New York Knicks Trade Rumors: Carmelo Anthony Still Hot Topic Around NBA
New York Knicks trade rumors about Carmelo Anthony haven’t quieted down at the NBA All-Star break, no matter how many stories have been published about his no-trade clause. With just a few days left until the NBA trade deadline hits on February 23, time is starting to run out for the Knicks to make a move, whether it includes Anthony as a primary component or not. This could be a heavy hint that Knicks president Phil Jackson is content to keep his roster the same for a second half push.
A report by NBA analyst and L.A. Lakers beat writer Mark Media states that Anthony reiterated that Kobe Bryant had given him advice on how to deal with the criticisms he has received from Jackson. While Anthony wouldn’t go into detail about the conversations, stating that they were private in nature, it certainly shows that the situation has almost become untenable in New York. Something may need to happen very soon, whether it is that Jackson gets fired or that Anthony gets traded to a new team.
Former Houston Rockets star Tracy McGrady, who was just named as a finalist for the Basketball Hall of Fame, has also decided to weigh in on the situation. A report by the New York Daily News quoted McGrady, who had nothing positive to say about the way Jackson has been dealing with the star player of the Knicks.
“Melo’s better than me because all that s–t that’s going on with Melo and Phil, and Phil has the arrogance to sit in the stands, at these games, and I’m playing great basketball — I’d be looking at him every trip down the court or something. Just gazing at him, like, ‘You see the s–t that I’m doing out here like every night? Nah.’ Some players can play through that, others can’t. Obviously, Melo is showing his mental toughness because playing in the Garden is not an easy place to play. Especially for Melo there. And he’s been doing his thing lately.”
As previously reported by the Inquisitr, in addition to all the New York Knicks trade rumors about Carmelo Anthony, there is also continued chatter about Derrick Rose and Brandon Jennings. Rose and Jennings are two veteran point guards on the last year of their current contracts. They could both be affordable options for other teams at the NBA trade deadline. If the Knicks don’t plan to re-sign either Rose or Jennings, then it might be a prime opportunity to bring back any possible assets. Losing them for nothing in free agency could be a bad thing for the organization.
The updated NBA standings underscore how difficult it would be for the Knicks to qualify for the 2017 NBA Playoffs. Currently, the Knicks are 12th place in the Eastern Conference at 23-34, putting the team four games behind the Detroit Pistons for the No. 8 seed. This could be another heavy hint to Phil Jackson that it is time to start breaking down the current roster and start reconstructing the team for the 2016-17 NBA season. Could pride keep that from happening? Jackson would have to publicly admit that he failed in his effort to put a contending team on the floor.
The best asset that the Knicks have to work with at the NBA trade deadline is Carmelo Anthony. In order to have the best opportunity to actually deal him, Jackson needs to sit down with him and discuss where he would be willing to play this season and the next. That might allow a multiple-team deal to surface where the Knicks also deal Rose and bring back several young players and draft picks. Until that meeting happens, though, fans are going to have to take all the latest New York Knicks trade rumors with a grain of salt.
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