The One Trade NY Knicks Must Consider Making This Offseason

This summer, New York Knicks GM Glen Grunwald should get on the phone and call both the Los Angeles Clippers and the Washington Wizards and suggest a trade involving Tyson Chandler going to the Clippers, DeAndre Jordan going to the Wizards and Eric Bledsoe and Emeka Okafor going to the Knicks. 

After getting two fruitful seasons out of Chandler, the New York Knicks have to consider calling it quits with their star center.

Unless a miracle happens—a.k.a. a GM somewhere decides that he wants to take a chance on Amar’e Stoudemire—the Knicks do not have many bargaining chips this offseason. 

Iman Shumpert’s name has frequently surfaced in trade rumors over the past few months, but the Knicks shouldn’t listen to any offers regarding the 22-year old shooting guard. If there’s one thing the Knicks do not have it’s young players who can contribute, and Shumpert could turn out to be a decent sidekick to Carmelo Anthony in the years to come. 

Chandler, on the other hand, is a different story. He has served the Knicks well during his time in New York, but after watching him struggle with injuries and stumble through the playoffs, the Knicks have to at least be concerned that they are not going to get more out of him. 

So why would the Clippers go for it? 

During the middle of this season, the Clippers were desperately trying to trade for Kevin Garnett, and as a matter of fact, it looks like they are still trying (via sportingnews.com). 

If you had to choose between the 37-year-old Garnett and the 30-year-old Chandler, wouldn’t you go for the latter? 

The Clippers are trying to get Chris Paul to re-sign with the team and a move for Chandler could be exactly the thing that would make the star point guard rejoin Lob City. Chandler would bring to the Clippers a player known for his defensive prowess, and Paul would make sure the center’s offensive game would prosper. 

The two of them already put on quite a show when they played together in New Orleans.

Why do the Wizards okay the trade? 

The Wizards have a young and exciting team with John Wall and Bradley Beal at the helm. Instead of relying on the veteran Okafor, they can add Jordan to the mix and play him alongside the rest of the young core for years to come. 

Washington knows they are a team built for the future and a 30-year-old center doesn’t do them much good right now. In that respect, they are the complete opposite of the Clippers—or even the Knicks for that matter. 

Although it might look like the Wizards are getting the short end of the stick for now, they could easily end up as the winners of this trade five years down the road.

What's in it for the Knicks?

Finally, we get to the important part. 

As I already mentioned, the Knicks would be giving up their defensive anchor to the Clippers. Although Okafor is not going to be a straight-up replacement, the Knicks should be able to count on the return of Kenyon Martin and possibly the addition of another veteran or the No. 24 pick in the draft.

The real lure for the Knicks in this trade is Bledsoe. The young point guard has been pushed aside by Paul and could use a change of scenery.

Bledsoe would be able to get more playing time, he would position himself as the next star point guard of the Knicks, and in the short term, he would spell Felton, along with Kidd and Prigioni (if they return). 

On paper, it might not look like a good idea to give up last year’s Defensive Player of the Year for Bledsoe and Okafor. But if Chandler is going to keep missing 15 games a year and continue to struggle in the postseason, then in reality the deal will be the right thing to do.