The NY Knicks have trade options this offseason, as names like Andrea Bargnani, Iman Shumpert, Amar'e Stoudemire and JR Smith could be traded to help clear out more cap space after Carmelo Anthony signed back in New York and this could come ahead of moves to try and sign Marc Gasol or Kevin Love in 2015 free agency, as Phil Jackson has the long view on the franchise.
According to the NY Post, Jackson is not looking to give out many long term deals apart from Anthony, as he is hoping to have the chance to chase Gasol or Kevin Love come 2015 free agency. The Post writes that Gasol is the main target and that LeBron James also could be a secondary target if things turn to a nightmare in Cleveland, but that is a dream scenario for the Knicks that won't be working out. Pro Basketball Talk reports that Jackson is considering a trade with Andrea Bargnani, Amar'e Stoudemire or JR Smith to clear cap space and that he would be willing to move Iman Shumpert to do it.
Anthony is making $122-$123 million over the next five years and he picked the team over the Bulls and the Lakers and now Jackson has the chance to build around him. Jackson would love to get rid of Stoudemire's money, but there is no way he can do that without trading Shumpert, who is the best young player the team has.
The NY Knicks are coming into the season with a renewed sense of optimism now that Anthony is back in the fold and they also have major confidence in Fisher, who is coaching for the fuirst time. Jackson has made some solid moves and while the Knicks will still struggle to be title contenders, there is no reason why they shouldn't make the playoffs in the east. The conference looks to be wide open and while there are some very good teams, the Knicks have the chance to battle with the Raptors for the division title and as of right now they are in better position to win than the Brooklyn Nets.
Melo signed a near max deal and while he didn't leave much on the table, it could be just enough for Jackson to make some moves and that could lead to a title in a year or two down the line. Anthony saw the Bulls as a very good opportunity, but he realized winning in NY would mean more and in some way he did the same thing LeBron did, albeit under very different circumstances. Anthony is now back in NY and he feels that the team has an opening to be good this year, as players like Jose Calderon and Shane Larkin could be very good pieces after coming over in the Tyson Chandler deal.
Last season the Knicks won just 37 games after starting off 3-13 and that basically sealed their fate playoffs wise and that means New York knows they have to get off to a better start this time around. The team averaged 98 points per game to rank 20th in the league and they were ranked in the top 10 in points allowed, but the team was near the bottom in assists and rebounds per game and that is an area they need to improve on.
