The NY Knicks are struggling mightily this season at the all-Star break and with the trade deadline coming up, rumors have started to come out that the team could make a big move to help Carmelo Anthony, as they could may to acquire Jeremy Lin and Omer Asik at the February 20 date with the Houston Rockets for a package including a combination of Tyson Chandler, Tim Hardaway or Iman Shumpert.
According to Knicks 101 and Fansided.com, the Knicks could look to make a big move at the deadline after the way they have started the season, as missing the playoffs could result in losing Carmelo Anthony this summer. The support posits that the team may try to pull off a big move despite the was it might be perceived, as that could be the only way to ensure that Anthony stays this summer if he opts out as a free agent. The Knicks are currently out of the playoff picture in the eastern conference and they have just 20 wins on the season and while the second half of the season could bring better results, so far the 2013-14 slate has been a disaster all around and Mike Woodson may not be around for the finish.
The toughest part for the Knicks though would be putting together a package that works, as they don't have many trade assets or draft picks to use and that is mainly what Houston wants in any deal. The Knicks love Chandler and his leadership, but going over the long term, a player like Asik might be a better investment and if a deal went through, the money would be tough to work out, especially with Lin and his $14,898,938 leading into next year. While these deals always sound crazy, ESPN.com write David Thorpe has worked out some ways the team could pull it off and it inlcudes using Hardaway along with Chandler and possibly Amar'e Stoudemire.
The Knicks have trouble hanging onto young players and they always seem to trade them right before they get good and that could happen again with Hardaway or Shumpert, but the team feels that keeping Anthony is the top priority. Over All-Star weekend Anthony said that taking a pay cut could be a possibility and that could open things up a bit for the team, as they are already projected to be over the salary cap and then heading into 2015 the team will have to worry about his number as well. The team has options on JR Smith and Raymond Felton and the team also could have Shumpert back and that all factors into the mix as well.
The Knicks are 12 games under .500 heading out of the All-Star break and they have to find a way to shake things up and the Rockets come into the deadline looking to move Asik, as he has been disgruntled all season and while Daryl Morey won't just give him up for nothing, he is a creative GM and wants to make a deal. The Rockets have made a deal at the deadline under Morey each season and the deal for Asik could be his latest after some interest earlier in the season from the Boston Celtics. That deal almost went through, but instead the two sides could not agree on compensation and now the sides head into the deadline with more potential moves to make.