The New York Knicks come into the season with high expectations after keeping Carmelo Anthony and the playoffs are the goal for the team and as the season gets ready to start, there is a chance they could trade Iman Shumpert, Amar'e Stoudemire or Andrea Bargnani at some point this season as Phil Jackson tries to clear out cap space to make free agent moves next summer.
Anthony and Jackson spoke ahead of the season about the new triangle offense and also about making sure that Anthony doesn't have to do everything night in and night out. Last season that was a major issue and while the roster isn't quite where Jackson wants it to be yet, it is much better off than it was last season. According to ESPN.com, the Knicks and Iman Shumpert have not yet talked about a contract extension and this comes as the deadline to get one done is at the end of the month.
Shumpert is one of the top young players for the Knicks and he is coming up to restricted free agency next summer. The team wants to keep Shumpert, but right now they are pulling a Lakers move and are trying to not have many long term deals extend into the next two summers. Next summer the team plans on making moves with targets like Marc Gasol and Rajon Rondo, while the following summer has Kevin Durant on the market. While the Knicks are a long shot to get Durant, they want to keep their options and their cap open, as they feel they have an advantage with his former teammate Derek Fisher as head coach. All that means its likely Shumpert will hit the market next summer as a restricted free agent.
The Knicks can extend him a qualifying offer to make that happen and based on the way Eric Bledsoe and Greg Monroe dangled, there is a good chance they will keep him. Pro Basketball Talk reported earlier in the summer that the team will look at deals for Stoudemire and/or Bargnani this season if they get the chance. Some have speculated that the Sixers could take on Stoudemire and his major contract, as the team is looking to shed salary and he is on an expiring deal this season. That likely would be at the trade deadline and right now the team is fine to start the season with the roster as it is.
Jackson has already made some moves with the Raymond Felton and Tyson Chandler trade and he also added depth with his deal with the Kings. Chandler and Felton were traded for Jose Calderon and Samuel Dalembert and those are upgrades in the sense that they fit the team more now. Felton was terrible last season and Calderon is a markedly better option at the point. Chandler was a solid player for the Knicks, but he did not play up to his usual standards last season either.
The Knicks won just 37 games last season and they should be right in the mix for a playoff spot this year. The team started 3-13 last season and couldn't pull out of that hole and now Anthony will try and get things going in a better direction this season.
