No moves for Knicks; Iman Shumpert out two weeks
Iman Shumpert is helped off the court after being injured during the second half of an NBA basketball game against the New Orleans Pelicans in New Orleans, Wednesday, Feb. 19, 2014. Credit: AP / Jonathan Bachman
ORLANDO, Fla. -- The Knicks were unable to make any moves before Thursday's trade deadline and will try to make a push for the playoffs with what they have -- minus Iman Shumpert for the time being.
Shumpert, who was involved in most of the Knicks' trade discussions, will be sidelined about two weeks, the team said Thursday, after an MRI on his surgically repaired left knee revealed a sprained MCL. Shumpert injured himself on a drive in the Knicks' win in New Orleans Wednesday night.
The third-year swingman's health impacted the Knicks' ability to trade him before the deadline. The Knicks talked with the Clippers about a package that would have brought quick point guard Darren Collison and Matt Barnes to New York for Shumpert and Raymond Felton. After the results of Shumpert's MRI showed his injury wasn't anything significant, the Clippers reportedly considered doing the deal, but an agreement was not reached.
Knicks president and general manager Steve Mills was not made available to the media Thursday.
The Knicks made getting a point guard their mission, but talks for Kyle Lowry, Rajon Rondo, Jeff Teague and Andre Miller did not produce a deal.
Felton will continue to be the Knicks' starting point guard and J.R. Smith likely will slide into Shumpert's starting small forward spot while he's out.
In the offseason, the Knicks are expected to be active in pursuing not only a point guard -- with Rondo a prime target -- but multiple positions in an effort to re-sign Carmelo Anthony. The Knicks' best player, a free-agent-to-be, has said he will speak to management about the players he'd like on the team.
The Knicks weren't in a position of strength in any of their recent discussions because they lack assets -- the next first-round pick they can trade is 2018 -- and their players are having down years. Felton and Shumpert have struggled on the court and have missed time with injuries. The Knicks also were trying to move Beno Udrih, but the third-string point guard was out of the rotation and hadn't played well when he was in it.
The Nuggets and Wizards were said to be interested in Udrih, but each team traded for a point guard Thursday. The Wizards acquired Miller from the Nuggets and Denver landed Aaron Brooks from the Rockets.
With Shumpert out, coach Mike Woodson said Udrih and Metta World Peace could get into the rotation. It's possible that one or both will be bought out and sign with another team.
The Knicks (21-33) have 28 games left, starting with Friday night against the Magic, and are in 11th place in the East, 3 1/2 games behind the Bobcats for the last playoff spot.
Anthony, who had said he expected to be kept in the loop if the Knicks were close to making a trade, believed they would stand pat and remains confident they can make the playoffs.
"We have the talent,'' he said. "We just got to put it all together. I don't think the talent was ever a question, but we just got to put it all together.''
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