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New York Knicks: Looking ahead to the post-season

By Robert Brunswick III

Jan 31, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) controls the ball against Golden State Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson (11) and Warriors small forward Andre Iguodala (9) during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 31, 2016; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony (7) controls the ball against Golden State Warriors shooting guard Klay Thompson (11) and Warriors small forward Andre Iguodala (9) during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
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The New York Knicks have emerged from their lackluster 17-65 season, and now they have to look ahead to the summer of 2016.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve seen plenty of trade rumors filling up the New York Knicks’ Bleacher Report feed.

Some of the trade ideas going around are Jeff Teague, Blake Griffin, Dwight Howard, etc. As a Knicks fan, of course I’d be very hopeful for most of these guys to find their way to the Big Apple, but sadly, a lot of these wishes can’t be made true for financial and logical reasons.

We all know that 2016 is going to have big free agents on the market, specifically Kevin Durant. The Knicks are trying to make their case this season that if Durant is to come to New York, he will have a chance at getting far into the playoffs. With the help of Kristaps Porzingis, Derrick Williams, and Robin Lopez, Durant could be easily swayed to come to the Mecca of basketball.

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Initial rumor reports indicated that KD might want to venture home to Washington and help the Wizards become an Eastern Conference force. However, despite a couple of years of playoff experience and impressive performances, the Wizards are now hurting bad. Now, the Knicks aren’t doing much better this season, but they’ve made a considerable leap from  17-65 season, whereas the Washington Wizards seem to be on pace to have a subpar season compared to their previous two.

So is New York a realistic landing spot for Durant? Just maybe. But New York has to be smart with their decisions over the remainder of the season.

First thing’s first, the Knicks organization has to manage their roster wisely.

Blake Griffin is supposedly a trade option for the Clippers, considering his recent punching incident. I’ve seen all kinds of discussions about a Griffin-Anthony trade agreement.

I’ll clarify, Carmelo Anthony will not leave New York. His no-trade clause gives him full control over his position on the team. He’s under a huge contract, which he signed with the belief that Phil Jackson could bring him his winning team. On top of his earnings, he is starting to find trust in his surrounding teammates. His game against the Suns the other day is pure evidence of his growth this season.

Carmelo having pieces around him has brought life back to MSG, so I’d imagine he wants to continue thriving with this team in order to draw in big name targets (*cough cough* Kevin Durant).

The Teague-Calderon rumor is another one I’ve seen frequently. As much as I’d support Teague coming to New York, despite his lackluster performance following an All-Star bout, it just isn’t logical to bring him over.

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Although Calderon and Teague’s salaries are roughly the same, there is a slight difference by a few hundred thousand dollars that might interfere with the Knicks’ cap and ability to secure a Durant or Conley, depending on their preference. As much as I want Calderon to be shipped off to a team that isn’t in the run for a playoff spot, perhaps it’s safe to keep him on for his last year of the contract, and then open up the gates for a bigger target.

In the mean time, I say the Knicks should just put Calderon on the bench and start the likes of Galloway, who has proven he can make important decisions on the court in clutch time. If Galloway starts, the Knicks defense also becomes better.

Calderon can come off the bench, which has a minor lack in scoring, and lead the less reliable players. Against the Warriors, the starting five of Galloway, Afflalo, Anthony, Porzingis and Lopez had a fantastic first quarter. If that lineup gets an opportunity to develop and makes an impact, it adds more value to the Knicks as a whole.

More knicks: New York Knicks: Depth Analysis and Mid-Season Review

In the end, the most important aspect of the Knicks’ season is to appeal to the free agents of 2016. Of course, as a fan, a playoff appearance would be heartwarming, but if things get too far out of reach, I’ll live with a below .500 record if it means sparking the interests of some big market players.

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