The New York Knicks could be sellers at the trade deadline and with the Cavs looking at Samuel Dalembert, names like Amar'e Stoudemire, Iman Shumpert, JR Smith and Andrea Bargnani also could be in the mix to get traded for Phil Jackson, as the team is considering a shutdown with Carmelo Anthony and if that happens, a fire sale could be coming next.
The Knicks plan coming into the season was to focus on the summer of 2015, but no one expected the team to be as terrible as they have been this year. Jackson made some trades that looked to add depth to the roster, but so far nothing has worked out and now the team is looking like a top three lottery team rather than a playoff contender. According to Pro Basketball Talk, one player that could get traded is Samuel Dalembert, as the Cleveland Cavaliers have shown interest in acquiring a big man this season.
The Knicks have a number of options they can look at with trades, as they have Stoudemire and Bargnani on expiring contracts, while Shumpert is headed towards restricted free agency. The team would love to trade Smith, but he will be hard to move, while Tim Hardaway is likely off the table. Stoudemire has a big contract, but since he is set to be a free agent some teams could be willing to take that on.
Anthony may shut things down after dealing with knee issues and if that happens, expect the Knicks to at least explore some trade options. The team is looking at what they should do with Anthony and right now ESPN.com reports there is no plan to shut him down. Anthony is not likely to play much over the next two weeks, as the team has five games in seven days. Anthony is averaging 23 points, six rebounds and three assists this season.
The Knicks have been horrible overall this season and they have had some very bad stretches, including double digit losing streaks. The team has just five wins and their record is 5-31 this season and they are averaging just 93 points per game to rank 29th in the league. The team is ranked 20th in defense and 29th in rebounding and now they play against two of the best teams in the league in the Grizzlies and Wizards. The team is dealing with a ton of issues right now and both Derek Fisher and Jackson are preaching patience.
Jackson took over on a five year deal along with Fisher and so far year one has been a disaster. Everyone involved knew the Knicks would be bad this season, but this has been way worse than expected. The Knicks may have trouble wooing free agents despite the fact that they have a ton of money to spend next summer, as they could be so bad that players like Marc Gasol or Goran Dragic will not sign there. Gasol is going to be a top target along with Rajon Rondo, but the way the team has played could keep those players elsewhere. The Knicks have plenty to fix heading into the offseason and making trades could be the start of that plan.
