Guide to the trade deadline: Knicks not in win-now mode
Bobby Marks of The Vertical By Bobby Marks of The Vertical
January 29, 2016 11:49 AM
Yahoo Sports
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The Vertical Insider Bobby Marks, a former longtime assistant general manager with the Nets, breaks down the New York Knicks’ situation as the Feb. 18 trade deadline approaches.
HANG UP IF THEY ASK ABOUT …
Carmelo Anthony
Good things happen when you put NBA talent and youth around Anthony. The nine-time All-Star is having his finest all-around season since coming to New York in 2011. With the rising salary cap, Anthony’s salary going forward is manageable for a player with All-star talent.

Kristaps Porzingis
Knicks president Phil Jackson should hang up before “Kri” can even leaves the mouth of an opposing general manager. Porzingis has given New York a jolt of life with his arrival. Still only 20 years old, Porzingis possesses franchise-level talent that makes him a keeper for years to come.

All future first-round picks
Porzingis has shown New York the value of the draft. The win-now mentality no longer exists in New York and current management has shown that you can rebuild through the draft even in a big market.

UP FOR DEBATE
Jose Calderon
Calderon, who is signed through the 2016-17 season, has been a lighting rod for Knicks fans. The issue with entertaining offers for Calderon is that Jerian Grant has not shown the ability to handle starter minutes. Calderon’s age (34) and salary for next season could scare off teams. The best bet for New York is to hold on to him and look to move him this summer. Calderon’s $7.7 million price tag in 2016-17 could be more appealing in July, especially with a poor free-agent point guard class.

WORTH TAKING THE CALL
Kevin Seraphin
Seraphin, signed in the offseason to a one-year, $2.8 million contract, has been in and out of the rotation all season. The emergence of Porzingis, the steady play of Robin Lopez, and rotational big Kyle O’Quinn have Seraphin on the outside looking in.

View gallery
.Carmelo Anthony is having his best year with the Knicks. (Getty Images)
Carmelo Anthony is having his best year with the Knicks. (Getty Images)
NO TRADE CLAUSE OR WITH A RESTRICTION
Carmelo Anthony
Anthony is one of six players in the NBA to have a no-trade clause, meaning Anthony has the power to veto any deal.
Lance Thomas and Lou Amundson
Thomas and Amundson, who both signed one-year contracts, must consent to any trade New York wishes to make and their early Bird rights would not carry over to a new team.

Kyle O’Quinn
O’Quinn, who was acquired from Orlando, cannot be traded back to the Magic during the 2015-16 season.

MOVE THAT PUSHES THE NEEDLE
There is no big splash for New York that can move the Knicks into the top four in the East. Like many teams in the playoff hunt, New York has shown it can play with any team in the East.

Adding another scorer to the second unit could help when Carmelo Anthony and Arron Afflalo are on the bench.

TREASURE CHEST OF PICKS
Half full but improving
As part of two separate trades, either Toronto or Denver will receive the Knicks’ first-round pick.

The Nuggets have the right to swap picks with New York. Right now the pick swap would be extinguished because New York posses the better record. The pick swap is the last condition from the Anthony trade in 2011.

If Denver declines the pick swap, New York will then send its own first-round pick to Toronto. The trade conditions are from the 2013 Andrea Bargnani trade.

The earliest the Knicks can trade their own first-round pick is 2018.

New York will be eligible to trade a 2017 first-round pick on draft night once its selection is made. The rule for trading consecutive draft picks only applies to future years.

The Knicks own their future first-round picks.

The Knicks also have two second-round picks, Willy Hernangomez (2015) and Louis Labeyrie (2014), playing in the Europe. The 21-year-old Hernangomez is widely touted as one of the top up-and-coming prospects in Spain.

View gallery
.Arron Afflalo has been solid for the Knicks. (Getty Images)
Arron Afflalo has been solid for the Knicks. (Getty Images)
AVAILABLE TRADE EXCEPTIONS
None
POST-TRADE DEADLINE ROSTER MOVEMENT
New York has 14 guaranteed contracts with the 15th and final roster spot likely being filled by 10-day candidates (the Knicks signed Thanasis Antetokounmpo to a 10-day Thursday) until the deadline.

SNEAK PEEK TOWARD JULY
The Knicks’ cap space this summer will depend on what Arron Afflalo and Derrick Williams decide on their player options. Both players picking up their options would give the Knicks $17 million in cap space. New York could use the available cap space, or also exceed the cap, to bring back bench players Langston Galloway and Thomas. Both players have a low cap hold, which would enable the Knicks to exceed the salary cap to sign either player.

If Afflalo or Williams do opt out, it could create additional cap space, but New York would not be allowed to use the created space until there is a resolution to bring back either or both players.

INSIDER INFO
Keep an eye on second-round pick Hernangomez possibly joining the Knicks during the offseason. An unrestricted free agent this summer with Real Madrid, Hernangomez would make up for the Knicks’ loss of a first-round pick this year.

CrushAlot wrote:
INSIDER INFO
Keep an eye on second-round pick Hernangomez possibly joining the Knicks during the offseason. An unrestricted free agent this summer with Real Madrid, Hernangomez would make up for the Knicks’ loss of a first-round pick this year.

That's a great way to look at it. Instead of lamenting the absence of a first round pick this year, we should look at Hernangomez as our first round pick this summer if he plays in NY. Would be as good as a first round pick if he pans out.

Better than talking about the trade that lost us the pick ad nauseum. Different regime.

CrushAlot wrote:

GustavBahler wrote:

CrushAlot wrote:
INSIDER INFO
Keep an eye on second-round pick Hernangomez possibly joining the Knicks during the offseason. An unrestricted free agent this summer with Real Madrid, Hernangomez would make up for the Knicks’ loss of a first-round pick this year.

That's a great way to look at it. Instead of lamenting the absence of a first round pick this year, we should look at Hernangomez as our first round pick this summer if he plays in NY. Would be as good as a first round pick if he pans out.

Better than talking about the trade that lost us the pick ad nauseum. Different regime.

I agree. Also, Marks is a great twitter follow and interview. I am glad he is going to be writing on a regular basis now.

Agree about Marks being a great read. Glad he found a landing spot.

This line about Hernangomez jumped out at me - if Marks is calling him one of the top prospects in Spain, that's exciting.

The Knicks also have two second-round picks, Willy Hernangomez (2015) and Louis Labeyrie (2014), playing in the Europe. The 21-year-old Hernangomez is widely touted as one of the top up-and-coming prospects in Spain.