The NY Knicks are coming into the offseason with a major priority in signing Carmelo Anthony if he opts out as a free agent and a trade with Tyson Chandler as well as trades involving Raymond Felton, Iman Shumpert, Amar'e Stoudemire and Andrea Bargnani could be in the cards for Phil Jackson in New York to clear enough space to sign Melo to a new contract.
The Knicks are coming into the offseason and negotiations with Anthony in a rough spot, as they played terribly for most of the year and missed the postseason and now they are trying to get the pieces back together. Phil Jackson was brought in to build the team after being hired in the middle of the season and he has made a point to try and work out signing Anthony while trying to add other talented players this summer. According to ESPN.com, the Houston Rockets and Chicago Bulls are the top teams going after Anthony and they will be making pushes at him if he opts out of his contract this summer, which everyone is expecting Anthony to do.
The Knicks reportedly are looking to trade Felton and names like Chandler and Shumpert may also be on the block so that the Knicks can clear space to build a team around Anthony. The Knicks have nearly $30 million in guaranteed deals for the 2014-15 season and Chandler comes in with $14.1 million, while Amar'e has $23 million and Jackson could look at moving those players. The Knicks need more to be any type of contender and obviously step one is securing Anthony long term again.
Anthony has every right to opt out of his contract and while many NY fans are hoping he doesn't and stays, he still could sign back with the Knicks even if he does opt out. The Knicks have the best chance to sign him, as they can give him the most money and the most years, but after the way the team played last season, Anthony could be thinking about other options.
The Knicks have also received some trade interest about a lesser known name, as Toure Murry has been getting some attention on the market heading into the offseason. Murry played very well in a reserve role for the Knicks as a rookie and according to ESPN.com he has come up in talks from other teams in the league. SI.com reported that the Bulls and the Golden State Warriors were interested in the backup guard and the Knicks could look to make a move with him, as he could end up as a unrestricted free agent. The Knicks have to decide what to do and if he is made a restricted free agent the Knicks could try and make a deal or look to trade him for another piece.
Last season the Knicks won just 37 games after winning 54 in the previous season and Anthony led the team once again in scoring with 27 points per game. Anthony has been the most consistent player for the Knicks over the past few years and while he has yet to bring the team a championship, he likely gives them their best chance to do so over the next few years.
