Knicks Rumors: Breaking Down Latest Buzz and Pablo Prigioni Trade Rumblings

There is no quick fix for the New York Knicks. 

The calendar now says February and the team's record reads 10 wins. Ten. This should speak well enough to the fact that there is no quick fix for Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks, even if he recruits better than Nick Saban at the All-Star Game.

Alas, the deadline continues to creep closer and one has to imagine the front office will want to make a few moves in order to prepare for free agency this offseason and in 2016.

Rome was not built in a day, or something cliche like that. If the Knicks want to craft a superteam with someone such as Kevin Durant down the road, the pieces to the puzzle are in play right now.

Pablo Prigioni on the Block

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Less surprising than the shockingly negative state of the rebuild is that the Knicks want to move on from older pieces in an effort to form a younger roster.

Pablo Prigioni, step on up.

Now 37 years old, Prigioni is a nice rotational piece who offers some value to contenders in need of depth. On an average of 18.5 minutes per game, he posts a 4.7/2.4/1.8 slash line and a 12.77 PER, according to ESPN.com, while shooting 42 percent from the field.

Marc Berman of the New York Post noted that a recent absence by the veteran might speak to the front office's desire to trade him:

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The team had not disclosed the injury during Derek Fisher’s pregame press conference, leading to speculation the club didn’t want to risk injuring Prigioni any further because it is trying to trade him. Prigioni sat on the bench in a suit as the Knicks lost, 108-97.

According to a league source, Prigioni is on the trade block with the Feb. 19 deadline approaching. Though he is signed for next season at $1.7 million, only $300,000 of that total is guaranteed.

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Berman goes on to mention that the Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons have needs at backup point guard. They are far from the only teams that should have an interest though, as Prigioni is an experienced, high-energy player who gives his all each time out, as cliche as it sounds.

There is little room for such a veteran on a rebuilding squad at this point, so if the Knicks can obtain anything at all in exchange for him before the deadline, it will be a major win.

In New York, there have not been a lot of those lately.

The Amar'e Stoudemire Question Mark

The chatter around Amar'e Stoudemire will do nothing but increase from this point forward.

Back in January, ESPNNewYork.com's Mark Woods noted that the Knicks had discussions concerning the veteran forward's status with the team.

Things are heating up now, as ESPN.com's Tim MacMahon and Marc Stein report that the Dallas Mavericks are already the favorite to reel in Stoudemire if he hits the open market:

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The Dallas Mavericks would be considered front-runners to sign Amar'e Stoudemire if the 13-year veteran opts to pursue a contract buyout from the New York Knicks, according to league sources.

Stoudemire made it clear in his public comments that he's not yet sure if he wants to seek a buyout from the Knicks to join a contender for the stretch run, but sources told ESPN.com that Dallas has quickly emerged as a prime landing spot if he becomes a free agent.

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For his part, Stoudemire tells Marc J. Spears of Yahoo Sports that he will use the upcoming break to make a decision:

"All possibilities at this point are still open. The door is still open for that. But at the same time, I am with the Knicks now. I got to stay optimistic about things and what we are doing here. I can't really focus on the future because it's not here."

The bottom line is simple. Stoudemire is 32 years old and represents a $23.4 million cap hit this year. He has played in just 34 games and owns a 12.2/6.9/1.0 slash line.

The Knicks will have a hard time buying out the contract if that's what Stoudemire wants, let alone convincing another team to take him off their hands now that it is public knowledge he may ask out.

Regardless, Stoudemire's time in New York is limited, which is a good thing for the future.

All stats and info via ESPN.com unless otherwise specified.