The New York Knicks have been going through a tough season in the NBA this year and with injuries starting to pile up and the losses starting to get worse, the team may look for a trade and after trying to get in on the Omer Asik three team trade with the Rockets, could NY trade Tyson Chandler for Pau Gasol?
The Knicks have been mentioned in numerous deals this season so far, including a proposal for Rajon Rondo as well as talks with the Nuggets for Kenneth Faried and the Toronto Raptors for point guard Kyle Lowry and now comes the news about Asik. According to SB Nation, the NY Post reports that the Knicks tried to get in on a potential three team deal with the Rockets for disgruntled center Omer Asik, as the team is talking to the Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers and possibly the Atlanta Hawks about a move. The Knicks have spoken with numerous teams about Iman Shumpert and he could be involved in any of the potential moves the Knicks make.
The report from the Post says that the Knicks are one team that could have been in the mix with the Celtics, Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Sixers for Asik and that one of the main reasons has been the injury to Tyson Chandler. The Knicks are expecting to get him back soon, but if he suffers another injury, the team is very thin at that position and with Amare Stoudemire already playing more minutes than expected, the Knicks may feel that at 7-17 they have no voice but to try and make a big move.
The team spoke with the Rockets about moving Raymond Felton and clearly they have no problems letting him go and any deal likely would involve Shumpert, who has also received interest from the Los Angeles Lakers. Metta World Peace could also be moved and if the Knicks look into a deal with the Lakers with Shumpert, there is a chance that Tyson Chandler could go as well and that could make a Pau Gasol trade possible. There are some complications to that, but with Gasol getting frustrated with the Lakers and having an expiring contract, that could be a move worth exploring.
The Knicks have been terrible this season and they are in the bottom of the eastern conference and making a move might be the only way to kick start things and that is why they continue to look into various moves heading through the December schedule. The Rockets have been looking to deal Asik for some time and since the team already haw Howard, he has lost his starting job and his stats have fallen down big time. The team is ranked second in the league in scoring and second in rebounding and they will be looking to get a decent player back in return as well as possible picks, as Asik is an All-Star caliber center.