With the Knicks’ 2016/17 season in the books, the focus in New York will shift to Carmelo Anthony‘s future with the franchise, and Anthony spoke to reporters on Wednesday about his current situation. The star forward is prepared to have his exit meeting on Thursday with Phil Jackson, GM Steve Mills, and head coach Jeff Hornacek, and suggests he’d like a “commitment to win” from the Knicks, as Ian Begley of ESPN.com and Marc Berman of The New York Post detail.
“I would love to be back, but there’s some things I’d love to see different — the mentality, a winning mentality, being committed to that,” Anthony said. “I want to win. Hopefully everybody else does. I wanted to win. They know that when I signed my contract a couple of years ago. That’s still my mindset. If that’s not the direction they want to go in — it’s communication. Just communicate.”
Anthony still wields a no-trade clause this summer, and while he has said all along that he’d love to remain in New York, his post-game comments on Wednesday indicate that if the Knicks want to rebuild around Kristaps Porzingis and the team’s other younger players, that will be something he takes into consideration as he decides whether to waive that NTC. Anthony’s comments suggest that he recognizes the Knicks would probably be open to a deal if he is.
“It’s all on me,” Anthony said. “I have a lot of thinking and reflecting to do. It’s all on me at this point. I’m pretty sure the organization has an idea and thought of what they want to do and how they want do it. At this point it’s all on me.”
Anthony clarified that he remains uncertain about what his future holds, and that hearing what the Knicks have in mind for him going forward will likely have an impact on his decision. As Begley details, Anthony also admitted that it was “hard to trust” Jackson after the Knicks president criticized him publicly earlier this season.
“If somebody was talking bad about you indirectly at your job, what would you do? You would feel a certain way,” Anthony said. “You would want that person to come straightforward with you. And I feel the same way. I’m always open. I’m a very honest person. I know the business and I know the game and I know how it works. So if it’s something that you want to get across, a message that you want to get across, I’ve always been open.”
A report earlier today indicated that the Knicks and Jackson each picked up their side of Jackson’s mutual option, locking him up as the team’s president for two more years. It remains to be seen whether that will reduce Anthony’s odds of sticking with the franchise.
Stay Melo, we’ll get Fox in the draft and get you a new coach.
You can to get out from here, Carmelos. We do not to want you.
it’s a shame the disrespect Melo is shown. He’s the best player we’ve seen in a Knicks jersey in 20+ years….Get a coach and better supporting cast and this team would easily be a 4-8 seed in the playoffs next year…and they need a new owner lol
Too many negatives: Age, contract, lack of defense.
No real upside.
Knicks are stuck with him.
I would like to see a commitment to giving back some of that 25mil if he really wants to win. Nix can’t pay any good free agents unless he does.
The Patrick MISTER Ewing the much better than the Carmelos 20 year ago, 1997. You can no to remember because maybe you so young.
No denying “The Patrick MISTER Ewing” was an all time great, but from 97 on he was a shell of his former self. And as much as I wish I was young I’m old enough to remember watching Ewing at Georgetown if that tells you anything.
Knicks fans want “Committment to pass the ball” from Carmelo.