The NY Knicks have the chance to bounce back with Carmelo Anthony this season and Phil Jackson may look at trade deals as he builds the team up and names like Iman Shumpert, Pablo Prigioni, Amar'e Stoudemire, Andrea Bargnani or JR Smith could be moved this year to set up getting Marc Gasol or Andrew Bynum in free agency next year.
The Knicks have already made some trades this offseason and more could be on the horizon following the deals with Tyson Chandler, Raymond Felton and Jeremy Tyler. The team got Jose Calderon and Samuel Dalembert along with Shane Larkin in the Chandler deal and that was a win for the Knicks, as they upgraded over Felton at point guard with Calderon coming in. The team also added Quincy Acy and Travis Outlaw in a deal for Jeremy Tyler and Wayne Ellington, adding some solid reserves to the roster while keeping things flexible at a number of positions.
Gasol has long been a target for the Knicks and after they missed out on signing his brother this past season, the team reportedly is ready to go for the younger Gasol as well. According to the New York Post, the team is planning on targeting Marc Gasol and they also could look at Rajon Rondo or LaMarcus Aldridge, as both are currently set to hit the market unless they sign extensions this season. ESPN.com reports that Jackson has said that the team will also consider Andrew Bynum if he is healthy, as reports came out that he may sit this year to get his knees back to full strength.
The team also drafted Cleanthony Early and that could be a very valuable pick in the second round, as he can be a backup to Carmelo Anthony. The Knicks want to use Melo quite a bit obviously, but they also want to be aware of his minutes so that he is not overworked. Melo lost some weight this offseason and is the main building block for the team and now he has potential backups in Outlaw and Early. The team signed Jason Smith and they already have Dalembert and that was why the team moved Tyler so they could breakup that logjam at the front. The team is also considering those trades with guards since they have plenty on the roster already and after Shumpert and Smith were shopped, the team is looking to deal Prigioni as well.
Early played in the summer league and played in four games, averaging 11 points and shooting over 44 percent from the floor. The team may use him at various positions, but he likely will lineup at small forward. The report also says that the Knicks tried to keep Toure' Murry, who was a free agent from the team and had interest from a number of teams, including the Miami Heat, LA Clippers and Utah Jazz, who it looks like he will sign with.
The Knicks should be better than last season and while they won just 37 games and missed the playoffs, this year they should be improved. The team likely will not get off to as bad of a start as they did last season at 3-13 and they have already added a major upgrade with Calderon coming in for Felton.
