Memo to Phil Jackson: It’s time to blow up the New York Knicks.
Now.
This was supposed to be the year where the Knicks turned it all around, and for a time, they had. A 14-10 record had them as the number three seed in the Eastern Conference and looking like the Knicks were in the right direction.
Since Christmas Day, 4-14. And now after their latest loss on Martin Luther King Day to the Atlanta Hawks on their home floor, the Knicks are now 18-24 and in utter chaos right now.
[Doug]
Kristaps Porzingis is dealing with an Achilles injury and has been out for the last few games. With the team on a free-fall right now, don’t rush him back and let him get healthy because he is your future cornerstone franchise player.
Aside from Porzingis, Carmelo Anthony is unhappy. Derrick Rose went MIA last week and reports have circulated that he and head coach Jeff Hornacek don’t get along. Courtney Lee is likely upset over being benched in the lineup the other day. Joakim Noah is a shell of what he used to be. It’s a flat-out mess in New York and it’s time for Jackson to do what’s right and start blowing it all up.
So how do you accommodate Melo with a fair trade that helps him win now, and on top of it, make the Knicks a better team for the future? Here’s our proposal, which includes the Boston Celtics, the Los Angeles Clippers and the Knicks:
Boston Celtics get:
Blake Griffin
Los Angeles Clippers get:
Carmelo Anthony
Tyler Zeller
New York Knicks get:
Amir Johnson
Austin Rivers
Boston’s 1st round pick for 2017 NBA Draft (which is the Brooklyn Nets pick from the Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce trade).
Think about what this trade accomplishes:
Melo gets to get out of New York and head West to play with one of his best friends in Chris Paul, one of the best point guards in the league and together on the Clippers, they can try to win in the Western Conference. Plus the pressure is 100 percent off him to perform in Los Angeles, whereas he’s under the microscope every single night in New York.
It also allows the Clippers to deal Griffin and change the dynamic of the team and that’s where the Celtics come in. Danny Ainge has had his eye on getting Griffin for some time and this deal would allow him to add another star for a team that is on the rise in the Eastern Conference.
For the Knicks, this trade finally allows them to shed Melo and the $77 million remaining on his contract over the next three years that he was supposed to be in New York. Back when Jackson gave Melo the five-year, $124 million deal, many questioned it because the Knicks were re-building and he was a then-30-year-old star ready to win now.
Plus, it also got knocked because the Knicks involved a full no-trade clause in the deal; something Melo has invoked several times in possible trade scenarios. The deal in itself can be understood, as Melo wanted to stay and he was a superstar in his prime who makes the team better. But the no-trade clause didn’t help matters for the future, which is now.
So now, Jackson, who is reportedly going to have a meeting with Melo to discuss the future, has to try to convince his disgruntled and aging superstar that a trade is best for both sides, as he’s not winning in New York and his window as an elite player in the NBA is closing, so by accepting a trade to a contender in the Clippers, he can get back to the playoffs and try to win a championship, something that has eluded him his entire career.
While the average Knicks fan might kick and scream about trading Melo away, it’s best for everyone. This trade would help kick-start the process of blowing up the Knicks and get the team in the direction of a true rebuild; one that the team needs and has been long overdue to go through.