Carmelo Anthony

Carmelo Anthony Hopes To Play 20 Seasons

March 8th, 2017 at 4:59pm CST by Luke Adams

Carmelo Anthony is currently in the midst of his 14th NBA season, and he thinks he still has several more years left in him. As Marc Berman of The New York Post writes, Anthony has set a goal of playing 20 total seasons in the NBA, which would mean another six more years starting in 2017/18.

“I would love to get 20 in, I could do 20,” Anthony said on Wednesday. “I could do 20. I’ve done a great job taking care of my body. I’ll continue doing that. No severe injuries. I can see myself going for 20.”

The 2022/23 season would be Anthony’s 20th, so he still has quite a ways to go. Major injury problems or a significant drop-off in his production in the coming years could force the veteran forward to eventually reevaluate that goal. However, more and more NBA stars are approaching that two-decade mark as of late.

Dirk Nowitzki, who surpassed the 30,000-point mark on Tuesday night, has said he plans to return for 2017/18, which will be his 20th season. Vince Carter has also expressed a desire to put off retirement for at least one more year and get to his 20th season. Even Jason Terry, who will have to play two more seasons to get to No. 20, said last month that he hopes he can pull it off.

While Anthony is no longer the superstar scorer he was four seasons ago, when he led the NBA with 28.7 PPG, his numbers haven’t fallen off substantially. The longtime Knick, who earned his eighth consecutive All-Star nod this season, is averaging 23.2 PPG through 62 games.

Anthony has never averaged below 20.8 PPG in a season since entering the NBA, and while that won’t continue forever, he has a chance to reach some milestones of his own in the next few years if he can stay healthy, either in New York or with another team. Earlier this season, he passed Charles Barkley to become the league’s 30th-leading scorer of all time.

Knicks Notes: Jennings, Griffin, Hornacek, Porzingis

March 5th, 2017 at 10:26am CST by Arthur Hill

Brandon Jennings is still taking shots at the Knicks, even though he’s now in a Wizards uniform, relays Keely Diven of CSNMidAtlantic. After his first game for Washington on Friday, Jennings told reporters the change has been beneficial. “I’m in the same position I was in New York,” he said, “but just in a better system for me personally and with a team that actually plays together.” Jennings was never shy about criticizing the Knicks while he played there, perhaps surprised to see the inner turmoil in the organization after signing a one-year deal worth more than $4.8MM last summer. Jennings agreed to a buyout with New York and signed with the Wizards on Wednesday. He will be an unrestricted free agent again in July.

There’s more out of New York:

Cavaliers GM David Griffin said the team agreed to take J.R. Smith from the Knicks in a 2015 trade involving Iman Shumpert so it wouldn’t have to surrender a first-round pick, tweets Howard Beck of Bleacher Report. Griffin recounted the deal Saturday at the Sloan Sports Analytics Conference. Smith and Shumpert both became contributors during the Cavs’ two trips to the NBA Finals, while the Knicks received Lance Thomas, Lou Amundson, Alex Kirk and a 2019 second-rounder.
Coach Jeff Hornacek says defensive lapses, not the triangle offense, are behind the Knicks’ difficulties in closing out games, according to Al Iannazzone of Newsday. Several players have been pointing fingers at the triangle, with Carmelo Anthony saying after Friday’s loss to the Sixers that other teams adjust during the games, but the Knicks don’t. “When we get down, especially in fourth quarters, we want to run something that’s part of a system,” Hornacek said. “The triangle aspects is one of the systems that you can run that hopefully they can’t double, hopefully they can’t switch. It at least gets you organized in a set.”
Phil Jackson’s attempts to trade Anthony and Derrick Rose before the deadline are evidence that the Knicks will eventually revolve around Kristaps Porzingis, Iannazzone writes in a separate story. He suggests that Porzingis should be made the focus of the offense now, even if it means fewer touches for Anthony.

