NBA Trade Speculation: 5 Potential Players for the New York Knicks

The New York Knicks have two options this offseason (whenever that starts) and it's either to trade another half of their team in order to acquire Dwight Howard/ Chris Paul...or they can take the advice of Chancey Billups and sign a few cheaper pieces that fit into the puzzle.

For the purpose of this exercise, we're going to go with option No. 2.

The Knicks need complimentary pieces to play with Amare Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony and they will have plenty of options to choose from.

They need to improve a horrible defense while also finding fresh young legs that can handle the frantic offensive system of head coach Mike D'Antoni.

Here are the top five guys the Knicks should be looking at.

5. Caron Butler

Depending on the new CBA, the Knicks may not be able to afford Butler, but he would be the perfect fit defensively.

He is the sort of lockdown one-on-one defender that the Knicks so desperately need. The idea is that his presence on that end of the floor will make the other players on the team care juuuust a little more (cough 'Melo cough).

Oh yeah...he is a proven scorer as well. He has averaged 16.6 points a game in his career on a tidy 44-percent shooting percentage for a guy that takes a lot of long range shots.

He is a stout rebounder as well, nabbing 5.9 a game in his career.

Add it all up and he is a desirable player for every NBA franchise—and especially the Knicks.

4. Glen Davis

Like Johnny Damon going from the Red Sox to the Yankees, if Glen "Big Baby" Davis were to head south to the Big Apple he would piss off quite a few New Englanders.

Sounds like something New York fans would love.

Davis didn't have his greatest year entering free agency, but he is a proven scorer off the bench that has made some huge plays in the playoffs with the Boston Celtics over the past couple of seasons.

He brings championship experience to the table and a silky jumper that is a lot more reliable than Bill Walker's.

Defensively he is a bit undersized, but his aggressiveness and relentlessness is something to admire and the motor he brings tends to rub off on his teammates.

He can be that essential piece off the bench that can protect Amare in the post and spread the floor as well. The Knicks should give Davis a serious look.

3. Samuel Dalembert

First and for most the Knicks need defense, defense, defense and adding Samuel Dalembert into the mix would certainly help their cause.

Dalembert is a shot blocking specialist that has developed a decent offensive game over the years. Last season he averaged 8.8 points, 8.1 rebounds and an outstanding 1.5 blocks for the Sacramento Kings.

Relieving the duties of guarding the best big man on opposing teams from Amare will keep Stoudemire fresh and healthy for the duration of the season. Now the Knicks wouldn't have to deal with a worn out No. 1 during the most important stretch of the season.

Dalembert could be the shot blocking force in the middle that changes the look of the entire defense—just like what Tyson Chandler did to the World Champion Dallas Mavericks defense.

With plenty of other guys carrying the scoring load...Dalembert can focus on shot blocking and rebounding...exactly what the Knicks need.

2. Wilson Chandler

Remember this guy Knicks fans?

The player that was on your team once upon a time before the front office was forced to ship him away in the 'Melo mega deal?

Going back to the Big Apple would make a lot of sense for both Chandler and the Knicks.

He was a huge part of the Knicks offense for the first 51 games this past season before getting traded to Denver. He averaged over 16 points a game on 46 percent shooting to go with 5.9 rebounds.

His speed and agility make him a perfect fit for the fast paced Mike D'Antoni offense that he is already very familiar with.

Once Chandler went to Denver his numbers dropped significantly to 12.5 points a game on a disappointing 41 percent clip.

The Nuggets have a bunch of logjams on their roster right now and the restricted free agent Chandler would best be served to take his talents back to where he became a good NBA player—New York City.

1. Andrei Kirilenko

The new salary cap guidelines may nix this proposal, but no free agent is better suited to join the Knicks than AK-47 aka Andrei Kirilenko.

His combination of stellar defense with the ability to score from anywhere on the floor is a unique attribute and the Knicks should pounce on him.

The 10-year vet has spent his entire career with the Utah Jazz and they never seemed to fully embrace his unique skill set. He has been involved in trade rumors for seemingly the majority of his last contract.

With the Knicks he can be the shutdown defender they need so badly, plus he can keep up with the fast paced transition offense that is run in NYC.

His ability to block a shot, run the floor and finish with a spectacular dunk will make him an instant fan favorite and his marketability is huge.

Not to mention the Knicks could stick it to a certain billionaire Russian owner that's team resides just over the Hudson River.

With AK-47 on board, the Knicks turn into a legit contender to win a championship.