The NY Knicks are having a horrible season and as they are mired in a 2-12 stretch, many have speculated about how the franchise can turn things around and some have said that trading Tyson Chandler, Raymond Felton, Andrea Bargnani, Iman Shumpert, JR Smith and Amar'e Stoudemire -- basically everyone in a blow-up rebuilding move -- would be the smartest way to rebuild around Carmelo Anthony.
The Knicks have been worried all season that Anthony will leave the team as a free agent when he can opt out over the summer and the way the team has played has not helped that thought either. It appears to be a guarantee that Anthony will opt out, but the real question is whether he will stay in New York or not, as that is where he can sign for the most money on a max contract. Some have compared this situation with Dwight Howard and that is why people speculate that Anthony will leave, but he has expressed his desire to stay and win in New York, but to do that, the franchise needs a major overhaul.
Stoudemire was shopped multiple times already this season and due to his large contract he is difficult to trade and according to Pro Basketball Talk, the Knicks are going to look to move him once again this summer. The report says that the team is hoping to trade him since he is going to make over $20 million and the hope is that another team would take that on, but since Stoudemire can't be amnestied by that team because of rules in the CBA, it's unlikely to happen. The report suggests a move with the Pelicans for Eric Gordon would be a possible fit for Stoudemire, but that would require to New Orleans to fit the money on their end obviously and that's helped with the $30 million on Gordon's deal over the next two years.
Another team could use the amnesty on a different player while acquiring Stoudemire, but that would take some nimble moves and the right team with the Knicks. Jeff Van Gundy said the best way for the Knicks to pull out of all this is to rebuild around their core of Anthony, Chandler, Tim Hardaway Jr. and possibly Iman Shumpert and that all rests on the hopes that the team could sign Anthony to a long term deal. Some have suggested that the Knicks deal basically everyone, as they could clear space so that the team could sign Anthony along with a high impact free agent like Kevin Love, but that is looking increasingly unlikely as well.
The Knicks are in a dysfunctional spiral right now and on top of convincing Melo to stay, which is no sure thing, the team needs to hope that other players will sign as well. Trading Stoudemire is very tough and moving someone like Bargnani will be difficult as well, as he has an $11.5 million salary for next season. Raymond Felton's trade value is basically nothing with the way he has played this season and adding in his gun charges does no favors for the Knicks either. The Knicks are now 17 games under .500 this season and fading fast and they are in dangerous territory, as they are getting close to missing the playoffs in the terrible eastern conference.
