The New York Knicks are going to miss the playoffs for the fourth straight year while also having one of the worst and embarrassing seasons in franchise history. The Knicks and Phil Jackson will have the opportunity to change all of that this offseason.
Jackson's tenure as Knicks president has been a flop but he's not going anywhere this summer. The 11-time NBA champion coach knows he has a lot of things to do to make the team better. Here are the five decisions and moves the Knicks have to make at the start of the 2017 offseason.
Trade Carmelo Anthony
According to Ian Begley of ESPN, the Knicks are "committed" to trading Carmelo Anthony in the offseason. They got pretty close to at the trade deadline with teams like the Los Angeles Clippers, Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics showing interest.
Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks front office do not see eye-to-eye and it's time to end their relationship. The Knicks need to trade Anthony for less than what he's worth but it will benefit all parties involved. "Melo" gets to play for a contender (Clippers or Cavs) while the Knicks can rebuild around Kristaps Porzingis, who should be the face of the franchise next season.
Unleash Kristaps Porzingis
Kristaps Porzingis is having a wonderful sophomore season averaging 18.0 points, 7.3 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 2.0 blocks in 62 games. Unleashing Porzingis and making him the focal point of the offense next season will be the ultimate test to know if he really is the savior of the Knicks, per Newsday.
If the Knicks trade Carmelo Anthony, it will free up a lot of shots for Porzingis and other Knicks players. They can also use the Triangle Offense more effectively without Anthony, who likes to play more isolation ball.
Amnesty Joakim Noah
The Knicks' season got worse when center Joakim Noah was suspended for 20 games for violating the NBA's anti-drug policy, per ESPN. He tested positive selective androgen receptor modulator LGD-4033, a banned substance under the NBA's current CBA and could be bought over-the-counter.
Noah was signed to a four-year, $72 million deal last summer and he looks untradeable. The Knicks could opt to use the amnesty provision on in the offseason and make Willy Hernangomez the team's starting center moving forward. It's better to use Hernangomez rather than sign a center like Alex Len, Joffrey Lauvergne or Nerlens Noel.
Draft a Point Guard
NBA rumors have linked the Knicks to point guard Jrue Holiday. However, the Pelicans have a better chance of winning next season with the two-headed monster of Anthony Davis and DeMarcus Cousins. It's better for the Knicks to stay away from Holiday, who has his own fair share of injuries in his career, in free agency.
The Knicks should select a point guard in the draft and hope they are in a position to select a playmaker. Some of the top point guards in this year's draft class include Markelle Fultz, Lonzo Ball, Malik Monk, De'Aaron Fox, Dennis Smith and Frank Ntilinka.
Embrace the Triangle
If the Knicks finally gets rid of Carmelo Anthony and possibly Derrick Rose, they can embrace the triangle offense next season. The team can test it for the rest of the season as they can shut down Anthony (knee) and Rose (foot) if the rest of the Knicks can play better.
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