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The New York Knicks and Phoenix Suns agreed to a blockbuster deal involving guard Stephon Marbury on Monday, ESPN.com reported. The Knicks would acquire the New York native along with guard Anfernee Hardaway and center Cezary Trybanski in exchange for forward Antonio McDyess, guard Howard Eisley, guard Charlie Ward, forward Maciej Lampe, the rights to guard Milos Vujanic, two first-round draft picks, and cash. The Suns would get the Knicks' first-round selection in 2004 and a future conditional first-rounder.
The trade still requires NBA approval, but we’re ready to discuss the potential fantasy ramifications before the league endorses the transaction.
For the Knicks, this is the first major maneuver by new general manager Isiah Thomas. The former Pistons’ star and Pacers’ head coach immediately provided what the team and city have long sought: a prominent point guard. The fact that Marbury is a native son of New York further sweetens the deal.
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Marbury takes his 20.8 points and 8.3 assists to a team that features sharp-shooting
guard Allan Houston (20.2 points), complimentary small forward Keith Van Horn
(16.9 points), and workhorse power forward Kurt Thomas (11.3 points, 9.0 rebounds).
Adjustments will have to be made to accommodate Marbury’s style, but we don’t expect Stephon’s fantasy value to change too much with this move. Marbury has averaged at least 20 points and 7.6 assists in five straight seasons (six including this year), and we don’t expect him to take a backseat in New York.
Marbury’s 20-plus points (and 18 shots) does not necessarily mean fewer opportunities for Houston and Van Horn. Eisley, Ward, and McDyess averaged a combined 23.8 points and 21.4 shots per game, although those numbers are a bit misleading due to injuries and shifts in playing time. At most, expect Houston and Van Horn to each lose one point per game.
The biggest fantasy winner in New York is Thomas. The versatile big man saw a dip in playing time and production when McDyess returned in December, but Kurt will once again receive huge minutes and regularly produce double-doubles. Fantasy owners bemoaning Thomas’ fate over the past month can once again expect him to be a steady stud for their squad.
Hardaway held very little fantasy value in Phoenix and will be even more useless in New York. Hardaway will have to compete with Shandon Anderson for the backup minutes to Houston and Van Horn. Trybanski is a work-in-progress.
Lastly, recently-emerging point guard Frank Williams will undoubtedly move back into the shadows and see scant playing time behind Marbury. He holds no fantasy interest.
Back in Phoenix, the fantasy outlook is not so sunny. The Suns opened up significant, future salary cap room with this move, which doesn’t help fantasy owners in the least bit. McDyess’ and Ward’s contracts both come off the books at the end of the season, and the Suns will be able to pursue a huge free agent, like Kobe Bryant.
Also of no fantasy interest are Lampe and Vujanic. Lampe, a rookie forward, did not play this season for the Knicks, and he’s very raw. The Suns will work to develop the 18-year-old over the next few years. The Knicks were unable to woo Vujanic, a heralded Yugoslavian point guard, away from Europe, and the Suns will be faced with the same conundrum in the future.
As for the now, the Suns haven’t helped their talent level. Power forward Amare Stoudemire is expected to return from an ankle sprain soon, and he’ll retain his starting and starring role. McDyess will settle for backup duty, which gives him very little (if any) fantasy value.
Ward and Eisley will battle for minutes at point guard, and this is a fight that we’ve witnessed in New York for a long time. If either player emerges as a clear victor, he will have minimal fantasy value in larger leagues.
That being said, the Suns will have some fantasy winners. Stoudemire (15.1) and Shawn Marion (18.6) may be called upon to increase their scoring averages, although opposing defenses can now focus on the two stars a lot more. With Hardaway departing, we would not be surprised if the Suns asked Joe Johnson (12.6) to pick up more of the offensive slack. The third-year guard has shown streaky scoring ability, but this may be his big chance to take up more of the load.
However, by far the more interesting part of this deal for the Suns will come in future seasons, as they develop youngsters and try to land a big name free agent or two.