NY and Orlando close to a deal

[eisfeld]

Could Stevie Franchise soon be bound for Broadway?

The Knicks and Magic are close to a deal that would send three-time All-Star guard Steve Francis to New York for a package of players, according to two league sources. Details of the trade were still being worked out, according to one of the sources, who emphasized that it had yet to be completed. The Magic apparently have decided to wait until the last minute before Thursday's trade deadline to see if any better offers come up.

Source:
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2006/writers/marty_burns/02/21/francis/index.html

Crawford and Taylor may be traded to Orlando.

Well, I think it's not a bad trade. The Knicks can only get better and I think J-Crawford may develop better in Orlando.

If this has been posted before feel free to flame

[Jing]

..... marbury and franchise. weird

[iG®]

I reall don't know what happen to NY bosses when they gave Isiah the GM spot. Guy actually doesn't have a single idea what to do. Trdaing, trading, trading...without any sense .

[eisfeld]

Yeah, it's like Real Madrid in soccer. They get star players but can't get the max out of them. The chemistry is missing. NY has an awesome lineup and solid rookies. Give them a couple of years and they will be doing great. But it's always the same with big teams, if something does not work out the way they expected, they change everything.

[Pera]

..... marbury and franchise. weird

maybe they should trade marbury for franchise
if they get franchis and marbury on the same team,because one off them will not be satisfied on his position on the team(not being a leader)
and then the knicks will have to trade again and lose more players
in general bad trade

[artestfighttrainer]

If the trade is pulled off, it's going to be interested how those two will share the ball.

[j.23]

isiah might be dumber than rob babcock.

[Mikki]

Isiah wants to watch All-Star Games daily.

[Fresh8]

I'm just thinking... is LB gonna let Marbury play the 2 or Franchise play the 2... or sit both of them on the pine

[AI2]

maybe lb will try getting them traded for his old pistons maybe the wallaces

[Doobie]

Sit , I think they will just be two guards in the backcourt , either one will bring it up , shoot , anything . Just two guards and thats it.

[maes]

Sit , I think they will just be two guards in the backcourt , either one will bring it up , shoot , anything . Just two guards and thats it.

That doesn't sound very Larry Brown. Marbury has been having the worst year of his career trying to be a LB type PG.

[AI2]

get rid of lb, get anyone lb stinks, look at how much better the pistons are doing without him

[dada]

Yeah, it's like Real Madrid in soccer.

I agree but I dont think Madrid is as bad as the Knicks who are closer to the bottom of the league.

I also ask myself that if I was a soccer star why would I go to Madrid. Its not that I dont like them but they have so many 'star' players that its hard to hold a first team spot.

[Jackal]

look at how much better the pistons are doing without him

You consider an NBA Championship & a trip to the finals to be...bad?

[Andrew]

Not a bad trade on paper, but once it goes through you're left with a backcourt of Marbury and Francis, which again looks fine on paper but I'm not sure about it in execution. It's a small backcourt, which can work but I don't see it doing so effectively given Marbury and Francis are similar breeds of point guard.

Perhaps they're envisioning a similar situation to "Earl the Pearl" and "Clyde" Frazier back in the 70s as far as their backcourt is concerned. Somehow, I don't think it's going to work out that way if the trade goes through.

[BOSS]

Nice small backcourt of Francis and Marbury if this deal pulls through.

[Anthony15]

Nice small backcourt of Francis and Marbury if this deal pulls through.

and very selfish, too

[cyanide]

Two shoot-first point guards on the same team? Egad! Egad! Well, Francis would thrive as shooting guard, that is, if he gets the ball.

[Axel]

isiah might be dumber than rob babcock.

Might? At least Rob Babcock set up a team for the future. With the exception of Araujo, the Raptors have drafted pretty well. They are only a big man away from having a playoff berth and at least a 45 win season.

On the other hand, Isaiah has set the Knicks up for failure in the long term... and really, this isn't even helping the short term. If you're going to sacrafice long term, you'd better be getting good short term results... and we all know adding a ball hog PG/SG at 29 years old is not building for the future. I could do a better job as GM.

[Jeffx]

I reall don't know what happen to NY bosses when they gave Isiah the GM spot. Guy actually doesn't have a single idea what to do. Trdaing, trading, trading...without any sense .

I f0cking HATE Isiah Thomas! I never thought anyone could be worse than Scott Layden - well, Isiah's proved me wrong.

Knicks will never get under the cap with Isiah & Dolan in charge. No defense, no rebounding, no basketball smarts - ahhh, f--- the Knicks.

[lassen24]

i agree though, at least babcock set up the raptors to be a playoff team next season, isiah is screwing the knicks over long, and short term. If they should be dealing anybody, it should be Marbury, Crawford can play point, and Q-Rich can play SG. I'd seriously trade marbury for Eric Snow if the cavs had the cap room.

[Matthew]

Jeff, think about it though; what the knicks have now is not working. Francis may be the player new york needs. Taylors contract expires next year, whilst crawfords expires the same year as Francis', so its not as if the knicks are trading away an expiring deal.. speaking of which, they arent as valueable as they once were. the knicks were only able to get jalen rose for antonio davis' expiring contract.. you compare that last season when the warriors got baron davis for an expiring deal.

And also dont forget, the knicks (thanks to that terrible curry deal) dont get their own draft pick this season, so tanking the rest of the games and rebuilding wont be that beneficial. If the knicks had their pick this season, id be all for it.

[Matt]

why would Orlando want Jamal Crawford is beyond me.

Interesting deal on the Knicks side, but they now have 2 "cancers" in the same back-court. 2 guys that have never won anything.

LB will go nuts by the end of this season.

[Colin]

Bill Simmons said something along the lines of this: Both Marbury and Francis are players who get traded to a team and play very well, making you forget everything that may have occured on their last team. But as soon as the welcome period goes they start jacking up shots and not playing as well anymore. The solution? Trade them for each other every half-season. They'll get the best of both of them all the time.

I'm a Marbury supporter, but I realize he plays best when he gets to control the ball. And Steve needs to control it too. It can't work.