New York Knicks president Phil Jackson reportedly is considering trading the team's first-round pick in the 2015 NBA draft. Memphis Grizzlies star Marc Gasol, meanwhile, reportedly has already ruled out signing with the Knicks in free agency.
Jackson isn't against the idea of trading the team's first-rounder, according to a report from ESPN on Sunday.
"In an interview on ESPN New York's 'The Robin Lundberg Show,' ESPN NBA reporter Brian Windhorst said the Knicks are at the very least considering their options when it comes to trading their first-round pick," ESPN's Ian Begley wrote Sunday. "Specifically, Windhorst said the Knicks are looking into 'opportunities' to see 'what they could possibly get if they trade their draft pick.'"
New York would have to select a player on behalf of another team and then trade that player to the team afterwards. The value of New York's first-rounder will be unknown until after the NBA draft lottery in May. As for why the Knicks would consider trading the pick, Begley pointed to aging star Carmelo Anthony.
"So, in theory, the Knicks can acquire an impactful player by trading their draft pick. They can then use their cap space, which is expected to be at least $25 million, to sign a premier free agent," Begley wrote. "This scenario would give them two established players to play alongside a soon-to-be 31-year-old Carmelo Anthony. This option might be more palatable than wasting another season or two of Anthony's prime waiting for a 19-year-old prospect to develop into a star."
In terms of free agency, the Knicks have already been linked to a number of players, including Rajon Rondo and Greg Monroe. Unfortunately, New York's purported top target - Gasol - has already ruled out signing with the Knicks, according to Chris Sheridan of Sheridan Hoops.
"[Gasol] probably isn't going anywhere, either. And a little birdie who knows of what he speaks tells me Gasol has already ruled out playing for the New York Knicks," Sheridan wrote Thursday. "It's nothing personal with Phil Jackson or that consummate New Yorker, Jim Dolan). It's a matter of money. He can get a five-year deal to stay in Memphis, where he attended high school. After taxes, that will be worth more than twice what he would get from New York."
According to a recent report, another free-agent target of the Knicks is the team's own Andrea Bargnani.
