The New York Knicks are open to trading JR Smith and Iman Shumpert this offseason and the Philadelphia Sixers have emerged as a potential landing spot with them along with Amar'e Stoudemire for Phil Jackson and this comes as Derek Fisher thinks NY is a playoff team this season with Carmelo Anthony back in the fold.
The Knicks are coming into the year with high expectations and while they know it will take time to build a winner, there is no reason why this team cannot make the playoffs in the east. According to ESPN.com, Phil Jackson and the team are willing to trade JR Smith and Iman Shumpert as a way to break up the logjam of players at shooting guard and Shane Larkin could be part of that as well. The team acquired Larkin in the trade with the Mavericks and now he could be on the move to free up the rotation and some salary.
Jackson knows that it won't be a quick fix in NY, but he can make the team better in the short term by making moves like this and even if the team isn't in the finals, they can at least make the playoffs. Last season the team went just 3-13 to start the season and that put the team in a very tough hole and they are hoping to get off to a better start this season. The Tyson Chandler trade to the Mavericks with Raymond Felton got rid of salary and also enabled the team to get a solid point guard in Jose Calderon.
Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com writes that the Knicks are hoping to make things easier in the rotation by making a move and this would also enable the team to clear some cap space. Smith has not been the player he was at the beginning for NY and now they want to move him after he dropped from 18 points to 14 points between this past season and the season before. Smith was one time the sixth man of the year, but he has not been up to par with that player since winning and with other names on the roster looking to get chances, Jackson will try and move Smith.
Time Hardaway is considered to be out of any trade talks right now and he is the "untouchable player" over Shumpert. The team may need to trade Shumpert to get anyone to take Smith or Stoudemire, but that is misguided by the Knicks, as Shumpert has the chance to be a great layer. While Shump us not a top scorer, he is an above average defender and could turn elite as he develops and the team should be able to mold him into an offensive threat. Smith has also dealt with off the court issues in the past and with Felton gone, the Knicks may be clearing out any players that will get into trouble.
The Knicks brought in Jason Smith and he can help deal with the loss of Chandler after playing well for the Pelicans last season. Jackson has moves to make and five years to build a contender and it starts now for the Knicks.
