We heard rumblings about a deal involving Renaldo Balkman this morning, and now the Knicks have made it official - they’re sending Balkman to the Nuggets for Taurean Green, Bobby Jones and a 2010 2nd rounder.
Word out of New York earlier today was that the Knicks will cut both Green and Jones in order to get about $2 million in cap relief, and because they don’t have room on their roster. With Green and Jones, the Knicks are at 17 players. They need to get down to 15.
Without Marcus Camby, Denver needs to fortify their front lines. Instead of having the Birdman as the only big man to give Nene or Kenyon Martin a breather, Balkman is a much-needed insurance policy. But does he solve their problems?
Who do you think got the better end of this deal? Knicks or Nuggets
Related posts:
July 28th, 2008 at 4:10 pm
Michorizo says:
Was Isiah included in the trade?
July 28th, 2008 at 4:11 pm
Justice says:
if they get into another brawl balkman will come in handy
July 28th, 2008 at 4:14 pm
Logan Light says:
Solve their problems? No way.
This was a clever move for the Nuggets staff. They bring in a guy who is capable of just about everything that Najara could do (with the exception of the 3 ball) and unload some dead weight… applause. BUT Balkman is hardly the defensive presence that Camby was. PLUS you still have to deal with the lack of team defense that is absolutely needed to contend for a title.
I’m not sold on Denver… not even close.
LL
July 28th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
The Jed says:
the Knicks may have just traded their second best player. And yes David Lee is #1
July 28th, 2008 at 4:18 pm
The Jed says:
at least 2nd most valuable asset!
July 28th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
BxBaller says:
I liked Balkman, but he was expendable with the Knicks drafting Gallinari, plus with Q, Chandler & Jeffries already on the roster. So now does this mean that they will still have a roster spot available for Steph?
Denver gets a hustle player, who doesn’t need the ball to be effective.
A so-so trade for both teams, as they both need to continue to make moves, especially Denver.
July 28th, 2008 at 4:23 pm
weezy f says:
wheres my shoutout!!
July 28th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
Harvey Dent says:
Chandler is a more talented Balkman. A rare good move for NY.
Wilson has a better J, a better handle, he’s just as athletic, and he can run the floor.
I do like Balkman but he was expendable. Lee probably is their best player but Balkman is not even close. Lee, Crawford, Marbury, Robinson, and Chandler are all better.
July 28th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
Austin Burton says:
Like someone already said, Balkman basically replaces Najera (who just added that three to his game last year).
And let’s get off the “David Lee is New York’s best player” train PLEASE. Crawford and Zach are way better than Lee could hope to be.
July 28th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
MoxWestCoastRep says:
The Nuggets are an absolute grease fire.
I give Denver a generous 10% chance at making the playoffs.
Gonna be a loooooong year nugget fans, look forward to hopefully landing a top pick in the ‘09 draft
July 28th, 2008 at 4:41 pm
sunni says:
knicks are just dumb…balkman was good–whos next, lee—they bring in chris duhon, so he can go party with randolph late night before games—knicks are dumb; when are they gonna get it together???do they really think that duhon can lead them to even one win in the playoffs
July 28th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
that's whats up says:
If the Knicks win a championship before the year 2100 the world will come to an end
July 28th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
daQueSt?oN says:
damn i cant believe the nuggets, they trade camby and i had hopes of them going after a big trade but instead they keep doing little trades that wont do anything for them
July 28th, 2008 at 5:01 pm
Michorizo says:
Knick fans are never happy. I bet Donnie Walsh could have traded Isiah’s left nut to Denver for a second round pick and Knick fans would find a way to to make it seem Denver got the better of the deal.
July 28th, 2008 at 5:03 pm
Homeless J says:
What’s the over-under on Balkman being out of the NBA?
I say the Nuggets will try him out for a full year before they give up on him. Minimum - One year, maximum - Two years.
July 28th, 2008 at 5:07 pm
ERIC says:
I said this in the previous column about this rumor:
I don’t see why the Knicks traded Balkman. Donnie Walsh needs to increase fan/city morale for the Knicks and Balkman was a crowd favorite, hustler. Saving $1.5 million doesnt do ish for this team. Why not actually rid of ZBo, Jefferies or Curry to save serious cash.
July 28th, 2008 at 5:53 pm
hahns says:
balkman was a fan favorite….and had trade value, but he brought to the table the same thing david lee did. but david lee does it better.
that being said…it would have been fun to see him in dantoni’s offense…
July 28th, 2008 at 6:09 pm
nick says:
balkman would have thrieved in dantoni’s offense. however he will be a key player for the nuggets with all his hustle plays and defense.