Carmelo Anthony: Tanking A “Terrible Way To Think”

March 3rd, 2017 at 9:26pm CST by Milo Taibi

The Knicks may be hard-pressed to make the postseason- FiveThirtyEight currently gives them a 2% chance of making the playoffs- but Carmelo Anthony doesn’t think that gives the team license to tank. Speaking to Laura Albanese of Newsday, Anthony said the Knicks shouldn’t focus on moving up in the draft lottery.

“As a player, you always disagree with that,” Anthony said, when asked if the Knicks should give up on the playoffs. “We’re the ones that are out there and playing and trying to win basketball games. I think it’s easier from the outside looking in, from a fan perspective, to say, OK, just tank, just lose games. I don’t know how you do that as a player.

I don’t know how you go into a game and say, ‘Today we’re going to try to lose this game or these next 15, 20 games. We’re going to figure out ways to lose and tank the season and start thinking about draft picks.’ That’s a terrible way to think and I don’t think any player in any sport should be thinking that.”

Anthony provides an interesting sentiment on the prospect of tanking from the player’s perspective. Clearly, producing sub-par lineups takes an emotional strain on highly competitive athletes. Unfortunately for Anthony, the Knicks appear content to make decisions without his input. According to Fred Kerber of the New York Post, Anthony wasn’t notified before Brandon Jennings was waived; a move detrimental to the team’s already fleeting playoff chances. What’s more, the team could always opt to sit Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis down the stretch, as Frank Isola of the Daily News alluded to in a recent column.

Anthony, who last made a postseason appearance in 2012/13, admitted he missed competing in the playoffs.

It’s something that I’ve gotten used to throughout my career,” Anthony told Albanese. “Just being there and giving myself a shot of at least seeing what can happen in the playoffs. I miss it. I miss it a lot. It’s something that I think about.”

Knicks Notes: Anthony, Jackson, Rose, Porzingis

March 1st, 2017 at 10:00pm CST by Arthur Hill

Carmelo Anthony wants another face-to-face meeting with Knicks president Phil Jackson after the season, according to Fred Kerber of The New York Post. Anthony is seeking clarity on his future in New York after the team reportedly discussed trading him to the Celtics, Cavaliers or Clippers before last week’s deadline. Any of those deals would have required Anthony to waive his no-trade clause.

Anthony wants to address the rest of this season before discussing his next move. “I don’t think right now,” he said. “Right now we’ve got to sit down and kind of finish these games and go back down to the drawing board after this season.”

There’s more news out of New York:

Anthony wasn’t notified before Brandon Jennings was waived on Monday, but said he understands not being part of every personnel decision, Kerber relays in the same piece. Jennings had requested the move and agreed to a buyout so he could join a contender. He signed with the Wizards earlier today. “As players we don’t really know what happens behind closed doors unless they bring it to us,” Anthony said. “That wasn’t something that they brought to us.”
Derrick Rose‘s desire to play for a winner will affect his decisions in free agency this summer, writes Marc Berman of The New York Post. Rose plans to address that topic with Knicks management during his exit meeting. “We had extremely high expectations for this team,” Rose said. “The reality is, I can’t get mad at it. If anything it’s a learning experience. I have to learn from it.’’ Rose can sign an extension with New York before the start of free agency July 1st, but the team has been disappointed with his performance since last summer’s trade with Chicago and may not want to make a long-term commitment.
Coach Jeff Hornacek has incorporated Jackson’s triangle offense more frequently as the season wears on, and big man Kristaps Porzingis believes that’s the right approach, Berman writes in a separate story. “We should’ve been playing it from the beginning of the season,’’ Porzingis said. “We’re a little behind. I don’t know when we can finally start using it properly and making an impact.”

Knicks Notes: Rose, Jennings, Randle, Ndour

February 27th, 2017 at 6:39pm CST by Milo Taibi

The Knicks appear to be done with buyouts after parting ways with Brandon Jennings today. While there was some speculation about Derrick Rose being cut by the club, Ramona Shelburne of ESPN suggests the Knicks probably won’t complete any more buyouts unless “a player they like becomes available.” (Twitter link)

Despite Jeff Hornacek‘s words to the contrary, the Knicks appear to be in full-on tank mode at this point. Sporting a 24-35 record, the Knicks are four games behind Detroit for the eighth seed of the Eastern Conference.

