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New York Knicks Should Not Have Traded Iman Shumpert

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By @mturnerny

Iman Shumpert New York Knicks

Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Knicks are in the middle of one of the worst seasons in history. They’re currently 5-31, with only the Philadelphia 76ers having a worse record. On Monday, they traded guards J.R. Smith and Iman Shumpert to the Cleveland Cavaliers as part of a three-team trade that also includes the Oklahoma City Thunder.

It’s unclear who the Knicks are getting in return at this time, but two other popular names are part of the trade: Dion Waiters and Reggie Jackson.

It’s understandable that the Knicks would want to trade Smith. He’s a very streaky shooter, and that’s about his only good quality. He’s often caused trouble off the court, and doesn’t quite fit the bill of a player Phil Jackson would want on his team. Shumpert, on the other hand, is a young player and a great defender.

Defense has been the Knicks’ biggest issue this season. Without Shumpert, the Knicks really only have one defensive-minded player on their team in Samuel Dalembert – and even he hasn’t been playing very well at all and New York is looking to trade or release him.

Since it’s unknown who’s exactly going where, it’s difficult to determine whether the Knicks made a good move by trading away Smith and Shumpert. What I can say, however, is that 24-year-old Shumpert was having his best offensive season so far as a pro, and the team should not have let him go.

Although his PPG is up only marginally at 9.3 compared to his career average of 7.9, his APG is at 3.3 compared to a 2.2 career average. His shooting percentage and 3-point percentages are at 40.9 percent 34.8 percent, compared to 39.4 and 34.3 in his career.

Shumpert was never really a star, and it’s to be seen whether he eventually blossoms into one, but he was a fan favorite in New York and fit the culture perfectly. Even though he hasn’t been on the court in a few weeks, his absence will be noticeable later in the season when he’s playing for Cleveland.

Although the Knicks are clearly trying to turn over the majority of their roster, Shumpert was one of the players they should have kept. However, it seems that Jackson was always looking to trade him despite the fact that he’s one of the team’s best contributors after superstar Carmelo Anthony.

Smith will only be missed for his shooting, and even then he was only really useful when Anthony isn’t on his game. With neither of them on their game this season, his loss really isn’t hard to swallow. In a time when the Knicks are playing so poorly, they needed to hold onto anyone playing well. Shumpert was one of those players.

Matt Turner is a New York Mets writer for www.RantSports.com. “Like” him on Facebook, follow him on Twitter @MturnerNY, or add him to your network on LinkedIn or Google.

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