The New York Knicks have not backed down from their plans of trading shooting guard Iman Shumpert before the midseason deadline. As a matter of fact, speculations are starting to buzz regarding potential trade between the Knicks and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Looking to bounce back from one of the worst regular season starts in franchise history, the Knicks have been aggressive as of late in monitoring the trading floor with the hope of salvaging a key player to stop their losing woes.

Shumpert, who averaged 7.0 points and 4.1 rebounds in 30.1 minutes per game, is viewed as the Knicks' biggest trade bait because of the guard's upside despite coming off an ACL injury two seasons ago.

The Denver Nuggets, Sacramento Kings, and Cleveland Cavaliers have all expressed their interest in trading for Shumpert, but the Knicks front office is taking things slowly before they pull the trigger on this deal.

Trading with the Thunder

Western Conference powerhouse Oklahoma City Thunder could provide the most ideal situation for Shumpert and solid assets to the Knicks in return. Two summers after the James Harden trade, the Thunder is still in search for a player capable of racking up big points off the bench.

Second-year guard Jeremy Lamb has shown flashes of brilliance this season. However, the Thunder needs a more consistent scorer that would unload some of the burden on the shoulders of Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant.

On the other hand, Shumpert proved that he could make an impact with or without the ball through his first three seasons with the Knicks. Despite the presence of Carmelo Anthony as the primary scorer for the Knicks, Shumpert has been able to put something on board, whether it's on the offensive or defensive end of the court.

One possible trade scenario that might happen is the Knicks trading Shumpert to the Thunder in exchange for veteran power forward Nick Collison and a frist round pick in 2014 draft.

Collison, a tested banger in the league, could give the Knicks the toughness they need inside since Tyson Chandler went down to an injury early this season. Moreover, the draft pick will give New York an asset for future negotiations.

One measuring stick to determine the Thunder's interest in Shumpert is information shared by the New York Daily News, who reported that a league executive believed every team has set their sights on Shumpert.

"The rest of the league seems to value Iman more than the Knicks do. And his value is high," the report said.