Phil Jackson and the New York Knicks have been quite busy this offseason. Though they’re cash strapped, Jackson has been trying to figure out other ways to improve the team. They achieved their main focus of re-signing Carmelo Anthony and completed a deal with the Dallas Mavericks trading center Tyson Chandler and point guard Raymond Felton to the Mavericks for point guard Jose Calderón, center Samuel Dalembert, swingman Wayne Ellington, point guard Shane Larkin and two second round picks, the 34th and 51st-overall selections of June’s draft. They used those picks to get former Wichita State Shockers’ swingman Cleanthony Early and Greek swingman Thanasis Antetokounmpo. Now Jackson is looking to make another deal.
According to ESPN’s Marc Stein, the Knicks are shopping Ellington and are willing to attach point guard Pablo Prigioni in a trade to get a deal done. As Stein points out, the Knicks prefer to keep Prigioni but if they can open a roster spot for a player they need, a deal makes sense.
Prigioni, 37, averaged 3.8 points, 3.5 assists, 2.0 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game while shooting 46.1% from the field, 46.4% from three and 91.7% from the free throw line in 66 games for the Knicks last season. Ellington, 26, put up 3.2 points and 1.0 rebounds in just 8.7 minutes per game. He appeared in 45 games and shot 43.7% from the floor, 42.4% from beyond the arc and 90.9% from the charity stripe.
