Mon, Jul 16, 2012 at 6:42pm

FELTON & THOMAS TO KNICKS FOR FOUR

The New York Knicks acquired point guard Raymond Felton and power forward/center Kurt Thomas from the Portland Trail Blazers for forward/center Jared Jeffries, center Dan Gadzuric, the draft rights to forward Giorgos Printezis and forward Kostas Papanikolaou, a 2016 second-round draft pick, and cash.

What does it give the New York Knicks
The Knicks were put in somewhat of a bind when usual starting point guard (and restricted free agent) {P Jeremy Lin} inked a three-year, $25.1 million offer sheet with Houston. Adding Felton here suggests New York will let Lin leave, especially since they already have veteran {P Jason Kidd} under contract and Felton is an established NBA starter. Felton was a bit of a bust with Portland last season but is still capable of putting up impressive numbers and running a team. Thomas adds important veteran clubhouse leadership and solid post play in spurts.

What does it give the Portland Trail Blazers
The Blazers drafted {P Damian Lillard} with their top pick in this year's draft and it's clear they see him as their new starting point guard. They could have let Felton walk for nothing but instead get several intriguing depth pieces here by helping unrestricted free agent Felton get a maximum salary deal with the Knicks. Jeffries is a top-end defender (when healthy) who can be a stopper at several positions, and the forward duo of Printezis and Papanikolaou were excellent for a great Olympiacos team in Europe this year (and both can be NBA regulars once they decide leave Greece, although it's uncertain when that will be). Gadzuric is a solid veteran big man who can give {P J.J. Hickson} some relief for limited minutes (if the Blazers decide to keep Gadzuric), and the pick and cash are nice added value here for Portland.

Fantasy impact