New York Knicks Trade Deadline Possibilities

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Billy Fitzpatrick, Editor and Staff Writer '16

After a promising first half of the season where the New York Knicks found themselves just one game below .500 at the halfway mark, the organization has returned to its customary state of disarray. The Knicks have fired head coach Derek Fisher after a 1-9 skid during which the team repeatedly failed to win close games in the 4th quarter. In the days following Fisher’s firing, reports, the validity of which are still in question, have surfaced that team President Phil Jackson has an opt-out clause following the 2015-2016 season, which he may be tempted to exercise. Then there’s the worry amongst Knicks fans that Jackson will narrow his coaching search to proponents of the Triangle Offense: interim head coach Kurt Rambis, former Denver Nuggets head coach Brian Shaw, or current Golden State Warriors assistant coach Luke Walton, although the latter seems highly unlikely. Yet, when looking at the NBA standings, it is clear that the NBA is a players’ league. The athletes, more so than coaches, determine how successful a team can be. With that in mind and as the trade deadline approaches, the Knicks need to look at how they can improve their roster going forward to get the organization out of the doldrums.

The pipe dream for most Knicks fans would be a swap with the Los Angeles Clippers: Carmelo Anthony for Blake Griffin. This trade has virtually no chance of being executed before this year’s trade deadline, but it could become a viable option for both organizations depending on how the rest of the season plays out. From the Clippers’ perspective, Doc Rivers believes that the core of Griffin, Chris Paul, and DeAndre Jordan have the potential to win a championship. However, Rivers has also gone on the record saying that if his team does not make a deep playoff run this season, he would have to consider breaking up its core. Logically, Griffin would be the man to move. He will turn twenty-seven next month, right in the middle of his prime, meaning that his trade value is at an all-time high. His incident with a team equipment manager adds to the thought within the organization that he is not a great fit in LA. He is on contract through the 2017-2018 season, further bolstering his trade value. Enter the Knicks. Carmelo Anthony, at thirty-one, is five years older than Griffin and has been dealing with chronic knee soreness due to overusage with the Knicks. Trading for Griffin would replace one superstar with one who is on a closer career arc in relation to phenom Kristaps Porzingis. A core built around Griffin and Porzingis would have a wider championship window than that of Anthony and Porzingis. Their skillsets are complementary, with Porzingis providing defensive cover for Griffin at the rim and Griffin giving the Knicks a Draymond Green-esque playmaker on the offensive side of the ball in Griffin. Why would the Clippers say no? The desire for Anthony to play alongside Paul could be enough to persuade him to waive his no-trade clause (Google: Carmelo Anthony wedding toast Chris Paul). For the past few seasons, the Clippers have struggled to get production out of small forwards, a problem which Anthony would certainly remedy. In the Clippers’ heavy pick-and-roll style offense, Anthony would have less of a burden on him offensively and would be able to preserve his body both for the playoffs and for future seasons. Not to mention, the Clippers are 18-5 since Griffin has been sidelined by injury. If the Clips falter this post-season, the “Anthony-for-Griffin swap” would not take anybody in the NBA by surprise.

Examining the rest of the roster, there is a glaring need for a legitimate starting point guard. José Calderon is, at his best, a league-average facilitator, above average shooter, and a pesky, yet inadequate defender. If the Knicks were to be in a position to advance to the NBA Finals down the road a few seasons, they would likely have to go through any combination of Cleveland, Toronto, Boston, Atlanta, Washington, Detroit, Charlotte, or Chicago. The point guards from those teams are, respectively, Kyrie Irving, Kyle Lowry, Isaiah Thomas, Jeff Teague, John Wall, Brandon Jennings/Reggie Jackson, Kemba Walker, and Derrick Rose. The Knicks clearly need to upgrade defensively at the point guard spot, because they have been getting torched by these explosive guards all season. Calderon is not the answer. Building around a core of Porzingis and Anthony (or Griffin), a potent offensive point guard is not necessary, but an above average defender is. One of the Knicks’ targets at the trade deadline is rumored to be the aforementioned Teague of the Atlanta Hawks. He is in the prime of his career and is earning a very team-friendly $8 million per year through next season. Unfortunately, the Knicks do not have much to offer. If Phil Jackson learns anything from past Knicks management mishaps, it is that they can’t give away too many draft picks. The Knicks already lost their 2016 first round pick in the terrible Andrea Bargnani trade, so it would be wise to hold on to remaining picks for the time being. The Knicks could try offering a package involving Langston Galloway and Derrick Williams, but the Hawks would likely hold out for a better offer. It’s unlikely that the Knicks would be able to upgrade at the point guard position at the trade deadline due to their lack of attractive assets.

Another minor hole in the team is a low post presence in the second unit. Kyle O’Quinn and Kevin Seraphin were brought in this season to provide depth up front, but under Derek Fisher, neither was able to establish any consistency. They are similar players, both suited better for the power forward position. Keeping both of them might be slightly redundant, as their skillsets and production do not vary that much. One player that could add more rebounding and shot-blocking to the second unit is Kosta Koufas of the Sacramento Kings. At seven-feet, he is a mobile big man who likes to run the floor and block shots. He played very well in the post-season with the Memphis Grizzlies last spring. Moving Koufas would allow the Kings to give rookie Willie Cauley-Stein more minutes to develop at the center position. It’s unlikely that this move materializes, but it could benefit both teams.

As shown, there is not much the Knicks can do to improve their fortunes for this season. They’ve shown that they can compete, having reached .500 after 44 games. In the past three weeks, they have struggled to win, despite being in a number of close games. Derek Fisher made some questionable lineup changes, especially down the stretch of games, often sitting Porzingis or playing the defensive liability of Calderon instead of Galloway. Maybe Rambis will figure out better lineups and gear this team up for a playoff push. Playoffs or not, the Knicks would be wise to make trades that only increase their chances of winning a championship in two or three years, not this year. Give Porzingis time to mature, surround him with the right role players, and maybe the Knicks can put together something special. As pessimistic as many Knicks fans may be after the developments of the past few weeks, this team still has a bright future with Porzingis and Carmelo in New York for the next few seasons.