Back in the 2014 offseason, Carmelo Anthony signed a contract extension that would keep him in a Knicks uniform through at least the 2017-18 season. Since then, things have not gone exactly how either side was hoping. New York was one of the worst teams in the NBA in the 2014-15 season and, although there was improvement to the roster and more optimism heading into this year, New York sits at just 28-42 with just 12 games to play, a full eight games out of a playoff spot.
The Knicks have also been a bit of a mess off the court, firing their coach Derek Fisher halfway through the season and replacing him with Kurt Rambis, who hasn’t exactly righted the ship. Now there appears to be little direction going into the offseason other than “hope Kevin Durant will sign” and they might even have two different head coaches.
All of that has been tough on Anthony, whose production has also dipped slightly from previous years. Still, Knicks fans know that they can’t contend without Anthony despite his imperfections, so it may have been a bit jarring when he said this to reporters on Friday afternoon.
Carmelo on if he's going to be on the Knicks next season: "S—, I dunno. That's for you guys (the media) to speculate."
— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) March 18, 2016
Granted, Anthony didn’t exactly say he was looking for a change of scenery, but he also didn’t unequivocally say he was staying in New York. In order for Anthony to leave the Knicks, he would have to waive his no-trade clause, so he has full control over any deal that would send him to a new team.
Could the marriage between the Knicks and Carmelo be coming to end? There are about 29 other NBA teams that would love to have his services, but the price on Phil Jackson’s end would presumably be too steep for most to really consider it. At the very least, though, it’s something to monitor as the Knicks limp to the finish line of their third consecutive losing season.
