New York Knicks Trade Rumors: Embarrassing Loss To Philadelphia 76ers To End Carmelo Anthony Tenure?
New York Knicks trade rumors have been sent into hyperdrive after an embarrassing loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday night (Jan. 11). The hope of team president Phil Jackson was that by bringing in Derrick Rose and Brandon Jennings that the Knicks could become contenders again. The team has battled through some injuries but had a healthy roster going into the game against the 76ers. The 98-97 loss may make it look like the game was close to becoming a victory, but it goes down as a loss to one of the worst teams in the NBA.
The toughest thing for an NBA franchise to do is to part ways with an All-Star player. For the Knicks, that player is Carmelo Anthony, who is the star of the team and can put up 30 points on any night. Despite his personal success, the franchise has continued to flounder since acquiring him from the Denver Nuggets. Jackson has tried to add complementary pieces through the draft, trades, and free agent signings, but nothing is working. It is now time for the Knicks to have a “fire sale” and start over again with younger players.
There had been a number of New York Knicks trade rumors during the NBA off-season, with suggestions that Carmelo Anthony could be heading to a new team. Instead, Phil Jackson completed a trade with the Chicago Bulls for point guard Derrick Rose, brought in Joakim Noah to start at center, and acquired Brandon Jennings to come off the bench. This allowed Anthony to be the starting small forward and for Kristaps Porzingis to be the starting power forward. On paper, the roster looks pretty good, but the updated NBA standings prove it just isn’t working out.
The Knicks are at a precipice, with Jackson and coach Jeff Hornacek steering a sinking ship into the void. Entering play on Thursday night (Jan. 12), the Knicks are now the No. 11 seed in the Eastern Conference. The team is just two and a half games behind the Washington Wizards for the No. 8 seed, showing just how close the Knicks could be to making the postseason again. That close proximity to a playoff seed is a curse, though, as it may convince the front office to not make any moves before the NBA trade deadline.
For the future of the franchise, going silent at the deadline would be a huge mistake. The roster has enough assets to make a huge splash on the trade market and officially start a real rebuilding process at Madison Square Garden. Carmelo Anthony alone could bring back several young players and some high draft selections. Then there are point guards Derrick Rose and Brandon Jennings, who are in the final years of their current contracts but have enough skill to become a good rental player for a franchise needing a boost down the stretch.
There have been too many New York Knicks trade rumors to count over the past few years, but they have all centered around the premise that this is a franchise that has been terrible on the basketball court. Gone is the time when Madison Square Garden was a place where no NBA team wanted to play a road game. In its place is a team that other contenders rest players against, as it almost amounts to a bye on the schedule during most nights. NBA analysts have long hinted that changes are needed, and it’s time for Phil Jackson to do the right thing for Knicks fans.
The Knicks have lost nine of their last ten games, the team has been terrible on defense, and the offense has still not figured out how to run the “Triangle” with any sustained success. The experiment with Phil Jackson as the general manager and Jeff Hornacek as the coach hasn’t worked with the current group of players. Now it is time for ownership to create its own NBA trade rumors by making Anthony, Rose, and Jennings immediately available. Then maybe the New York Knicks can start playing respectable basketball again.
[Featured Image by Christian Petersen/Getty Images]
