The NY Knicks have shot down any talk of a Carmelo Anthony trade this season, but at the deadline names like Iman Shumpert, Amar'e Stoudemire, Jose Calderon, JR Smith and Andrea Bargnani could be targets for teams and Phil Jackson will have to decide whether to sell or stand pat this winter.
The Knicks season has been a disaster through the first couple months and while Phil Jackson and Derek Fisher have five year contracts, James Dolan may not stay patient as they try to build. Reports came out earlier in the month about discord on the team and also about the possibility of Carmelo Anthony getting traded if he waived his no trade clause, but the front office shot down those rumors. The Knicks started last season on a tough stretch and now the same thing has happened in 2014 and they are once again headed towards the draft lottery.
Having a bad season in year one of the building with Phil Jackson isn't the worst thing that could happen and while everyone realized the Knicks were not a championship team, many were not expecting this type of performance. The team through 25 games this season went just 5-20 and one of those wins was against the lowly Philadelphia 76ers. Anthony is also signed to a five year deal and he said after the trade reports came out that it would be weak of him if he left New York with things this tough.
The New York Post originally reported the news about Anthony, with Marc Berman writing that sources said that Anthony would be willing to waive his no trade clause if the team traded him. Anthony flirted with the Los Angeles Lakers and Chicago Bulls as well as the Houston Rockets this offseason and those could be potential options if a deal actually was explored. Anthony signed a $124 million contract for five years with the Knicks and he strongly denied the report that he was looking to get traded.
Melo is 30 years old and now he could be dealing with some serious knee issues and that will make a trade even harder to pull off, which is why it's not very likely to happen. Jackson may look at making moves at the deadline this year, as teams likely will be interested in Shumpert, Smith and Stoudemire if they stay healthy/productive through the winter. Shumpert is dealing with a separated shoulder, but he is only expected to miss three weeks and it's not considered serious.
Last season Shumpert was a target for some teams at the deadline and now that he is heading towards restricted free agency, his name once again could come up. Shumpert and the Knicks did not get into negotiations about an extension earlier this offseason and that could lead to him getting offers on the market next summer if he is not traded. Stoudemire and Bargnani are on expiring deals, while Smith came up in trade rumors earlier in the season.
Jackson and Fisher should have some time to work things out, but if the Knicks continue to lose at this rate, Dolan could step back in and make major changes. At least for now, Anthony remains in the Big Apple for the long term.