New York Knicks Roster Settles For Minor Additions For Upcoming NBA Season, Can The Melo-Led Knicks Go Against All Odds And Make The Playoffs?
The New York Knicks roster is simply not enough to be considered favorites or contenders for the upcoming NBA season.
This is how many sports reporters and analysts describe the off-season moves of New York.
After retaining the biggest fish in Carmelo Anthony on a 5-year $120 million deal, the team's front office only managed a few changes, and in fact one of them was questionable.
Big man Tyson Chandler has been sent back to the Mavs, leaving a gaping hole in the Knicks defense.
Right now, the only thing the New York Knicks can afford is to get minor additions that would possibly become great role players, or even reliable starters in the coming years.
In a report by Bleacher Report, the Knicks acquired Kings' forwards Quincy Acy and Travis Outlaw. Now, that's a reinforcement on the defensive end.
In the report, Sam Amick of USA Today provided the details about the trade, as New York sends guard Wayne Ellington, forward Jeremy Tyler, and a 2016 second-round draft pick to Sacramento.
Per sources around the league, Sacramento is expected to waive Tyler almost right away, and enact a stretch provision for Ellington, paying him his due for next season in the next three years. These moves will allow the Kings to clear some cap space in case they are eyeing a mid-season trade for an All-Star.
As for the Knicks, they get a young star in Acy who is a 6'7" forward that can guard multiple positions. His athleticism is surely an addition to New York's otherwise uninspiring bigs and veterans in Amare Stoudamire and Andrea Bargnani.
As for the 11-year veteran Outlaw, his stint in the Big Apple would most likely be on the mentoring side as the Knicks have some promising rookies in Cleanthony Early and Tim Hardaway Jr.
But after all is said and done, this is still Melo's team, and the Knicks' chances of landing in the Playoffs squarely rest on Anthony's shoulders.