New York Knicks Rumors: Roundup of Top Trade and 2011 Free-Agent Targets

The New York Knicks welcomed Carmelo Anthony to the team at the trade deadline in 2011, and now the club will attempt to continue to improve going forward.

Donnie Walsh did a phenomenal job of bringing the team back to relevancy after Isiah Thomas had dug the club in a seemingly insurmountable hole, and now the Knicks are quickly becoming one team that adversaries don't want to line up against.

After the postseason push came to a conclusion sooner than the team would have hoped for, the Knicks will have to find creative methods to build depth, as that was seemingly the Achilles' heel.

Samuel Dalembert, C, Free Agent

Dalembert's appeal is obvious to any club looking for a defensive-minded center, and that's what the Knicks have needed for a long time.

Amar'e Stoudemire is out of position as a center, and it greatly saps his overall effectiveness on the court.

Dalembert patrolling the lane down low would provide a presence in the lane and really make opponents think twice about driving into the lane.

The Knicks are likely to give Dalembert a call in an effort to court him to New York, and it's worth noting that a chance to play alongside Stoudemire and Carmelo Anthony could be awfully appealing to someone who has spent his entire career between Philadelphia and Sacramento.

Bonzi Wells, G/F, Free Agent

Wells hasn't played in the league since the 2007-08 season, but that doesn't mean that we've seen the last of him just quite yet.

One of the members of the infamous "jail blazers" Portland roster, Wells impressed the Knicks so thoroughly during a workout session that the team was actually contemplating inviting him to training camp prior to this season.

With the team clearly looking for answers at the shooting guard position, Wells shouldn't be relied upon for anything in the long-term outlook. After spending the last two seasons in China and Puerto Rico, it's a guessing game as to how he might adjust back to the competition of the NBA at age 35.

Kurt Thomas, PF/C, Free Agent

Although he's the league's oldest member at age 39, Thomas illustrated last season in Chicago that he's got plenty left in the tank and can certainly still bring it.

He's good for more than just a few minutes off of the bench, as he averaged nearly 30 minutes per game when he served as a starter for the Bulls last season over a 37-game span.

The Knicks are hoping to bring him back as a potential starter at center, but he's probably better inclined for the reserve role he's becoming accustomed to at this point in his career.

J.J. Barea, PG, Free Agent

Barea has been linked to a multitude of teams as a result of his offseason comments, but the Knicks might be his most realistic option should he be unable to come to an agreement with Dallas.

Although he has also mentioned the Lakers and Heat as possibilities, both of those clubs have extremely limited flexibility to accommodate such a signing, making each a rather unrealistic scenario.

The Knicks can't exactly shell out the dough that Barea may get elsewhere, so the best chance at bringing him in for New York could be offering more playing time than any of the competitors could offer.

Kwame Brown, C, Free Agent

Brace yourselves, Knicks fans. This is a very real possibility.

The plan in free agency for New York is to hand out one-year deals before the highly-anticipated summer of 2012 with a much more talented class, and that could mean the Knicks go shopping in the bargain bin fairly regularly.

He is reportedly on the team's radar after showing some signs of being able to contribute in Charlotte last season under Michael Jordan, but one has to wonder if that effectiveness may suddenly evaporate if he doesn't have the man who drafted him in his corner and on the end of the bench.

Tyson Chandler, C, Free Agent

This would be a dream scenario for the Knicks.

If the team could get a defensive stopper like Chandler to pair with Stoudemire and Anthony, New York would instantly become favorites to finish at the forefront of the Eastern Conference and make very serious postseason noise.

Having said that, Chandler already told the Mavericks that he's not giving the defending champions any sort of discount, so it's hard to imagine him taking the necessary pay cut he'd have to in order to join the team.

Chandler is arguably the most attractive option on the open market, and coming off of his best season as well as a championship ring, his value is likely to stand at its highest point of his career.

Wilson Chandler, G/F, Free Agent

Chandler has signed a deal to spend the season in China with Zhejiang Guangsha in the Chinese Basketball Association, but that doesn't make him ineligible for the entire NBA campaign.

The Chinese season ends in March, so while Chandler obviously wouldn't be available for the Knicks when the season gets underway, he would make for a very sizable boost to the team when he's eligible to play and add significant depth to a team that sorely needs it.

He's a restricted free agent, so his rights would be owned by Denver after he was sent there in the Carmelo Anthony trade, but Chandler was said to be wanting to return to New York, and it sounds as if the feeling is certainly mutual with the Knicks.

