Crystal Ball 2017-2018 Prediction

I'm going to guess 42 wins - I'm chronically and stupidly optimistic every year.  Why stop now?

By February, my guess is that the roster changes significantly  Too many redundant, look-alike players today.  That will change.

The Importance of Tanking

The Trade Deadline Approaches

I've been advocating a trade for Ricky Rubio for a few months now.  Initially I thought it might go along the lines of Jennings and Lee for Rubio and change.  Today its sounding more and more like it will be Rose and change for Rubio and change.

However that shakes out its a good deal for both teams.  Rubio should thrive in NY - its where he wanted to be before getting drafted and IMO it removes any and all requirements to draft a PG - not that there's anything wrong with that.  It just gives the Knicks a better BPA option.

Another longshot possibility is that Melo is being dealt to the Clips in a three-way deal involving Boston.  Chris Paul is all but resigned to stay with the Clips and Griffin may be over-the-top expensive to keep and attempt to resign.  So some Boston kids and a pick or two come the Knicks way, Melo to LA, and Griffin to the Celts.  Could happen.

I'm also convinced Courtney Lee will be gone to a contender.  Plenty of suitors and he should realize a handsome return. CLE, Washington, Toronto, and Portland (for other reasons) are likely suitors.

One of our crowded center candidates will also be dealt depending on who gets packaged in any of the aforementioned deals.

Knicks Trade speculation - Winter 2017

It's been a while since last posting and last speculating.  This year's team is a major disappointment and I'm writing this as the team has just lost to an awful but young Lakers team.  This lost just the latest in a series of embarrassing losses that preceded it.

I remain a fan of Phil Jackson and the coaching staff. And I have some respect for Carmelo Anthony as a player and teammate. As I write this here's plenty of trade talk involving Carmelo Anthony and it is nothing the reader has not heard before ad nausea.

So let's start with that - what looks to be a gunfighter's standoff - Carmelo Anthony with a No Trade Clause and Jackson with an obligation to explore all possibilities for improving a team mired losing and disarray.

Given that Anthony has a limited window of teams that he'd be willing to move to, Jackson's ability to move him is highly constrained.  As I write this Cleveland, the Clippers, and Boston are most talked about. IMO, only the Clippers might be trade partners in a Melo transaction.  Let me mention two dark horse candidate team in Washington who are within striking distance of being a legitimate playoff threat.

Any Clippers deal will require an additional team or two to make it work.  For grins let's suggest something along the lines of:

NY gets Reggie Jackson and Jon Leuer, the Clips get Anthony and N'Dour, and Detroit gets Crawford and Rivers.  Detroit saves money, Clips upgrade, NY gets an expensive PG who struggled in Detroit.

Another might be using Portland as a third party.
NY gets Rivers, Turner and Counaughton, Anthony and N'Dour to the Clips, Crawford and Jennings to Portland.

You can see how hard this stuff is to put together.  Chances are Melo stays a Knick in limbo.

Ricky Rubio is another PG being mentioned in trade talks.  If I'm the front-office (and I'm not Phil, Gaines, or the rest) Rubio would be a priority candidate to trade for. Rose (he has a history with Thibodeau) or CLee and Jennings work for Rubio and change.

Derrick Williams another former Knick who always hustled looks to be available.  You have to take a flyer on him.

Are Rose and/or Noah moveable?  Not easily.