NBA Rumors: New York Knicks Will Trade Anybody Except Amar'e Stoudemire

The New York Knicks have had a busy offseason as they acquired Amar’e Stoudemire for about 100 million, and they used David Lee in a sign and trade, now they could be in the market for the best name available on the market, Chris Paul.

Chris Paul recently joined LeBron James’s marketing company LRMR and could be looking leave New Orleans just like James bolted Cleveland for Miami. It is reported that Paul would like to play alongside another superstar, and follow LeBron James’s model of teaming up with other great players.

Now rarely does a player of Paul’s caliber end up on the market, especially with two more years remaining on his current deal. The Knicks are on Paul’s wish list, and some believe they may be his preferred destination. The Knicks still do posses enough cap room for a player with a max salary, since they missed out on LeBron James.

An NBA executive familiar with the Knicks president of basketball operations Donnie Walsh believes that Walsh will be willing to move any of the current players on the roster except for the newly acquired Amar’e Stoudemire. The executive said “Amar’e won’t be traded, but everyone else will be available.”

The dream scenario for the Knicks after LeBron turned them down is Carmelo Anthony, and either Tony Parker or Chris Paul to pair with Amar’e Stoudemire.

New Orleans haven’t started to talk with teams about trading Paul, and they will meet with Paul next week in a last ditch effort to prove to Paul that they are committed to winning.

Paul has an exit strategy to force a trade, but New Orleans haven’t formally come out and said that they plan to trade Paul in the near future.

 If the Hornets were to give in to Paul’s demands, they would hope to get equal value in return. The Knicks wouldn’t be able to give equal value in return, and take on a few bad contracts. In reality nobody will give back equal value when you’re talking about one of the five best players in the league, and the best point guard in the league.

The Knicks however could put together a solid package that would net the Hornets some young talent in return, not necessarily the best package, but more importantly the Knicks unlike any other team could swallow the bad contracts the Hornets would require the Knicks to take back in a trade. T

he Knicks could take on the bad contracts due to their cap space, and their revenue from Madison Square Garden.

The Knicks could give up a player like Danilo Gallinari. The 21 year old Gallinari was the 6th pick of the 2008 NBA draft, he’s the Knicks top young asset, and he has some serious potential.

Last season was Gallinari’s first full season in the league, he only played in 27 games during his rookie season, but the young Italian showed why he may be the best three point shooter in the league last season as he shot 38 percent from behind the arc and averaged 15 points, and five rebounds. Gallinari could be a better version of the current Hornets small forward Peja Stojakovic.

The Hornets would likely demand Gallinari in a trade, the Knicks have never been willing to shop Gallinari, in fact after last season it came out that Gallinari and Wilson Chandler were the only tow untouchables on the roster, but the Knicks wouldn’t refuse trading Gallinari for Chris Paul.

The Knicks also have two more solid young pieces in small forward Wilson Chandler, and newly acquired Anthony Randolph. Chandler averaged 15 points a game last season; he’s a great defender, and he posses great versatility and athleticism.

Randolph has limitless potential and could be a potential star in this league. . Randolph was the center piece of the package the Knicks got in return for the David Lee sign and trade. Randolph averaged 11 points, six rebounds, and a block and a half. Those numbers may not be that impressive, but Randolph did it in only 22 minutes.

Last season Randolph started to show some signs of consistency, but Warriors head coach Don Nelson benched Randolph for reasons that were never clear.

The Knicks would like to keep those young pieces, but in a Chris Paul trade they’ll likely have to send two of the three young players I mentioned. Gallinari will probably be one them and the second player will all depend on who the Hornets prefer.

The Hornets don’t have many big men so my guess is they’d go for the more versatile Randolph who can play both forward positions and center.

Paul also has the Orlando Magic, Portland Trail Blazers and the Dallas Mavericks on his wish list. None of those teams have the financial flexibility to take on the bad contracts the Hornets have.

In a Paul trade the Hornets would have to rid themselves of contracts like the one of Emeka Okafor who still has four years 52 million remaining on his deal, or Peja Stojakovic who has one year 15 million remaining on his deal, or James Posey who still has two years, 13 million remaining on his deal.

Any team looking to land Paul would have to give up their young assets, and take on at least two of these bad contracts. The Knicks certainly have the financial flexibility and the young talent to pull off this trade.

Donnie Walsh making every player except for Amar’e Stoudemire available is definitely a smart move, telling fans the Knicks are ready to put the full court press on acquiring Chris Paul, no matter who they have to give up.

Paul would fit perfectly with the Knicks; he would complement Amar’e Stoudemire perfectly.

Paul and Stoudemire could be the best point guard big man combo in the league and they could run the deadliest pick and roll in the NBA. Knicks coach Mike D’Antoni loves to play up tempo and Paul is a point guard who loves to push the ball, and has the skills to play up tempo.

My guess is if the Hornets are going to start fielding offers, the New York Knicks do make the most sense in terms of giving the Hornets back some young talent, and taking on some heavy salary. Paul could become one of the NBA’s icons in New York, and could eventually attract Carmelo Anthony to the big apple and form a trio that would rival the one in Miami for years to come.

This has been a crazy offseason in the NBA, and there may be more changes to come.