Knicks, Sixers Discussing Stoudemire

10:23am: Hardaway’s name has come up in talks regarding Stoudemire, but the Knicks remain disinclined to include the guard in any trades, a source tells Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com.

8:47pm: Jackson has contacted the Sixers attempting to unload Stoudemire’s contract, but Philly wants an asset in return for absorbing the bloated deal, reports Marc Berman of the New York Post. Berman thinks the inclusion of Iman Shumpert might get the deal done, but New York would prefer to retain the young guard. Contradicting earlier reports, Berman also hears Jackson would like to hang on to Bargnani this season since he thinks the sharp shooting center could excel in the triangle offense.

2:26pm: The Knicks are actively shopping Amar’e Stoudemire and Andrea Bargnani as they attempt to find trade partners willing to provide the team the cap space necessary to make significant free agent acquisitions, reports Moke Hamilton of SNY.tv. Knicks president Phil Jackson turned down an offer for Bargnani and Tim Hardaway Jr. before the Tyson Chandler trade, confident that he could find a deal involving Bargnani that wouldn’t force the team to part with Hardaway, according to Hamilton.

New York is trying to open up roughly $40MM in cap flexibility to re-sign Carmelo Anthony and build around him, and that’s been part of Jackson’s pitch to the star forward, Hamilton writes. Stoudemire is set to make $23.4MM for the coming season while Bargnani is in line for $11.5MM after they both opted in for 2014/15. Clearing Stoudemire’s salary without receiving salary in return would instantly give the Knicks the kind of flexibility they’re after, but such a trade is unlikely to surface. Bargnani would also be difficult to move, but less so.

Trading one or both of them in a deal that nets cap flexibility would also help the Knicks if they don’t re-sign Anthony. New York would still be capped out if ‘Melo signs elsewhere, which would leave the Knicks with only the $5.305MM mid-level exception as their most significant tool on the free agent market.

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