The Knicks Are Shopping Eddy Curry and Zach Randolph

Reportedly, the New York Knicks are in the process of shopping both Eddy Curry and Zach Randolph. At this point in the season, the Knicks are 15-36, and according to the Hollinger Playoff Odds, the Knicks have a 0.6% chance of making the playoffs while they have a 9.8% chance of winning the lottery. So I guess Isiah Thomas has concluded that it's time to start hedging his bets.

Isiah said himself that, "With our record, every area needs addressing."

Yeah, to say the least.

Eddy Curry has been too much of an enigma to put any faith in him going forward. Last season, he seemed to prove that if nothing else, he was very capable of being a dominant low-post scorer. But since last season, Curry has failed to function well against the double team, rendering him worthless as a scoring option if teams were going to double him 75% of time and he was going to have more turnovers than assists. Thus, Curry is 100% expendable.

As for Zach Randolph, many people questioned whether Randolph and Curry could coexist in the post. Now if you ask me, when I have seen the two play at their best, I would definitely say that it is very possible for them to be on the court at the same time. I've seen it. Problem is they play their best all too infrequently. On top of that, even if they can't play well together, it is very possible to have a substitution schedule where Randolph and Curry do not play together. But Isiah Thomas and his lackluster substitution habits have not been able to do that either, so some of the Randolph-Curry experiment is on his hands as well. Needless to say, Randolph has not helped the situation either, by clamoring that he hasn't been used enough, despite the fact that the more shots he takes, the more the Knicks lose.

So in light of all of this, Isiah has come to the conclusion that he has to get Randolph and Curry out of New York before owner Jim Dolan sends him packing.

This is indeed the right move. As much as one has to like what Randolph and Curry can do on the court, neither one of them can be the focal points of any team, and as long as either one of them is on the Knicks, it is impossible for them to be anything but a focal point, because that's what they were brought to the Knicks to be.

The real question here is what can Isiah get for these two big-men? Curry is a horrible defender. In fact, Curry is a horrible everything unless you're talking about scoring from the block. I'm not sure what team will want a low-post scorer who can't rebound, block shots, or do anything that remotely requires hustling, but maybe there is just the right team out there who already has a big man who does all of those things who Curry can compliment on the offensive end. They will have to be willing to take time in teaching Curry how to pass out of the double team, but if it is with a team with a lot of shooters, that is a problem that can be rectified quickly.

What is Curry's value? At least a high 2^nd round pick. Maybe at the end of last season you could have gotten a low 1^st rounder, but with Curry being 6'11" and incapable of grabbing a rebound, there is no way you can get a first rounder for him. So the Knicks should take anything they can get for this guy, as long as it doesn't prolong their salary cap problems.

As for Randolph, he should be more valuable. He can't play defense either, but he is a rebounding machine. His scoring ability is undeniable, and he can pass out of the double team if he wants to. I think he is a great scoring option off the bench when a team needs offense when is #1 scorer is on the pine. Randolph is probably worth a first round pick, but the Knicks will never get that because of his attitude. However, they could package it so they could get a couple of 2^nd rounders and an expiring contract, because Randolph really can contribute to a team on the brink of taking the next step.

If the Knicks can indeed trade these two people and get some picks and salary cap relief out of it, it would be the greatest move Isiah Thomas has made since drafting David Lee and Nate Robinson in his first draft on the season. Isiah can only hope he will be around to see the fruits of his efforts if he can pull off trading these two players away.