Tuesday marks the unofficial start to the trade season, when the contracts of 10 players on the Knicks roster become eligible to be dealt.
Knicks general manager Steve Mills made the three-game trip during which the Knicks lost twice to fall to 11-14. Starting Dec. 15, NBA free agents signed over the summer and draft picks, including Knicks rookie point guard Jerian Grant, are eligible to be traded.
The Knicks have an overflow of big men to deal as point guard is the roster’s key issue, with the inconsistencies of Jose Calderon and Grant. The Knicks definitely will address that position this summer with their cap space when Memphis point guard Mike Conley and Sacramento’s Rajon Rondo — who torched the Knicks on Thursday, falling one rebound short of a triple-double — are free agents.
One point guard available now is Detroit’s backup Brandon Jennings. He’s returning from an Achilles tear and could make his season debut this month. Sources indicated most teams would wait until Jennings plays a few games because of the nastiness of Achilles injuries.
The Pistons have their new starting point guard in Reggie Jackson, and Jennings is in the last year of a three-year, $24 million deal. Trading the pact of Calderon, a former Piston, for Jennings straight up wouldn’t do the trick, but adding Grant or a big man to a package could be more enticing. Grant did not play in Portland on Saturday after playing three minutes in Sacramento.
The Knicks players who become eligible to be traded Tuesday are Grant, the untouchable Kristaps Porzingis, Derrick Williams, Robin Lopez, Kyle O’Quinn, Kevin Seraphin, Sasha Vujacic, Arron Afflalo, Lance Thomas and Lou Amundson. Sources believe the Wizards and Nuggets eventually could be in fire-sale mode. The Wizards had interest in Williams in July.
The Knicks’ bench staged a throwback game to mid-November in ramping up the pace and leading a comeback from 10 points down in the final period of Saturday’s win in Portland. The engineer was struggling combo guard Langston Galloway, who scored on a coast-to-coast fast-break layup that earned a bear hug from Carmelo Anthony. Galloway shot just 2-of-8 but had four rebounds, three assists, no turnovers and was a plus-9. He’s shooting just 17-of-75 in his last 11 games after leading the NBA in 3-point field goal percentage in November.
Galloway said he’s no longer getting those open looks with defenses tightening.
“I think I’m hard on myself, it’s my motive to be the best possible,’’ Galloway said of his offensive slump. “It will come back. I’m still doing a great job on the best player on the other team.’’
Original Knicks superfan Freddie Klein, a season ticket holder since 1959-60, celebrates his 39th wedding anniversary Monday with his wife, Terry. As the story goes, Klein set his wedding date for a Sunday, Dec. 13, 1977, but postponed it a day when the Knicks schedule came out and the club had a home game against Atlanta. Klein, 81, has missed 43 games since 1959-60, including two this season for his own son’s wedding in Hawaii. Knicks owner James Dolan doesn’t greet many fans, but often singles out Klein because of his loyalty.
“I know everyone knocks Dolan, but he should be praised more for bringing back Phil Jackson,’’ Klein said.