Knicks Notes: Anthony, Rose, Porzingis, Jackson

February 24th, 2017 at 4:45pm CST by Milo Taibi

Carmelo Anthony is unsure of the Knicks‘ direction after standing pat at the trade deadline. “I think they were kind of planning on the trade deadline, whether they were trying to make moves,” Anthony said. “I think that was one plan. Now they’ve got to get back to the drawing board and come up with another plan about the future of this team.”

Anthony’s frustration is understandable. Team president Phil Jackson extensively discussed the prospect of shopping Anthony, despite ‘Melo’s no-trade clause. While Anthony wasn’t mentioned in trade rumors throughout the deadline, the team was apparently rebuffed by Minnesota on a Ricky Rubio-for-Derrick Rose swap. Anthony claimed he “kind of knew” he wouldn’t be dealt in the days leading up to the deadline, and spoke for his teammates in criticizing the front office’s lack of transparency.

“Yeah, I mean, nobody likes to be in limbo,” Anthony said. “We all want to know kind of what’s going on, especially when it’s involving you. I think there’s other players who feel the same way, that they want to be involved — not involved, but at least up to date with what’s going on.”

Deveney’s Latest: Tucker, Favors, Gallinari, Anthony

February 23rd, 2017 at 9:49am CST by Dana Gauruder

P.J. Tucker‘s expiring, affordable contract makes him the player most likely to be dealt before today’s trade deadline, according to Sean Deveney of the Sporting News. The Suns are holding out for a first-round pick for the veteran small forward, even if it’s a future first-rounder that they can use down the road as an asset, Deveney continues. The Jazz, Celtics, Clippers, Nuggets, Timberwolves, Hawks and Bulls have all shown interest in Tucker, giving the Suns hope they can get a first-round pick for him, Deveney adds.

Deveney touched on a number of other players who could be wearing a different uniform by the end of the day:

Luxury-tax concerns have the Jazz exploring the market for power forward Derrick Favors. Rudy Gobert‘s extension kicks in next season and Utah is hopeful of re-signing Gordon Hayward in the likelihood he opts out of the final year of his current contract this summer. That makes Favors expendable but his nagging knee injury has tempered the market for him.
Danilo Gallinari is drawing more interest on the market than fellow Nuggets forward Wilson Chandler. Denver is seeking a first-rounder for either player but Gallinari’s ability to opt out of his contract after the season makes it more difficult for the Nuggets to get value for him.
Carmelo Anthony is likely to stay put unless Knicks president Phil Jackson can revive talks with the Clippers. Jackson is also trying to deal free agents he signed last summer — Courtney Lee and Joakim Noah — for draft picks.
The Hawks, Hornets and Bucks have shown interest in point guard Darren Collison as the Kings continue their latest rebuild in the wake of the DeMarcus Cousins blockbuster.
The Bulls, Pacers and possibly the Mavericks are still in play as potential suitors for Sixers power forward Jahlil Okafor but Philadelphia is not determined to move him unless it gets the right package.
The Mavericks are hopeful of getting a first-rounder for either Andrew Bogut or Deron Williams but may be willing to settle for a couple of second-rounders.

Trade Rumors: Knicks, C. Lee, Raptors, Collison

February 22nd, 2017 at 12:21pm CST by Luke Adams

As of this afternoon, Carmelo Anthony still hasn’t been approached by Knicks management about any trade scenarios, and reiterated that he expects to remain in New York through the deadline, tweets Ian Begley of ESPN.com. However, even if Anthony stays put, the Knicks could look to move a veteran player or two. Derrick Rose‘s name has surfaced in several rumors this week, and Tommy Beer of Basketball Insiders makes a case for why New York should send him to the Timberwolves for Ricky Rubio. Elsewhere at Basketball Insiders, Steve Kyler reports that veteran guard Courtney Lee is believed to be available.

