Knicks president Phil Jackson is still trying to clear this year’s payroll and has looked at avenues to try to trade Amar’e Stoudemire’s expiring contract, already having contacted the obvious team, the 76ers.
The Sixers have $30 million in cap space and have made it known they’d be willing to accept an undesirable expiring contract if a pawn is thrown in. That extra pawn likely would be Iman Shumpert — something the Knicks prefer not to do.
The idea is, at the least, to reduce payroll so the Knicks can make a sign-and-trade to obtain a free agent and be able to wield the full mid-level exception of $5 million instead of mini-mid-level $3.27 million. Currently, the Knicks are above the luxury-tax apron and are forbidden to obtain a free agent through a sign-and-trade or use the full mid-level to try to lure free agent Pau Gasol.
The pie-in-the-sky scenario for Jackson is to trade both Stoudemire and Andrea Bargnani’s expiring contracts, as that would put the Knicks under the salary cap. However, a source familiar with Jackson’s thinking said he believes Bargnani could fit in well in the triangle offense because of his shooting ability. He also thinks Bargnani could excel since he’s in a contract year.
Trading Stoudemire and Shumpert would seem to be too much. Stoudemire had a very strong finish and told The Post he’s shooting to return to the All-Star Game this season in New York.