The New York Knicks have won two games in a row, but that is not going to help the dumpster fire currently taking place in the franchise. Carmelo Anthony stresses the players on the court are only concerned about winning games and nothing more while behind the scenes, the front office is thinking about the bigger picture. Team president Phil Jackson is aware the Knicks need to dump off some salary cap taxes and acquire draft picks in the process which could lead to changes in the coming days.
Jackson has been exploring multiple trades before the upcoming deadline, but so far the only one that has stuck is the deal that sent JR Smith and Iman Shumpert to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Since then Jackson has not been able to get anything done. Now, Adam Zagoria of SNY.tv is reporting that Jackson is looking to trade off Pablo Prigioni in the coming days. The point guard is not playing right now and is not viewed as a future piece to the roster making him expendable.
Prigioni is working off a contract worth just over one million, but if waived this summer, the Knicks gain $919,479 in salary cap rook. A trade will gain them $1,209,479 in cap room. Ideally, Jackson wants the trade, but not for a player in return. Zagoria writes that the team president is eyeing draft picks for the future and Prigioni could garner a second-round pick.
Prigioni is in his third season in the NBA, but is 37 so the idea that multiple teams jump on a deal is unlikely. The Cleveland Cavaliers need a backup point guard incase Kyrie Irving were to get injured, but are unlikely to give up a draft pick for one. With Nate Robinson and Jordan Farmar sitting on the open market, the Cavaliers will likely go that direction instead.
The deal for Prigioni comes after attempts to trade players like Jose Calderon and Amar'e Stoudemire have come and gone. A contending team would look to Prigioni because he is a cheap and healthy acquisition, but no one is looking to take on the contract of Calderon or the knee injuries of Stoudemire. According to Marc Stein of ESPN, Stoudemire or Andrea Bargnani can expect to simply have their contracts bought out.
