You have to feel a little sorry for Stephon Marbury. Not only is today the day that Steve & Barry's, the company that produces his signature shoe line, expected to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, but it's also the day that Chris Duhon, the man Donnie Walsh recruited to replace him in the starting lineup, can officially sign with the Knicks. But while losing his biggest endorsement and (most likely) his starting gig has to sting, at least he can go to bed at night sleeping on a pile of money. He's set to make $21 million this year, the final year of his contract, and there's a good chance he won't have to do anything to earn it. While he's still going through the motions of preparing to play for the Knicks this year, no one on the team actually expects that he'll be around come the start of the season. From Alah Hahn of Newsday:
Most of the Knicks players aren't expecting Marbury to be there, despite his reported plans to come to Las Vegas this weekend to participate in voluntary workouts with other Knicks veterans while the team prepares for the NBA Summer League opener Monday. Marbury's effort to show up in Vegas is viewed by some teammates as a ploy, not a sincere effort.Assuming he does get bought out (a salary dump trade would be difficult given the Knicks' desire to avoid taking on long-term contracts in return), there's a good chance that he'll stick around in the NBA -- assuming, of course, he doesn't make good on his vow to play in Italy. But according to Hahn, Walsh won't make his final decision until late in the summer until he exhausts all of his options.
"He's trying to show he's still dedicated," said one Knicks player, who asked not to be identified. "Come on, man, your teammates know. We see it every year."
Everyone knows that Marbury is a disaster waiting to happen when he's the face of the franchise and the highest-paid player on the team. But as a backup point guard on a team with an established heirarchy already in place, he could end up being a bargain. Hahn suggests the Spurs, Celtics, Warriors and Heat as possible destinations. I think he'd be better off going someplace where he knows he's just a small piece of the puzzle and won't overestimate his own value, so I'd cross Miami and Golden State off that list.
But either way, expect to see Marbury in the league next year -- he just won't be wearing blue and orange.
