The 2013-14 season for the New York Knicks is going nowhere. The team is coming off another loss after dropping their Sunday matchup to the Chicago Bulls. The playoffs are becoming out of reach and the focus is shifting to rebuilding in the summer. While the Knicks hope that efort includes Carmelo Anthony and likely Tyson Chandler, they might not have Amar'e Stoudemire in the bigger picture.
According to Gary Washburn of the Boston Globe, the Knicks will shop Stoudemire this summer in an effort to shed his contract and get an impact player in return. The forward is about to enter the final year of his contract. He is owed $21 million this season and $23 million next season. Given the Knicks' salary cap situation and need to sign impact players around Anthony, Stoudemire will be the first to go.
Trading Stoudemire will be much easier said than done. New York originally acquired the forward as one of their top free agents just a few summers ago. He supposed to be Anthony's right hand man and help get the Knicks into the playoff picture. However, various injuries have caused Stoudemire's stock to plummet as fast as the Knicks' record this year. The likelihood New York can get a high asking price for him is not good.
This year, Stoudemire has played in 44 games, averaging 9.9 point and 4.3 rebounds in just over 19 minutes on the court. Those are not the stats of a player that is scheduled to make his amount of money. Given the forward is entering the final year of his deal, the Knicks are hoping to capitalize on a team willing to take an expiring contract.
The Knicks will enter a rebuilding effort this season that could see them clean house, which might actually be a good thing in order to save money for players that will actually give an effort on the court. ESPN's Jeff Van Gundy predicts New York will re-sign Anthony after saving money by dropping players like Stoudemire and Andrea Bargnani, someone else who is on an expiring contract. Anthony, plus Tyson Chandler, Tim Hardaway Jr. and possibly Jeremy Hill or Iman Shumpert will become the core group to build around.
"You've got to get some hungry guys ... some durable, hungry guys to surround Carmelo Anthony and Tyson Chandler, who are the foundation for your team. If you just do that, [get] guys who are hungry, durable and can shoot a little bit, at least when you lose you can feel good about yourself," Van Gundy said, via ESPNNewYork.com.
The Knicks' rebuilding all starts with Anthony. If he stays, others will come. However, if New York fails to re-sign the guard, fans could be in for a long couple of years.
