Carmelo Anthony, who returns to Madison Square Garden for the first time tonight since a September trade to the Thunder, was open about his plans to leave New York throughout the summer, according to Ian Begley of ESPN.
While the Knicks and his agents were working out Anthony’s future, he isolated himself from the process, spending the offseason in intense workouts and star-studded pickup games that featured some of the NBA’s top players.
Privately, Anthony was telling friends that he didn’t plan to return to New York, even though he was under contract for this season. He also delivered that message to at least one unidentified free agent who was part of the pickup games, Begley relays, recommending that he not sign with the Knicks on the assumption that Anthony would be there.
Anthony was still stinging from the year-long feud with former team president Phil Jackson, who launched a public crusade to get his star player to waive his no-trade clause. Jackson called Anthony a poor fit for the triangle offense and insinuated that the franchise would be in better shape without his hefty salary taking up cap room.
The Knicks made several attempts to unload Anthony before the deal with the Thunder came together, according to Begley. Anthony’s representatives negotiated a buyout agreement that owner James Dolan rejected, trade scenarios with the Rockets dragged through most of the summer and the Knicks discussed Anthony with the Trail Blazers and several other teams.
With Jackson now gone, much of the animosity between Anthony and the Knicks seems to have subsided. Former teammates remain supportive, especially Kristaps Porzingis, who has inherited Anthony’s role as the franchise player.
“He was trying to do the right things to win, but it was just not clicking,” Porzingis said. “It was not the right pieces around him to make that happen. I’m grateful that I had a player like that on my team that I could learn from. Not only on-the-court stuff, but also off the court, a lot. So I can’t say a bad thing about Melo.”
Don’t know why Melo gets so much love. And it appears Phil was right. Knicks are a much better team without Carmelo
Without the triangle probably has more to do with it
Agreed
F ck Phil Jackson!!! Melo did the best he could without any help…
Agreed. Jackson gets more love than he should.
You guys are joking right? Most players in the NBA today couldn’t even stand next to Phil let alone be compared to his knowledge and success. Get a grip. Phil Jackson was not the problem.
Melo gets some love because he helped put the Knicks back on the map, even if it was only for a few seasons. He was also a big part of them fading out, but Phil Jackson played a bigger role in that than Melo.
bigz51, good call. If the triangle was still in place this year, I don’t think the Knicks are 15-13. It’s an archaic offense, one in which the Knicks did not have the right players to fit it.
Melo being gone is a good thing, but he still deserves some love as he was a top 15-20 player in the L for a majority of his time in NY.
The triangle offense doesn’t seem that bad. It had success albeit in the past and before the 3-ball era. Personally, I think that with the right players, it could’ve been at least somewhat effective. The bigger problem was that Phil Jackson insisted on running the triangle, but was unwilling to coach. The system isn’t going to work when you have a “Yes Man” (Derek Fisher) and a coach with no prior history running the triangle, but is forced to do so (Hornacek).
They didn’t have the right players to execute the triangle, either. Anthony is a half court ISO player. Didn’t work with D’Antoni, either. A good coach utilizes the strengths of the players and team, not enforce a system they weren’t made for. D’Antoni had the same problem in LA. Dwight Howard isn’t running the court executing 7 second time possessions.
Aw geeeeeez… I hope Melo really didn’t tell player(s) not to go to the Knicks.
( just not right …..would be very disappointing)
clearly you didn’t read the article. cracks me up how many people comment on content wo reading said content.
Fellas, save the excuses. Melo has done jack in the NBA as a “franchise player,” which he is not. If he ever sniffs another final appearance, it will be as bench player on a deep team.
The headline is very misleading if he just said not the sign under the assumption that he would still be a Knick.
People haven’t learned from CNN and the Washington post yet that headlines are designed to make you think a certain way, regardless of the articles content. Jeeze, I mean commenting without reading, amateur hour.