NBA Trade Rumors: 10 Players Knicks Can Pair with Stoudemire Before Melo Arrives
The New York Knicks are relevant again, but that does not mean that they should stop there. They are a piece or two away from competing to win the Eastern Conference and possibly even a championship.
The big news has been that soon-to-be free agent Carmelo Anthony wants out of Denver and into the Big Apple. Many believe that the Knicks can hold out and sign Carmelo Anthony, and if they do that, that would mean they get to keep their current roster in tact for a season and play for another year. Others think that the Knicks should go after Melo by the trade deadline, because they don’t want him to change his mind and go somewhere else.
With or without Melo, the Knicks need a guy who can rebound and block shots, or they’re going nowhere. They could also use a backup point guard to give Felton some rest. Regardless of how he gets here, this is a list of 10 players who the Knicks can put next to Amar’e Stoudemire that can help before Carmelo arrives.
DeAndre Jordan
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The Clippers have two desirable centers in DeAndre Jordan and Chris Kaman and a young core that is always looking for ways to improve. The Knicks need a big guy who can guard centers and take some pressure off of STAT on a nightly basis.
What I propose:
Wilson Chandler and a second-round pick to the Clippers
DeAndre Jordan to the Knicks
The Knicks need a center who can rebound and block shots and Jordan has been able to do that since he stepped in for an injured Kaman (7.2 rebounds per game and 1.8 blocks per game in 26 minutes per game). The Clippers' only weakness in their starting lineup seems to be small forward, where they start either a weak player in Ryan Gomes or a raw player in Al Farouq Aminu.
Chandler is due for a new contract next season and Los Angeles would likely be a place he wouldn’t mind signing with. A roster of Davis, Gordon, Chandler, Griffin and Kaman could definitely make some noise in the west. The Knicks, on the other hand, would start Felton, Anthony, Gallinari, Amare and Jordan, if they are to sign Anthony and resign Jordan.
This type of trade could benefit both teams as both players are expiring, with a second-round pick going to the Clippers just in case Chandler doesn’t re-sign, because it is likely that they are going to lose Jordan anyway, so they can get something for him instead of nothing.
Chris Kaman
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The other guy on the Clippers they could opt to trade is Chris Kaman. Kaman has been out most of the year with an ankle injury, but is supposed to return soon. The big man has nice touch around the basket and is a presence on the defensive end with his big body.
What I propose:
Eddy Curry to the Clippers
Chris Kaman to the Knicks
The Knicks get a big man next to Amar'e, who has shown he can be a force in the paint (18.5 points per game, 9.5 rebounds per game and 1.2 blocks per game last season) and the Clippers get something they can really use: cap relief.
If they decide they want to trade Kaman and re-sign Jordan, Curry's expiring contract can help them re-sign him and sign another quality player to add to a very talented young team. Kaman may be injury prone, but Curry doesn't mean anything more to the Knicks than an expiring contract and Kaman's deal doesn't go past 2012, which is a new target for the Knicks when Paul, Williams and Howard become free agents.
Hassan Whiteside
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Hassan Whiteside is a lot like DeAndre Jordan in that people compared him to Dwight Howard based purely on his athleticism and size. Jordan hasn't turned out to be quite like Howard, but he is a good defender and rebounder, and I feel that if Whiteside is given some minutes on a team like the Knicks he can definitely get some boards and alter some shots. He's put on a nice amount of weight since being drafted already, and like I stated earlier, he is very athletic.
What I propose:
Toney Douglas to the Kings
Hassan Whiteside and Pooh Jeter to the Knicks
The Kings could use a guy like Douglas, who is a feisty on-ball defender and can shoot the ball well. Evans would benefit from having a point guard who can play off the ball and doesn't necessarily want to make plays, but looks to score first. The Knicks would get Whiteside, who, if he played 15 minutes a game, might be able to put up some unexpected block and rebound totals. Jeter could also spell Felton 10 more minutes of rest a night as he is trustworthy handling the rock and is capable of running an offense efficiently.
Joel Przybilla
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For as many years as I can remember, the Knicks have had some interest in Joel Przybilla. The reason? He's a great backup center. Joel has averaged 6.4 rebounds per game and 1.5 blocks per game in just about 20 minutes per game throughout his whole career. He'd be a great guy to put next to Amar'e on any night as long as he can stay healthy.
What I propose:
Kelenna Azubuike and Ronny Turiaf to the Blazers
Joel Przybilla and a second-round pick to the Knicks
The Blazers would get another defense-first player in Turiaf and the expiring contract of Azubuike for Pryzbilla. Azubuike can also be a great role player if he responds well to the injury he's coming back from in two-three weeks. Przybilla would be a much better player for the Knicks than Turiaf, as Turiaf has been very inconsistent. Knicks fans love the energy he brings, but getting a consistent guy like Joel can really help a Knicks team looking to make a playoff run.
Luke Ridnour
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Luke Ridnour was a target of the Knicks during the offseason, but an unexpected suitor in the TWolves decided to go after a point guard. Something they haven't done in what...five minutes? Anyway, the TWolves are out of contention, and the Knicks don't have a reliable second option behind Felton who can make plays and hold onto the ball.
