The NY Knicks are having a horrible season and Mike Woodson could be the biggest casualty once it's over and if he gets fired, some think that John Calipari, Tom Thibodeau, Mark Jackson or Jeff Van Gundy could be a target for the Knicks in an effort to keep Carmelo Anthony from going to the Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat or LA Lakers as a free agent.
The Knicks have been a total mess all season and with Anthony expected to opt out over the summer, the franchise is scrambling to ensure that he stays and they will do almost anything to make that happen. The team explored some trade this season but ultimately decided to stand pat and now they are looking to get back into the playoff mix, as they are a few games out in the east and that is saying something since the conference is terrible this year. Atlanta has faded back in the east and is eighth and that is the spot the Knicks are looking at.
Calipari gets NBA rumors all the time and this latest nugget came from ESPNNewYork.com, suggesting that Jeff Van Gundy or Calipari could be replacements if the team decides to fire Woodson, while also throwing in names like Tom Thibodeau, Mark Jackson and Billy Donovan. The Knicks have some major decisions to make moving towards the offseason and the summer and while they want to sign Anthony to a max contract, if they can't show a plan to get into the championship or at least to be competitive, there is a good chance he will leave.
Anthony has vented his frustrations at this season a number of times and so has Tyson Chandler and the Knicks could look to trade players in the offseason to try and build a better team around Anthony. The Knicks never talk to the media about their plans and keep things so close to the vest that it often looks like they have no plans and that is coming up once again. Calipari has had to reload his Kentucky teams every year with freshmen after they leave to the NBA and he could be wearing thin of all that effort and the NBA would be a logical next move, even with his past stint in the league.
The Knicks are trying to just make the playoffs and Woodson got his 300th win against the Wolves and if things start turning around, he could end up staying. The Knicks have some major decisions to make and Anthony will be at the center of it all.
