Coach Mike D'Antoni, formerly with the Phoenix Suns, and his new squad, the New York Knicks seem to be the oddest match in basketball. The Knicks are laden with half-court post players, while D'Antoni prefers the run-and-gun, up-tempo style. It is very clear that something has to change, and it suggests that the Knicks are looking at an off season of wheeling and dealing.
It's no secret that young center Eddy Curry and power forward Zach Randolph don't play well together. The addition of Randolph last summer is one of the main reasons why Curry's minutes decreased from about 35 minutes per game in 2006-2007 to about 25 minutes per game in 2007-2008. Most likely, both Curry and Randolph will be donning different uniforms next year. Of course, the question remains whether or not either player will have any legitimate suiters for trade. Curry has the reputation of being lazy and doesn't defend or rebound like many think a 6-11 285-pounder ought to. Randolph has the reputation of being a locker room headache whose work ethic and attitude leaves something to be desired.
Point guard Stephon Marbury is likely to be gone as well. D'Antoni wasn't a fan of him while both were in Phoenix, and Marbury's teammates have lost favor with him. Marbury might be tradeable since his $20 million contract will come off the shelves after next season.
Look for the Knicks to try to land more versatile forward types. With that in mind, Italien forward Danilo Gallinari seems to be the logical draft pick for the Knicks at #6. Gallinari's father, Victorio, played with D'Antoni in Italy, and Danilo's game is the perfect fit for D'Antoni's system.
Ultimately, clearing cap space will be the continued goal for the Knicks. They still have the second largest payroll in the NBA (the Dallas Mavericks have the first). New York might be wise to play the waiting game with some of those contracts. Aside from Marbury's big contract, Malik Rose's $7-8 million contract also comes off the books after next season. If they can get some value by trading Curry and Randolph, perhaps for a defensive-minded center, or reliable point guard, they'll be in good shape with a slew of athletic young forwards, including David Lee, Renaldo Balkmen and Wilson Chandler, not to mention some talented guards in Jamal Crawford and Nate Robinson.
In the meantime, keep an eye out for the Knicks this summer. They're bound to be in the headlines a lot
