With Jeremy Lin and Landry Fields Poised To Leave New York, Are The Knicks Doomed To Fail Again?

As Jeremy Lin and Landry Fields appear to each have one foot out the door, are the key free agents -- combined with a continued lack of new players on their roster -- killing the Knicks' chances of having a deep playoff run in the 2012-2013 season?

Coming off a season in which the New York Knicks notched their first playoff win in more than a decade, the team's loyal fans were excited to see the blue-and-orange make a return to the post-season next year, perhaps with the help of a nice acquisition during the off-season.

But it appears that the team is instead losing players left and right, and Madison Square Garden looks a lot less desirable as Linsanity will likely head to Houston if point guard Jeremy Lin accepts a big offer reportedly made by the Rockets on Wednesday, according to the Houston Chronicle.

And as if that weren't bad enough, fan favorite Landry Fields has agreed to terms on a three-year $19 million, back-loaded offer sheet that will send him to the Toronto Raptors if the Knicks don't match it on July 11, Fields' agent Chris Emens told the New York Post.

The New York backcourt appears headed to greener pastures, as Fields is basically gone already and the Houston Rockets appear willing to do anything within their power to get Lin, the young, breakout star who captivated the world this past season with his record-breaking performance for the Knicks.

A league source told the New York Post that Lin would be getting a contract offer today from the Rockets possibly worth about $30 million.

Jeremy Lin's an excellent player,'' Rockets general manager Daryl Morey told the New York Post. We got to know him firsthand when he was with the Rockets early this season. We think he'd make a fantastic addition to our team.''

And Iman Shumpert, the Knicks' rookie sensation would be a likely replacement in the backcourt, but he hurt himself severely toward the end of this past season, leaving New York in an even worse situation as the team continues to monitor the injury.

But the Knicks aren't just going to let the team go out the window, and as Lin considers the Rockets' offer, Steve Nash is in the cross-hairs for New York.

Though the Knicks have said that they will match offers for Lin, ESPN The Magazine reported Thursday that New York may hesitate if a big four-year contract is floated by a rival team.

The aging superstar point guard for the Phoenix Suns has been one of the biggest targets of teams looking for a reliable floor general this off-season, and the Knicks are looking at some form of sign-and-trade scheme to get him, though Nash has not unequivocally stated whether or not he wants to go to the Knicks.

Even if the Knicks match Lin's offer sheet and he stays in the Big Apple, New York would still be looking for another point guard, and their top options may be Jason Kidd, Raymond Felton, and Pablo Prigioni of Spain.

But the Raptors, Dallas Mavericks and a number of other teams may be looking to sign a point guard, too, so the bidding wars are far from over, though July 11 -- the first day players can sign a new NBA contract -- is fast approaching.