More on the Zach-to-Clippers deal, plus other notes

To those who criticized the Knicks for not dealing Zach Randolph to the Clippers for essentially nothing _ according to Ian Thomsen of SI.com, the Clippers didn't want nothing.

Instead, Thomsen reports, the Clippers wanted a future first-round draft pick (remember, the Knicks owe Utah a No. 1 in one of the next two years via a long-winding road involving the Stephon Marbury deal), plus $3 million and wanted the Knicks to take Brevin Knight off their hands.

Now, a couple years back, Knight might've been a decent fit under Larry Brown. But the Jersey guy will be 33 the first month of next season, he didn't do much for a Clips team desperate for help at the point last season (4.6 points, 4.4 assists), he can't shoot (not a help in Mike D'Antoni's system) and although he's due just $2 million next season, the Knicks would essentially be giving up Randolph, a first-rounder, and $3 million for him.

***

Good line from D'Antoni during Friday's MSG telecast of the Knicks' summer league victory over his old team, the Suns.

He mentioned that he planned to have dinner with Eddy Curry, who's in Vegas, over the weekend, but saw fit to say, "I think we're just having salads."

***

Renaldo Balkman, who sprained his left ankle (not the ones that hampered him last season) in Wednesday's summer league loss, was sent home and, like Danilo Gallinari, will miss the remaining games in Vegas.

Gallinari, however, remained with the team before he heads to Italy to play with the national team in a qualifier for the 2012 Olympics. The team didn't qualify for Bejing this summer.

***

The Anthony Roberson contract, although agreed to by both sides, still isn't official, with some i's to dot and t's to cross.

***

One final note about Wilson Chandler's strong summer league so far ... it's summer league.

Comments

[Stevey]

Stop hating Steve. Did you ever play ball? Why you gotta criticize Chandler? And it's Brevin Knight not Brandon fool. You call yourself a writer?

[islesfan]

Looks like MSG is doing some damage control. Here's why those trade demands are not believable. Like you said, the Knicks #1 pick is tied up for the next 2 years in the Marbury trade. Unless something drastic happens, like they trade for Kobe and LeBron, their 2010 pick is going to Utah. That means their 2011 pick can't be traded since you can't trade #1 picks in consecutive years. So the absolute earliest #1 pick that the Clippers could get was 2012. After watching Brand walk and signing Baron Davis to a big deal in order to build around him, does anybody think that Clippers management feels that secure about their jobs to trade for an asset that they won't see for another 4 years? If Randolph continues to be an expensive cancer, none of those guys will be around to make that pick.

I suppose it's one hell of a coincidence that the Clippers ended up sending just a 2nd rd pick for Camby.

SOS at MSG. Blow a gimme and then spin the damage control.

[Sal from LI]

Its to bad Marbury is such a headcase. I was in Steve and Barry's today and he actually has some good stuff in his Starbury line.

[Sunil]

islefan,

take a chill pill.