Here are a few more trade rumors and notes from around the NBA:

The Raptors remain in the market for a big small forward or a wing who can shoot, sources tell Josh Lewenberg of TSN 1050 (Twitter link). Lewenberg suggests that Toronto could dangle Jared Sullinger‘s expiring contract, a point guard, and a draft pick as the team searches for a deal.
In the wake of the DeMarcus Cousins trade, Kings point guard Darren Collison told reporters that he has spoken to Vlade Divac and the Sacramento GM said there are no plans to trade Collison (video link via ABC10). Given how Divac and the Kings dealt with Cousins, it’s probably fair to take those assurances with a grain of salt.
Speaking of that Cousins deal, Tim Bontemps of The Washington Post provides some additional details on the first-round pick sent to the Kings in the swap. According to Bontemps (Twitter link), if the Pelicans keep the top-three protected pick in 2017, it will become protected only for the No. 1 overall pick in 2018.

Knicks Rumors: Rose, Carmelo, O’Quinn, Jennings

February 22nd, 2017 at 7:10am CST by Luke Adams

The Knicks have been actively exploring potential Derrick Rose trades with the deadline nearing, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical (podcast link). As Wojnarowski notes, the club’s approach to Rose suggests there isn’t a ton of interest in re-signing him this summer.

According to Ian Begley of ESPN.com, some members of the Knicks organization are “wary” of taking on any long-term salary back in a deal for Rose, since the team could free up more than $21MM for 2017/18 by keeping the point guard’s expiring contract on the books.

As the Knicks mull what to do with Rose, here are a few more notes on the team from Wojnarowski and Begley:

Rival executives around the NBA believed – as of Tuesday evening – that the Clippers and Celtics haven’t entirely closed the door on a Carmelo Anthony trade, writes Begley. Still, according to Wojnarowski, the Knicks have been underwhelmed by what teams are willing to give up for Anthony, reducing their motivation to move him.
Per Wojnarowski, it’s possible that the Knicks hang onto Anthony through the deadline, then try to reopen trade scenarios around the 2017 draft. Begley reports that some people within the Clippers organization think that the All-Star forward would be open to waiving his no-trade clause and approving a move to Los Angeles in the summer.
Even if the Knicks don’t move any marquee veterans, a deal this week is possible. According to Begley, teams have asked about guys like Kyle O’Quinn and Brandon Jennings in recent days.

Trade Candidate: Carmelo Anthony

February 20th, 2017 at 11:24pm CST by ChrisCrouse

As the February 23 trade deadline nears, Hoops Rumors will be taking a closer look at several players we consider trade candidates, discussing their value, speculating on potential destinations, and explaining why they are – or should be – available. These players won’t necessarily be dealt in advance of the deadline, but it won’t be surprising if they are.

Carmelo Anthony, F
New York Knicks
2016/17 salary: $24,559,380
Under contract through the 2018/19 season, though his deal contains an ETO for the final year
Trade restrictions: No-Trade Clause

The Knicks surprisingly beat the Spurs last weekend in what could be Carmelo Anthony’s final home game as a member of the team. New York doesn’t have another game before the February 23 trade deadline and while the odds are against an Anthony trade, if he were to be moved, it wouldn’t be the most shocking trade to happen this week.

How Did We Get Here?

It appears that team president Phil Jackson wants Anthony to play for another team, as evidenced by his disparagement of the 10-time All-Star. The Zen Master subtweeted the star and he allegedly had a hand in the article written by his close associate, Charley Rosen, which condemned Anthony. Rosen opined that Anthony’s legs had similar principles to a homerun leaving Yankee Stadium and he concluded his subjective piece with this sentiment: The only sure thing is that Carmelo Anthony has outlived his usefulness in New York.

Anthony still has plenty left in the tank. At age 32, he’s no longer the nimblest of athletes. When he drives at defenders, he powers into them at a controlled speed while always remaining a threat to stop and utilize his deadly jumpshot. He’s not going to rival LeBron James‘ all-around game on a nightly basis, but he’s still a top-30 player in the league and he’s one of the best on the offensive end.

