Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony has been through four coaches and three general managers since being acquired from Denver five years ago in a blockbuster deal that was supposed to change the tide of New York basketball for the better. Unfortunately for the team and its fanbase, the results have been less than stellar since Anthony arrived in the Big Apple. The franchise has essentially had one standout season during Anthony’s tenure — the 54-win 2012/13 campaign that saw the Knicks reach the second round of the playoffs only to fall in six games to the Pacers. It’s hardly the return the organization envisioned when it gutted the roster to acquire the talented scorer from the Nuggets.
With the 2015/16 campaign rapidly spiraling out of control for the Knicks, there are rumblings that perhaps Anthony wants out of New York and wants greener pastures as his career winds down. The small forward hasn’t been shy about expressing his displeasure at the state of the franchise lately, which only serves to fuel the speculation that Melo’s tenure in New York is coming to an end. “It’s been tough. It’s challenging,” Anthony said. “It’s challenging to kind of stay strong and positive through all this. You can’t control that. When you look at it, how many different coaches? Four different coaches. [A lot of] different players. I mean, that’s a lot to go through.” Several teams reportedly believe that if New York doesn’t make much progress in its rebuilding by the middle of July, Anthony would be willing to waive his no-trade clause for a better chance at competing for an NBA title with another franchise.
The Knicks will have the opportunity to improve themselves via free agency this summer, though top-tier players certainly haven’t been falling over themselves to join the Knicks the past few years. This certainly casts some doubt on team president Phil Jackson‘s ability to add the second star player that Anthony has been clamoring for this offseason. Rookie big man Kristaps Porzingis certainly has the potential to evolve into a superstar, but that may take a few more seasons to come to fruition. With Anthony most certainly in his decline phase at 31 years of age, there’s no guarantee that he will still be considered a star by the time Porzingis is ready to carry the franchise.
This brings me to the topic for today: Should Carmelo Anthony waive his no-trade clause and push for a deal that would get him out of New York? What team would be the best fit?
Take to the comments section below to share your thoughts and opinions on the matter. We look forward to what you have to say.
TWO options here:
1. CELTICS (this is coming from a Laker fan).
They have great pieces, lots of assets, draft picks, etc, but need a star (crunch time guy who can take over the game if needed, take the last shot etc.). Adding Melo + a rim protector would make them a legitimate contender to take down the Cavs in the East (especially given how young the core is).
2. CAVS
Melo would have the chance to chase rings with his BFF Lebron, and swapping K-Love for Melo would work out for both teams (Knicks get a younger star to pair with the Zinger, and the Cavs get a better shooter/scorer in Melo to help them win NOW).
Both of these options have Melo staying in the LeastERN Conference with a chance to perennially be in the conference finals/finals….Melo ain’t no spring chicken (he’s 32), so clock is ticking, and seeing him waste the tail end of his prime on the bottom feeding Knicks seems like a shame (even if he loves NY, and wants to be loyal).
As we all know, in the scheme of things, the only thing that matters is rings….staying on the Knicks has him primed to be the next ringless great, i.e. Malone, Stockton, Barkley, Ewing, etc….
Its funny that you as a Lakers fan take a shot at the Eastern Conference being weaker. While the West has three of the four best teams (record wise), the East as a whole is actually doing better than the West. The East has 9 teams at or above .500 while the West has 8. The West has three teams with less than 20 wins compared to the East, who have two (although they have the team with the worst record).
Coming from a Knicks fan:
Of course he should. I appreciate his love for the team and city (although I’m sure his wife has a lot to do with that). But if we are talking common sense, then it’s a no brainier why would he want to play for a rebuilding losing team during his last good years that he has before he’s not considered a tier 1 or 2 player. Coming from the Knicks point of view it makes sense as well. They know they have a lot of work to do and by the time they are competitive (if they even get there) he will be just a role player.
I would not Melo on my team. He is anything but mellow. He’s a malcontent and poison. His success in Denver was due to how George Karl ran the team and he had Chauncey Billups. Someone will gamble on his talent but at his age he should have already been a better overall player. Pass
I don’t think Billups helped him near as much as Iverson did in those early Denver years but hey to each their own…
No way! Leaving my Knicks bias aside, he’s becoming a better team player. He’s dishing out a career high assists and rebounds per game, and still averages over 20 ppg despite taking the fewest shots per game since his second year in the league. Plus, the Knicks really seem poised to reach the playoffs next season. The East is notoriously weak compared to the West and the Knicks were plagued by a horrible losing streak that they addressed by firing Fisher. Plus, the Knicks have a lot of contracts coming off the books and with a good cast of core players still under contract for next season then Knicks should keep Anthony and make a run next year.
Amen my brother. Besides, the Knicks are 0-7 without Melo…
Knicks are 160-159 since acquiring Melo and 7-14 in the playoffs. Bad knees dump him while they still can.
Right. Best player Carmelo ever played with? A 32 year old Iverson. The man is a career 25 ppg, 6.6 rpg and 3.1 apg, he cannot do it alone… Maybe he should run to another team with 2 other superstars to try and win a championship.
Omar Melo is not poison and is a good teammate and generally well liked. A lot of stars around the league want to play with him. And lol at you saying the nuggets success was the coach and an aging Chauncy Billups. In fact that is probably his best teammate in his career which is sad. Even Lebron needed Wade and Bosh, MJ needed Pippen, etc.
The long answer: Yes.
If u can trade Melo for say Kevin Love and either Deladova or Mozgof I would do it