5 NBA teams that should be selling at the trade deadline

5. New York Knicks

After the absurdities the New York Knicks have endured over the past month, Kristaps Porzingis is the only member of the organization—among players and front office executives alike—who should feel safe about his long-term future in New York.

Through passive-aggressive leaks and Twitter barbs, team president Phil Jackson is doing everything in his power to drive Carmelo Anthony out of town. Jackson’s antics may be backfiring, however, as The Vertical’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported they’re only serving to “harden Anthony’s resolve to remain with the franchise.” Woj added that a direct, face-to-face meeting between the two “might have convinced Anthony to be more open to accepting a trade, league sources said, but Jackson’s insistence on public over private communication has severely damaged the relationship—likely beyond repair.”

Jackson has only himself to blame for this particular mess, as he was the one who included a no-trade clause in the five-year, $124 million contract Anthony signed with the Knicks in 2014. Had said contract not contained a no-trade clause, Jackson could have pawned him off to the highest bidder by Feb. 23, but he instead must consult Anthony on any prospective deals involving him to get final approval.

Resolving the Jackson-Anthony melodrama must be atop the Knicks’ list of organizational priorities, but Anthony shouldn’t be the only veteran on the trade block in New York. If the Knicks can find someone interested in the remainder of Derrick Rose’s $21.3 million expiring contract, they should pack his bags and put him on the next flight out of LaGuardia. On the off chance they find a taker for Joakim Noah and his albatross of a four-year, $72 million deal, Jackson and Co. should immediately call the trade in to the league before the other team backs out.

Wojnarowski and The Vertical’s Chris Mannix reported last month that Jackson hoped to begin rebuilding around Porzingis, so there’s little sense in keeping around veterans such as Anthony, Noah, Rose and Courtney Lee. Considering the depths to which the franchise has fallen in recent weeks, New York should abandon any hopes of an accelerated rebuild, sell off its veterans and begin accumulating assets more in line with Porzingis’ developmental timeline. Otherwise, the Knicks risk turning him into the next DeMarcus Cousins—a transcendent talent who’s undermined by the all-encompassing dysfunction that consumes his franchise.

Next: 4. Orlando Magic