Steve Francis traded to Knicks?
The latest rumor regarding Steve Francis has him going to the New York Knicks today for Penny Hardaway and Trevor Ariza. The deal allows Orlando to drop approximately $16 million in payroll for next season, with both contracts expiring at the end of the season. It's doubtful that Penny will see any playing time in Orlando, which really sucks (he's a favorite of mine), but Ariza should get some playing time w/ Grant Hill's nagging injuries.
I don't know what the Knicks are thinking here, and more specifically Isiah Thomas... Does he even consult with Larry Brown on trades or does he just do the dumbest thing he can come up with? Pairing Stephon Marbury and Steve Francis in the same backcourt is like pairing Kobe and McGrady together... they both hog the ball and shoot too much. The only difference is that Kobe and T-Mac can score and lead their teams positively while Marbury* and Francis are headaches to their teams. Marbury has improved a lot the past couple years, but his teams still don't win, so there may be something there...
I see the Knicks falling even more so than they already have this year. There is virtually no way this trade “helps” them - on the court or financially for the future. There are still a lot of top-notch players on the trading block so maybe Zeke has something else up his sleeve... Let's hope so.
My2Cents