Carmelo Anthony‘s loyalty to the Knicks has been kind of admirable. He’s stuck with the team despite things like injuries and his own free agency, and considering that his window for winning a title keeps getting smaller, the fact he hasn’t bolted to go to a better situation is a bit surprising.
But still, Melo’s title window keeps closing. The Eastern Conference is in a position where, with a few big free agent signings and a savvy draft pick, the Knicks can be right there for a potential top-four seed next season. A core of Melo, Kristaps Porzingis, and Robin Lopez is fine, but with some big names in free agency on the horizon, the Knicks may be a signing or two away from doing something special.
This is something Anthony is apparently aware of. So much so that he is demanding to be included in the Knicks’ decision-making process this summer, according to the New York Daily News.
Carmelo Anthony issued something of an ultimatum on the final day of another lost season, sending a stronger message to Phil Jackson about his desire to be part of the big summer decisions.
“If I’m going to be a part of this organization and the future of this organization, then I want to be a part of the decision-making in some way shape or form,” the star said before sitting out Tuesday’s game against the Pacers.
Melo said that he’s always looking at the list of possible free agents this offseason, which includes guys like Kevin Durant, Al Horford, and Mike Conley. The free-agent pool could also include guys like LeBron James and DeMar DeRozan, so if the Knicks play their cards right, they can end up with a really awesome starting five next year.
Sure, there are plenty of concerns that will always exist with the Knicks as long as Phil Jackson is in charge, namely whether free agents will fit into the Triangle and whether the team will be willing to fork over money to pull in big names. But by the sounds of it, the Knicks need to do something, as a stale offseason seems like it would cause a major rift between Melo and the team.
