After the rival Brooklyn Nets came to a blockbuster agreement with the Boston Celtics to send future Hall of Famers Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to Brooklyn, it was expected that the New York Knicks would do something to bolster their lineup in order to keep pace with their re-tooled NYC counterparts.
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Following a disappointing second round playoff loss to the Indiana Pacers this past season, the Knicks were in clear need of scoring since it wasn't a guarantee that second-leading scorer and NBA Sixth Man of the Year J.R. Smith would be returning for the 2013-2014 campaign because of his free agent tag. After extensive talks with the Toronto Raptors went incredibly well however, the Knicks are reportedly close to further legitimizing their roster.
According to USA Today, the Knicks and Raptors are very close to capping off a deal that will send power forward Andrea Bargnani to New York in exchange for Steve Novak, Marcus Camby and 2 future draft picks. The trade cannot be officially signed off on until the league's annual moratorium is lifted on July 10th.
Though Bargnani missed a total of 82 games over the past 2 seasons, he does have the ability to score on a game-by-game basis. His best scoring season came in 2010-2011 when the 27-year-old averaged 21.4 points per game. In 35 appearances last season, the Rome, Italy native averaged over 12 points and 3 rebounds in 28 minutes per game, above average numbers considering the 7'0" power forward was banged up for most of the year.
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The deal certainly does have its fair share of upside for a Knicks team that struggled to score in the postseason, even with Carmelo Anthony and Smith. The acquisition of Bargnani to go along with Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler and point guard Raymond Felton should only help New York improve on the offensive side. With teams like the Miami Heat, Brooklyn Nets and Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference, New York will need to be significantly more consistent on the offensive side of of the ball and if Bargnani is healthy, he'll surely provide the team an added threat.
Losing sharpshooter Steve Novak and Marcus Camby along with future first and second round picks, the Knicks are parting ways with two players they received very little from down the stretch of last season and in the playoffs. Disappointed about the possibility of leaving New York, Marcus Camby noted that he has a high level of appreciation for the Toronto organization that drafted him with the second pick of the 1996 NBA Draft and while he appreciated the Raptors, he's upset he wasn't given a decent chance in New York.
"It's unfortunate that I wasn't given a meaningful opportunity to contribute last season in New York," Camby said in a statement. "I was really looking forward to the upcoming year as a chance to show the organization what they missed out on last year, and pushing our team towards the Finals."
"I have nothing but positive things to say about the city of Toronto and its great fans, having been drafted by the Raptors 17 years ago. Given that my goal at this point in my career is to have a shot at a championship, however, I'll have to evaluate my options going forward. I've enjoyed a great career and under the right circumstances I hope to continue making an impact in the league."
The first overall pick in the 2006 NBA Draft, Bargnani has 2 years remaining on his current contract with $22 million left on the deal.
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