Michael Redd, SG, Free Agent

Redd's back-to-back ACL tears obviously raise the red flag when it comes to checking out his medical history, but a gamble on his talent could be one that pays dividends for the Knicks.

If and only if he can still stretch the floor, Redd could be an ideal addition to New York's second unit, and it's been expected that he's looking to join a contender after a lengthy tenure in Milwaukee.

He'd come at a very reasonable price considering his recent injury history and would likely have to take a one-year "prove it" type of contract before anyone invests heavily in him.

New York could be the perfect plateau to do exactly that.

Marcus Camby, C, Trade

A very interesting possibility for a team that may have to settle for a band-aid at the center position, Camby's veteran leadership may be a very important element to a Knicks team looking to make a run at the title sooner rather than later.

New York had expressed a previous interest in acquiring Camby's services, and with an expiring contract worth almost $9.3 million, he could serve to help the team for the upcoming season and serve as financial relief following the campaign.

He has never played in a full complement of regular season games throughout his career, but if the Knicks could get 55-65 games out of him and ensure he'd be healthy enough for the postseason, the team should really make a legitimate offer to Portland.

Chris Paul, PG, Trade

We all knew this one was coming.

There was the infamous toast at Carmelo Anthony's wedding that first got the rumor mills churning, and then Anthony decided it was prime time to announce that he'd welcome Paul to the Knicks during the lockout should the team find a way to land him.

If the Hornets want to receive anything in return for CP3 before he reaches free agency in 2012, the Knicks could offer some attractive expiring contracts as well as some youthful talent in return, but it's still unclear whether New Orleans could find a better package or simply hope he re-signs after the season.

It's going to be the second-most (but should be the primary focus) interesting storyline of the season behind the Dwight Howard rumors, and there's no doubt there will be plenty of chatter until something substantial happens.

Trade Target Speculation: Chris Kaman, C

New York has an obvious need at center, and if the team can't find a target to its liking, Kaman makes a lot of sense as an alternative via trade.

With just a single season remaining on his current contract, Kaman could provide a temporary solution to the club while simultaneously providing some additional flexibility for the team to be more active during the 2012 offseason.

The Clippers are thought to be fairly high on the future of DeAndre Jordan, and after he seemingly turned a corner in his development last season, it wouldn't be surprising whatsoever to see the team gauge interest in Kaman around the league.

Trade Target Speculation: Brandon Bass, PF

Orlando doesn't have a lot of assets on the roster to work into a deal, but the team does have two very intriguing power forwards in Brandon Bass and Ryan Anderson.

Of the two players, it seems as if Bass may be the easier one to deal based on how the team has utilized each, and he's a reasonable target for a team that can't absorb a lot of cash, as he's owed just $8 million over the next two seasons.

He'd make for a great reserve for the Knicks capable of logging heavy minutes, and his under-appreciated ability to hit the midrange jumper would be appealing to Mike D'Antoni's offense.

Free Agent Target Speculation: Reggie Evans, PF

Evans is a master of the glass, and there might not be another player in the league who works as hard to come down with the ball as Evans.

Before being sidelined due to a broken foot for a good chunk of last season, Evans displayed exactly what he could do for a team as an energy guy off the bench, even pulling down an impressive 22 rebounds in a single game.

There's no doubt that he's got a nose for the basketball, and that aggressive style of play is definitely something that New York's second unit could use.

Free Agent Target Speculation: Shannon Brown, SG

Brown opted out of his contract with Los Angeles, and while he hasn't written off the possibility of returning, it seems as if he's looking for an expanded role at this stage in his career.

Although he certainly wouldn't be guaranteed anything with the Knicks, his fast-paced style of play and elite athleticism are two elements of his game that could be extraordinarily beneficial to his chances of finding success in the New York offense.

With the team still looking for an answer at the shooting guard spot, Brown could present for an alternative to Landry Fields and mentor Iman Shumpert along the way.

Free Agent Target Speculation: Marquis Daniels, G/F

Daniels suffered a gruesome, season-ending spinal injury while playing for Boston last season, but he's made a full recovery and is ready to return to the court.

A swing-man capable of playing a multiple positions, Daniels could be a versatile tool for the Knicks to use and lead by example on the defensive end as the club looks toward making a renewed effort at that end of the floor.

He wouldn't come with an expensive price tag, and his arrival on the roster would help to build depth on a New York roster that really needs to improve in that department if it's serious about competing for a championship.