There’s a recipe for constructing a winning Melo team, yet for the longest time, Jackson seemed disinterested in reading anyone else’s cookbook. Anthony needs to be surrounded by shooters along with a defensive anchor in the post while playing in a free-flowing offense. For over half of his tenure with the Knicks, Jackson insisted on the triangle, an offense which has principles installed in sets around the league but it hasn’t been successful as a standalone offense for quite some time. Kristaps Porzingis can develop into the team’s defensive anchor, but Jackson’s signing of Joakim Noah delays his development at the five. Additions Courtney Lee and Lance Thomas are good fits for the quintessential system, but Derrick Rose and Brandon Jennings are equally poor fits for it.

The mismatch of talent will likely lead New York to the lottery again this season. If this team was winning, the Jackson-Anthony estrangement might be blanketed, but that’s not the case, as our Reverse Standings indicate.

Why Trading Anthony Is Problematic

Anthony’s no-trade clause presents problems for the Knicks. New York can only send Anthony to places he wants to go, which limits the marketplace and therefore, damages the team’s bargaining power in negotiations. Without a full league of competition, rival teams can make underwhelming offers for Anthony and if the Knicks are determined to move him, they will be forced to take a less-than-desirable deal.

Another obstacle in an Anthony deal is his trade kicker, as Bobby Marks of The Vertical notes. Anthony will receive a 15% bonus should the team trade him and that bonus will take into account the remaining amount owed on his contract once he’s dealt (to skip the salary cap math, scroll down two paragraphs).

He has slightly over $78.73MM left on his current deal, though by the time the trade deadline arrives, he will have already made nearly $17.50MM this season. He can void the final year, which is worth just under $27.93MM, if he opts to activate his Early Termination Option. However, that amount is included in the calculation of trade bonus and if Anthony is traded Thursday at the deadline, the amount of the bonus will be slightly under $9.19MM.

That amount would get paid by the Knicks, but it would go on the acquiring team’s salary cap. It would be split equally over the remaining guaranteed years of the deal (not including the final year of the deal since it’s not guaranteed that he will receive it due to the ETO). Anthony’s cap hit on a new team for the 2016/17 season would be $29,153,188. As Marks noted, the trade bonus could be amended to match salaries, but not if the acquiring team is hard capped (hello Cleveland). The acquiring team, if over the salary cap, would need to send back salaries that are within 125% of Anthony’s salary plus $100K, which at the aforementioned figure comes out to $23.25MM.

The team that takes on Anthony would add $29,153,188 to this year’s salary cap and $30,837,568 to next season’s. The acquiring team would also take on another $27.93MM on the 2018/19 season’s salary cap should Anthony decide not to terminate the final year of the deal. By the time Anthony makes a decision on that option, he’ll be 34 years old. He could very well opt to hit the open market in hopes of landing one more lucrative deal or he could take the security of his current contract. Either way, by that point in his career, there’s little chance that his contract resembles anything that’s described as team-friendly.

Anthony’s Most Likely Destinations

Anthony hasn’t publicly stated that he would waive his no-trade clause for any team, but he would reportedly be open to a trade if it sent him to the Clippers, Cavs or Celtics.

Los Angeles isn’t willing to surrender any of its core players for Anthony, but the team had discussions with the Knicks and offered New York a package headlined by Austin Rivers in exchange for the 32-year-old. It’s easy to see why the Knicks didn’t complete that deal, as the package included no first-round picks or promising players on team-friendly deals. A Blake Griffin-Anthony swap seems like the best case scenario for the team, but New York can not acquire Griffin while Rose is on the team because of a CBA rule that prevents teams from carrying more than one player currently signed via a designated player extension.

New York would like to bring back Kevin Love in an Anthony deal, but Love will be sidelined with a knee injury for the next several weeks so that presumably kills any chance of him heading to New York before the deadline. Even if he was healthy, it was unlikely the Knicks could acquire him, as the Cavs appear unwilling to move the big man. Cleveland remains interested in acquiring Anthony, but only if doesn’t involve Love, James or Kyrie Irving. There’s no indication that the teams have discussed what a trade package would look like. It would have to involve at least two players of a group that includes Tristan Thompson, J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert, and Channing Frye in order to make the salaries work, as Luke Adams of Hoops Rumors wrote earlier this month.

