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New York Knicks Should Strongly Consider Trading Iman Shumpert

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By @Greg_Sacidor

David Richard - USA TODAY Sports

David Richard – USA TODAY Sports

After being selected No. 17 overall back in the 2011 NBA Draft, Iman Shumpert has shown flashes of talent. But with his contract set to expire at the end of the season, the New York Knicks should strongly consider trying to trade this 6-foot-5 guard from Georgia Tech.

Aside from missing time at the beginning of the 2013-14 season due to a torn ACL, Shumpert has displayed glimpses of brilliance. As the team’s primary perimeter defender, Shumpert has played a key role for the Knicks over the last few seasons. But with the team off to a 3-10 start and no sign of recovery in the near future, Knicks management needs evaluate the roster immediately and begin to make some drastic changes.

Phil Jackson was brought in as team president in an attempt to build a winning culture, much like the culture Jackson brought to both the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers. With the current season looking like a complete wash, and a number of talents coming off of the books at the end of the season, Jackson and the Knicks need to start thinking long-term. If they wish to be players in next offseson’s free-agent market, then they need to begin building a roster that features young, promising talent. Although he is just 24 years old, Iman Shumpert would best suit the Knicks elsewhere.

In the NBA, expiring contracts are sometimes more valuable than actual talent. They allow for teams to trade for usually overpriced veterans, only to see the money come off of their books at the beginning of the next offseason. But despite guys like Amar’e Stoudemire, Andrea Bargnani and Samuel Dalembert on the last year of their current contracts, and J.R. Smith only being tied to a franchise through a player option next season, the Knicks are not going to get back any valuable assets in exchange for one of these players. The Knicks may be able to persuade a contending team to give them a late first-round pick in exchange for Smith, with the hopes that his instant offense can help them during a playoff run. As for the others, all the Knicks would get in return are other expiring contracts.

If the Knicks hope to lure free agents to sign with them next summer, then they need a direction outside of just Carmelo Anthony. The Knicks have three young prospects in their system, but their progress is being impeded by incumbent veterans.

Tim Hardaway Jr. and Cleanthony Early are two young players on the current Knicks roster who could contribute in this league. However, Hardaway Jr. is averaging only about 18 minutes per game, while Early averages a little over seven. If these two were to be given more playing time, they could not only improve their game for the future, but they could also prove to other players throughout the league that they are solid pieces for the Knicks’ foundation.

The third prospect in the Knicks’ system is Thanasis Antetokounmpo, a second-round selection by the Knicks in this past summer’s NBA Draft. The brother of Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, Thanasis is currently assigned to the Knicks’ NBA D-League affiliate, the Westchester Knicks. Due to a large number of wing players on the roster already, the Knicks assigned Antetokounmpo to Westchester with hopes of getting him a solid amount of playing time. With not many expiring contracts on the current roster worth anything, and the growth of the franchise’s young talent being derailed, the Knicks have only one option — trade Iman Shumpert.

As he is set to become a restricted free agent at the end of the season, Shumpert already has some value. By being able to also contribute for a playoff contending team in a variety of ways, Shumpert is easily the most valuable trade commodity the Knicks possess. Shumpert should be able to net the Knicks either a solid first-round draft pick or even a young player that they can add to their developing nucleus. So when it comes time to renovating the roster, Shumpert should be the first guy that the Knicks look to trade.

Greg Sacidor is a Philadelphia 76ers and NBA writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on Twitter @Greg_Sacidor or add him to your network on Google.

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