The New York Knicks took their losing ways overseas as the team fell to the Milwaukee Bucks in London on Thursday. At one point the Knicks were down 14-0 and showing no signs of being able to score. Carmelo Anthony's return did nothing to spark New York into breaking their now 16-game losing streak which has Phil Jackson getting ready to make a few panic moves before or immediately after the trade deadline.
The boxscore for the Knicks is ugly. Jason Smith, Amar'e Stoudemire and Shane Larkin all started for the team and all recorded zero points. Anthony topped the list with 25 while Jose Calderon managed just 11 and nine assists. It was bad and everyone involved is frustrated which has Jackson prepared to sell the farm and simply just start preparing for a free agency run in the summer. The first on the chopping block will be Stoudemire.
Jackson has sought out a number of trades, only being able to pull off a few. New York has been looking to deal Stoudemire for the better part of a year as he continues to struggle with inconsistencies and knee injuries. Not to mention Stoudemire has $23.4 million still assigned to his name which is making any potential deal non-existent to this point. As a result, Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com is reporting that Jackson and the Knicks have had internal discussions about buying out Stoudemire's contract and simply releasing him to the open market.
Stoudemire has hinted that he is frustrated with the progress of this season and has thought about his future with the Knicks potentially over. The power forward admitted that rebuilding is taking a toll on him and it might be time for a change.
"So it will be tough right now to make a decision as far as going somewhere else at this point," Stoudemire said, via New York Post. "It's something I have to think about. I'm sure over time I'll sit and think about the best scenario for myself. For now, I know I've been through injuries throughout my career. I have to make sure I'm able to be strong enough and prepared to play for a team contending for a championship. New York is trying to rebuild. Hopefully that will be sooner than later."
The issue for Stoudemire could be that if the Knicks are able to trade him, it will be to a rebuilding team given his contract. Could the Philadelphia 76ers be an option? According to Chad Ford of ESPN, the 76ers are seeking to trade Michael Carter-Williams before the end of the trade deadline. The 76ers have shown interest in Stoudemire before and if they are desperate enough to deal the point guard, the Knicks could be willing to take him on with the idea that they will either trade him or Jose Calderon in the future.