July 28th, 2008 at 6:10 pm
snook says:
i heard a 3rd grader traded his PBJ for a tuna sandwich…
Breaking News!!!
July 28th, 2008 at 6:22 pm
mr.a says:
how on earth would you even consider that new york got the best out of this trade? they traded a player away for nothing! thats a lose-lose situation!
July 28th, 2008 at 6:22 pm
J-Dot says:
daaaaang I was just about to get hype because the Knicks added another Gator to the roster. Too bad Taurean won’t stick though. So were the Knicks already at 16 players on the roster? Crazy! Balkman is definitely a capable player. The business side of the NBA can be cold…
July 28th, 2008 at 6:23 pm
Crunchy says:
July 28th, 2008 at 4:40 pm
Austin Burton says:
Like someone already said, Balkman basically replaces Najera (who just added that three to his game last year).
And let’s get off the “David Lee is New York’s best player” train PLEASE. Crawford and Zach are way better than Lee could hope to be.
CO-SIGN!!!!!!! David Lee is cool, but Crawford, Randolph, Curry, Duhon, and Steph are all better players.
July 28th, 2008 at 6:56 pm
Three Stacks says:
Crawford and Randolph are both obviously more talented than David Lee, but that doesn’t necessarily make them better NBA ballers. Lee is WAY more efficient of a ball player than either of them. You can win with a team full of players that play like Lee, I don’t think you can say the same for JC and Z-bo.
July 28th, 2008 at 7:04 pm
doc says:
Who cares.Unless you live in New York this trade is terrible.3 benchwarmers.I hear good things about Balkman but the key word is HEAR.
July 28th, 2008 at 7:47 pm
Bone says:
@ Three Stacks - it’s funny that David Lee’s style didn’t translate to any winning at Florida, who proceeded to immediately win two National Championships once Lee left. And it’s amazing that the Knicks have had three losing seasons in his three seasons in the League.
It’s sad how someone who averages 10 and 9 is seen as untouchable. David Lee is a sixth or seventh man in the NBA, on a good team, at best.
If the Knicks gave him 5 years and $50 million dollars, within a year, Donnie Walsh would be hung in effigy by the Knicks fans.
July 28th, 2008 at 8:21 pm
Ding Dong We Got Big Snacks says:
Someone asked: “Why not actually rid of ZBo, Jefferies or Curry to save serious cash.”
That’s like trying to get rid of cancer.
July 28th, 2008 at 8:40 pm
the mamba says:
Damn isiah! If it weren’t for him we wouldn’t be subject to this cuz balkman would’ve been playing somewhere in croatia and not a 1st round pick!
July 28th, 2008 at 8:41 pm
the mamba says:
Damn isiah! If it weren’t for him we wouldn’t be subject to this cuz balkman would’ve been playing somewhere in croatia and not a 1st round pick! Only reason he played on the knicks so zeke could half ass save face on that pick
July 28th, 2008 at 8:59 pm
Three Stacks says:
@ Bone
Like I said, David Lee isn’t the most talented player on the Knicks, wasn’t at Florida, and probably never will be. He plays harder than anyone else on the Knicks, though, and that’s the demeanor I want from someone getting paid to play ball. Imagine if Randolph played that hard.
It’s HIS fault UF got better players after he left college? It’s HIS fault for not making the Knicks better when he’s one of 15 men on a roster and only plays about 30 min a game? Do you know anything about basketball?
July 28th, 2008 at 9:38 pm
Dagomar says:
Jed corrected himself and said Lee was NY’s best asset, and that’s true. Lee is a crazy good rebounder and plays hard, which is more than can be said for any other Knick. Plus he’s young with good upside. Teams will line up to nab Lee, but you won’t find anyone who wants Marbury or the rest of the overpaid, overrated junk on the Knicks roster.
July 28th, 2008 at 10:02 pm
Kudabeen says:
I know people don’t care as much and always clown the guy, but Detroit just signed Kwame Brown to a two year deal.
I felt whoever gets Kwame was going to get a decent pick up, especailly because he wasn’t going to command big $$. He is a legit defender and on a team with other polished tough bigs I think he will get more confident and savvy. Call it the Jermaine O’Neal effect…He is only 25. The Pistons might not be able to make his hands bigger, but they will put him in the best position in his career to be a successful big man.
July 29th, 2008 at 10:17 am
Big V says:
WTF David Lee is our best player?!?!? Ever hear of a guy called Jamal Crawford? Seriously, you mofos are on crack.
July 29th, 2008 at 2:10 pm
the mamba says:
@ Big V
Your team is in bad shape, anybody ready to throw out crawford’s name as their best player is in for a long season. You guys should be rooting for “the cock”, cuz that’s who d’antoni will put in position to have the most success.