Seth Wenig/Associated Press

The New York Knicks are reportedly heading toward the Feb. 6 NBA trade deadline with an eye toward acquiring "starter-level players," not just selling off their own veterans for future assets.

Ian Begley of SNY reported Wednesday the Knicks' desire to avoid a fire sale comes as the "front office faces a tenuous future because of the team's poor play."

The lack of a clear vision is a key reason New York is on pace to miss the playoffs for a seventh consecutive season.

Former head coach David Fizdale, who was fired in December, referenced the problem Wednesday during an appearance on ESPN's Golic and Wingo (via Malika Andrews of ESPN).

"It is a team that has struggled for a long time, and I think fans really want to get that thing going as soon as possible," Fizdale said. "It's unique from that standpoint. There's other places you can take your time a little more and build more slowly."

After the Knicks missed out on last summer's wealth of marquee free agents, the focus should have shifted toward adding youth, acquiring future draft picks and limiting the amount of veterans taking minutes from young players in need of development.

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New York's front office, facing the pressure to get the team back in the postseason, instead signed a bunch of middle-tier free agents, highlighted by Julius Randle and Marcus Morris.

The decision didn't move the Knicks any closer to championship contention, and the raised expectations that came from the additions likely played a role in Fizdale's firing after the team's slow start.

It doesn't sound like the mindset has changed much heading into the deadline. Adding replacement-level players won't significantly alter the Knicks' future, and doing so will probably only further hamper the franchise's extended rebuild.

Superstars are the name of the game in the NBA, especially in the playoffs. The Knicks might have one in rookie RJ Barrett, but he's still developing and there isn't enough high-level talent around him to make any serious noise. That's why they own the league's third-worst record at 10-27.

New York should be in total sell mode ahead of the deadline. Move players who won't be in the mix when the team may finally be ready to contend in a few years for assets that can aid the retooling process. That would also help the organization's chances of improving its odds for the 2020 NBA draft lottery.

The only exception would be if the Knicks can swing a blockbuster trade to acquire a top-tier player to slide in alongside Barrett, but that seems like a long shot given the assets they have to deal.