The Celtics make the most sense for an Anthony destination out of these three teams. They have the assets to offer the Knicks a reasonable deal and doing so wouldn’t necessarily gut a major piece from the team’s roster. However, Boston is reportedly uninterested in bringing the star to town.

An Outside-The-Box Destination

Anthony values being in New York, a place where his wife, La La, has several business ventures. He admitted that his family will play a role in deciding whether or not he waives his no-trade clause.

“My family, my son being comfortable in New York at an age now where he gets an opportunity to understand being in New York, having a home here, having friends here, my wife working there, having opportunities there,” Anthony said (via The New York Post’s Marc Berman). “I think about that more so than my decision for my career. At the end of the day, it will come down to my decision, but I think more about what my family is thinking, what they’re going to go through if anything was to happen.”

Location is a major factor for Anthony, which is why the Nets should consider making a cross-town call to the Knicks. If a Rivers-centered package appears to be the best offer on the table for Anthony, it would be smart for any team to try and top that because acquiring Anthony at that price is a low-risk transaction. Wouldn’t Jeremy Lin, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, and a lottery-protected future first-rounder (2020) be a better haul than the underwhelming packages Jackson has seen? A young prospect plus a future draft pick plus cap space is a nice formula for trading a star.

Trading Anthony to the Nets benefits the Knicks beyond the haul they receive. Boston has the right to swap picks with Brooklyn this season and the team owns Brooklyn’s 2018 first-rounder outright. If the Knicks send Anthony to the Nets, it will hurt New York in the standings, which will lead to a higher pick in the draft this season, and it will indirectly hurt the Celtics’ chances of landing a star-prospect through the draft over the next two seasons since the value of the two picks are reliant on Brooklyn’s success (or lack thereof). The Celtics are constructed to compete for a title today and they could add a top prospect to an already-loaded roster via those picks. The Knicks could be playing catch-up for the next decade unless the Nets get better overnight.

With Boston owning those picks, Brooklyn’s path to relevancy remains difficult. The Nets can’t employ a tanking strategy; there’s no benefit for Brooklyn to do it over the next two seasons. Free agency and trades are going to be the main sources of acquiring talent. The team isn’t a major free agent destination right now, but adding Anthony could change that image. GM Sean Marks could sell free agents on playing alongside Anthony and Brook Lopez or he could deal Lopez to bring Anthony another sidekick.

From Brookyn’s perspective, there’s not much risk associated with bringing Anthony to the team as long as you can acquire him at the right price. The team would need to make sure protections are placed on any outgoing pick so that if Anthony bolts in free agency and the team drops in the standings, it wouldn’t be losing a valuable asset.

Before the Nets could consider adding Anthony, they’d have to convince him to waive his no-trade clause and there’s a pitch to be made. They could offer him more involvement in the team’s moves and an escape from the James Dolan-Jackson shadow. They could offer the opportunity to change teams without him having to move his family (although he would have a rougher commute for his new gig). Anthony keeps his no-trade clause with any deal the Knicks make, per the CBA, and the small-forward can leave via free agency in the summer of 2018 should he desire to.

Anthony playing for the Nets is a far-fetched idea. It’s completely speculative and unlikely to occur, yet it’s a proposal that could benefit all parties involved.

The Most Likely Trade Deadline Outcome

While the Knicks would like to trade Anthony, it’s likely he stays put through the trade deadline because of his no-trade clause.

“I haven’t figured out a situation that makes sense for both parties,” Anthony said via The Undefeated’s Marc J. Spears. “I am not the kind of guy who just goes out there and says, ‘Get me outta here … get me outta here,’ without having a plan. It’s bigger than that.”

What do you think? What teams should Anthony be willing to waive his no-trade clause for and what should the Knicks get in return? Weigh in below in the comments section with your thoughts and possible trade ideas.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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