The NY Knicks have had a very rough season and now it looks like everyone apart from Carmelo Anthony is on the trade block, as reports have the rest of the team available, including JR Smith, Iman Shumpert, Shane Larkin, Amar'e Stoudemire and Andrea Bargnani as the trade deadline gets closer and now Phil Jackson has to decide if he wants to pull a fire sale top clear space for Greg Monroe or Marc Gasol next summer.
The Knicks have been as bad as anyone this season and some have speculated that part of the reason they have been so inconsistent is the fact that so many players are on one year deals. Derek Fisher alluded to that earlier this season, saying that it doesn't give players the chance to build chemistry on the court. According to Pro Basketball Talk, Howard Beck of Bleacher Report writes that basically everyone on the Knicks roster is available for a trade and that includes JR Smith, who is the most likely to be moved if they can find a deal for him.
Earlier this season there were reports that Anthony was willing to waive his no trade clause if the Knicks wanted to trade him, but he later came out to refute that report. Anthony signed a five year mega deal with the Knicks and he said leaving now would make him weak after the way the team has started the season. The Knicks just got blown out by the Mavericks and that looks even worse when looked through the lens of the Tyson Chandler trade. Shane Larkin was acquired in that deal and he is another name that could be moved.
Stoudemire is on an expiring deal and could be a potential target for playoff teams, while Shumpert is dealing with an injury but should also be targeted. Shumpert is heading into restricted free agency and that could make him someone teams are willing to trade for, although they likely won't give up too much for him. Smith has a $6 million player option for next season and that likely will keep some teams away, but there is a chance Jackson could still pull off the deal. Anthony said that he is committed to the long term with the Knicks and he comes in with both Jackson and Fisher on five year deals. Anthony is once again leading the team in scoring, but they have been inconsistent and look simply terrible this year.
The Knicks are currently 5-22 on the season after losing to the Mavericks and there appears to be no end in sight when it comes to how bad this team is. The team doesn't play well on defense and they are ranked 28th in points per game. The team wants to chase free agents next summer and they are hoping to woo Marc Gasol, Greg Monroe or Rajon Rondo, but at this rate they will not be able to get anyone. Jackson wants to clear cap space and hopefully add some draft picks, but it might be at the expense of making the Knicks a desirable team to play for.
