NBA trade news: Phil Jackson confirms Knicks roster available for trade except Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis

In a statement that will probably trigger more trade rumours for his team, New York Knicks president Phil Jackson revealed that the Knicks were looking for deals to improve the team, but remains adamant about not making Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis available.

"I think it is a known fact that Carmelo has a no-trade [clause]," The Zen Master said, reports ESPN’s Ian Begley. "And we like Kris. There's not too many people that ever would say that I would trade [Kristaps]."

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Anthony has been linked to trade rumours in the past weeks, with the New York Daily News’ Frank Isola suggesting that the Knicks superstar should consider waiving his no-trade clause and join a winning team that has a legitimate chance of contending for an NBA title. Isola also cited an NBA executive who believes the Knicks could get something in return for trading Anthony.

While there is no definite trade deal yet for the Knicks, the team is believed to be monitoring the market for a point guard who could instantly address their PG issues. Two players that have been linked to the Knicks are Detroit Pistons’ Brandon Jennings and Atlanta Hawks’ Jeff Teague, reports Begley.

The Hawks have made Teague available to other teams due to his declining production and with the team favouring Dennis Schroeder as their starting PG. Meanwhile, Jennings has long been linked to the rumour mill because of his expiring contract, and the Knicks are closely looking at the point guard’s production after his recovery from an Achilles injury.

Any of the two would certainly be an upgrade for the Knicks, who only have Jose Calderon and Langston Galloway as their rotational point guards. But while Jackson confessed the need to engage in trade talks, the former Chicago Bulls and LA Lakers coach acknowledged the lack of pieces to maneuver a deal with rival teams.

"Do we sit in a really favorable spot? Probably not," Jackson said. "We don't have a tremendous amount of favorable trade items that are on our roster."

The Knicks are on the verge of another dismal season with their campaign for a playoff spot slowly fading. They are currently 23-31 and well behind the top eight teams in the Eastern Conference, making a trade the most ideal move.