The New York Knicks cannot decide which players they are targeting with 48 hours left before the NBA trade deadline, but they know which players are available. According to the New York Post, the Knicks are looking to make a deal to first help their struggling season, but also to impress Carmelo Anthony while the star decides if his future will remain in New York. Looking to show they are committed to turning this season around, the Knicks are making three players available in any potential deals.
According to Ian Begley from ESPNNewYork.com, the Knicks have put Ben Udrih, Raymond Felton and Iman Shumpert on the trade blocks for any team willing to strike up a deal. Udrih has already previously requested a trade from the team. The big man has not been happy with the drama surrounding New York in their struggling season and supposedly approached James Dolan about a move. Nothing has happened yet, but there are still 48 hours for a move to be made.
Offering up Felton is not much. The guard is struggling this season, averaging lows in all stats. He is the main reason the Knicks are looking for a trade in the first place. The team was hoping Felton would step things up this season and so far he has failed at that effort. Shumpert might be the best piece New York has. Despite his struggles, he is young and viewed as having a lot of potential to be productive.
The Knicks are hoping one or all three players are enough to land either Kyle Lowry or Jeff Teague. New York is still pursuing a deal with the Toronto Raptors after the point guard was put up on the trade market. The Knicks are also looking into Teague, despite his contract not being favorable to the team in the long run. The Atlanta Hawks just signed the guard to a new contract, meaning the Knicks could have to take on his deal and have that eat into their salary cap space over the next two seasons.
Both Teague and Lowry will not come cheap. They are both playing well this season and proving to be critical pieces to their respective team's seasons. The Knicks do not have any decent draft picks to offer up to either team, so they are hoping a three-player package is enough to entice either the Raptors or Hawks.
