Most of the New York Knicks roster has been put on notice. The only way the team can make improvements this offseason is by trading players since Carmelo Anthony's contract took up the remaining salary cap space. So everyone from the four guards in the backcourt to the two big men up front have had their names tossed around in trade rumors as the Knicks look for any more possible upgrades. Who stays and who goes?
JR Smith, Iman Shumpert, Tim Hardaway Jr and Shane Larkin could all be dealt prior to the season. Shumpert and Smith have heard their names tossed around for the better part of a year, but the Knicks have never finalized anything. According to ESPNNewYork.com, Phil Jackson is set on trading at least one if not two of the players prior to the start of the year, so why has New York not made a move yet?
Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders is reporting that Shumpert and Smith are not getting a lot of looks because teams are simply unwilling to take on big-money contracts and supposed attitude problems. Many Knicks fans are likely wondering why Shumpert continues to be shopped since he is one of the better young assets the team has. Kyler believes Jackson is not thrilled with the guard's attitude issues and could be dealing him for that purpose. Whatever the reason may be, the Knicks are not having any luck getting rid of the players. Hardaway Jr has already been deemed unavailable so a trade will come down to Shumpert or Smith.
One person endorsing Smith's future with the Knicks is general manager Steve Mills. He fully expects Smith to be in top form come the start of the 2014 season. @013 was a rollercoaster for the shooting guard who started the season off with a suspension before struggling with statistics and dipping numbers. Of course there was also the shoelace incident, but Mills does not expect any of that to be an issue moving forward.
"We have all the confidence in the world that [Smith] will come back and be focused and locked in the way he was at the tail end of the season," Mills said, via ESPN.com. "I believe that Derek [Fisher] will be able to communicate with him and get him focused on what he can do to make our team better."
Amar'e Stoudemire is another player that simply cannot be traded this offseason. His inflated contract paired with his recent injuries history has no teams interested in giving up anything for a deal. Andrea Bargnani might be the better move to make as ESPN's Ian Begley reports the center just does not fit in New York's scheme. NBA scouts believe Bargnani does not function well on the court with Carmelo Anthony and if the Knicks can lower their return demands they might be able to get rid of him.
