, and Robinson?? You know how rediculous that sounds!!??

i.Thomas totally kill the Knicks. i been a fan since i was a little boy watching NBC playoffs.. but if he can TRUELY get KG in a KNicks jersey.. i'll take back all the crap i have said about him..

all it is is just a rumor, but that would be nice if they can get KG to the Knicks because the Wolves aren't going anywhere, it's all KG.

@ first i was :uh: because didn't make sense to bring in Stevie Franchise and Marbury... i don't see them coexisting, they're both scorers and will want the ball.

guess we'll wait and see how this turns out.

I personnally like this trade and all of Thomas's moves!

See, I'm a Bulls fan and I never liked Isaiah or the Knicks.

It's like 2 peas in a pod, they deserve each other and I hope for 20 more years of bad luck for both. Yes, keep those great trades coming...LOL! :p

Same guy that paid Jerome James all that money too :egads: 2.6 PPG in 8.6 minutes for how much :eek2:

you gotta love this pic....

http://img430.imageshack.us/img430/1149/nohomo3wd.jpg

if you dont get it, holla at me.......

THAT PIC IS HILARIOUS

I can't believe New Yorkers are letting this crap happen. If the nets move back to brooklyn, to hell wiht th knicks.

THEY GOT THE MOST BALL HOGGING BACKCOURT IN THE HISTORY OF THE GAME!!!

Everything Isiah touches he f***s it up cba pacers knicks

THAT PIC IS HILARIOUS

I can't believe New Yorkers are letting this crap happen. If the nets move back to brooklyn, to hell wiht th knicks.

THEY GOT THE MOST BALL HOGGING BACKCOURT IN THE HISTORY OF THE GAME!!!
im with you on this one SICK

I really think this trade will work out, I mean look on my xbox 360 in NBA 2K6 I have Francis scoring 26 PPG and Steph is a monster dropping 22PPG with 11 APG, I got Crawford playing small forward giving me 17PPG with 6 RPG and Rose is running Power Forward dropping 15 PGG and 6 RPG with good old Curry dropping 11 PPG and 11 RPG. we're 12-3 right now in 1st place. :) This is now my real basketball season since the real season is a lost for my knicks and no pick to show for this losing season at the end of the year.