What I propose:
Toney Douglas, Anthony Randolph and a second-round pick to the Timberwolves
Luke Ridnour and a first-round pick (Utah's) to the Knicks
The Timberwolves are one of the teams interested in Anthony Randolph and Coach D'Antoni can't wait to get rid of him. The Timberwolves were looking to trade a first to New York for Randolph and wouldn't trade Ridnour to them straight up, so adding a second rounder and Douglas could sweeten the deal. Douglas could provide them with a spark offensively and defensively off the bench, and they'd get another pick to maybe take a European prospect and stash him overseas for a few years to develop. The Knicks get a great backup point guard and another first-round pick to try to find the Center of the new look Melo era of New York.
JaVale McGee
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The Wizards are struggling this season and the Blatche/McGee combination has failed early on in the experiment. Washington has a great backcourt with John Wall and Nick Young and could really use a young guy at small forward who can do a bit of everything.
What I Propose:
Wilson Chandler and Timofey Mozgov to the Wizards
JaVale McGee, Al Thornton and Mustafa Shakur to the Knicks
The Wizards would gain a talented, young small forward to join their youth movement as well as a skilled, but raw big man who in a few years could turn out to be a solid NBA starter. The Knicks get a shot blocking freak in McGee, a solid forward off the bench in Thornton and a cap filler in Shakur who actually lit the Knicks up earlier in the season (yes, I'm exaggerating but he did better than he should have).
Nazr Mohammed
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He's had a stint with New York already and nobody was too fond of that, but Nazr would be welcomed back to the Big Apple with open arms nowadays. With the Knicks lacking defense and rebounding and being a great offensive team, the guy who can't play offense, but hustles for boards and attempts to block shots would be the perfect fit.
What I propose:
Timofey Mozgov and Kelenna Azubuike to the Bobcats
Nazr Mohammed to the Knicks
Mohammed to the Knicks makes sense for the reasons stated above, and they lose out on Mozgov's potential and Kelenna's contract, but they get a guy who can really help with or without Melo. The Bobcats would get Azu's contract and potentially a good role player when he comes back from injury and somebody who they can work into being a great center in Mozgov without losing any core players.
Reggie Evans
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The guy I have in this spot may not be a center, but he rebounds and hustles more than most of them. Evans is a high energy guy who won't lose your team a game on the offensive end and will do his best on the defensive end and usually that is enough. He is a very strong guy and is averaging 12.4 rebounds per game this season in 15 games. He's due to come back from injury soon and he can help a lot of teams, including the Raptors if they keep him.
What I Propose:
Eddy Curry and Anthony Randolph to the Raptors
Reggie Evans and Leandro Barbosa to the Knicks
The Raptors are another team that has been interested in Anthony Randolph throughout the season, and they are going nowhere with older guys like Evans and Barbosa. With Randolph they can continue to build for the future and get a guy who will do the rebounding and shot blocking that Bargnani isn't. The Knicks would get a guy next to Amar'e who will guard centers and rebound. Barbosa would also be a very nice piece as he has already excelled in D'Antoni's system and isn't on contract after the year.
Robin Lopez
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It's odd that I want the worse brother, but I want the worse brother. Robin Lopez is everything that Brook isn't and on a Knicks team that is already good offensively, that is exactly what they need. The opposite of a potential All-Star.
What I Propose:
Anthony Randolph and a second-round pick to the Suns
Robin Lopez to the Knicks
The Suns are missing Amar'e more than Amar'e is missing the Suns. Anthony Randolph is a player who is tall and athletic like STAT, and if he adds some muscle and gains some experience playing, he could turn into a poor man's STAT. The Suns would also get a second-round pick, and they've done well drafting role players in the past and maybe they could even find a steal to plug into their system. The Knicks, on the other hand, make out with a good, cheap player who plays good defense and is always hustling.
Samuel Dalembert
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I can't necessarily explain why I feel so strongly about this, but I love the idea of Samuel Dalembert in a Knicks uniform. He thinks he's a good shooter, which is good enough for D'Antoni, and he blocks a lot of shots. His contract ends after this season, so the risk isn't heavy.
What I Propose:
Eddy Curry to the Kings
Samuel Dalembert to the Knicks
The Kings have said that they'd be willing to trade Dalembert as long as they get an expiring contract back. Curry is one of the only expiring contracts that matches Dalembert's. They want the best for Dally and that is a very nice thing to want for an organization and they wouldn't suffer from having Curry collect one more year's worth of money from the bench and then signing somebody in the offseason. The Knicks get a shot blocker and defender who may have a low basketball IQ, but would provide the Knicks with a defensive spark for a playoff run.
Conclusion
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These trades are all assuming that Carmelo Anthony ends up in a Knick uniform this year or during the offseason, which is no guarantee whatsoever. It is a "what if" article and these are players that would help the Knicks if they were to get him. The Knicks need a shot blocker who can rebound and a backup point guard, and these are some of the most realistic possibilities out there right now.
