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Poll: Should Knicks Trade Carmelo Anthony?

January 24th, 2014 at 10:56pm CST by Eddie Scarito

It would be an understatement to say the Knicks season hasn’t gone according to plan thus far. The team sits at 16-27, which is good for third place in the weak Atlantic Division. They are also currently tied for tenth in the conference with Cleveland, and two games behind the Bobcats for the eighth and final playoff spot. Even if the Knicks have a second half surge up the standings, they would be looking at a probable first-round matchup with either the Heat or the Pacers. The Knicks chances of advancing past the opening round would appear slim, given the depth and talent of those two opponents.

So the Knicks are at a crossroads, one that is vital to the team’s long-term outlook. It was only a short time ago that the Knicks traded for Carmelo Anthony. Here was the star player that they craved so badly, and even more important, he wanted to be a Knick. The Knicks had missed out on LeBron James after clearing the dead weight from their salary cap to make a run at him, and ended up with Amar’e Stoudemire instead. That rejection definitely stung the organization. So the team tore up its roster in order to make the trade with the Nuggets. After last year’s 54-28 record, with the team, and Melo, making it past the first-round of the playoffs, big things were expected this season. But the loss of some key veteran players in the offseason, a slew of injuries, and many players not meeting expectations, has Carmelo re-evaluating if he wants to remain with the team long-term.

Anthony can opt out of his deal at the end of this season and become an unrestricted free agent. It is a given that he will do so, but what isn’t so sure anymore is him re-signing with the Knicks. They own his Bird Rights, and can offer him the most money in a new deal. But many experts believe that Melo is tired of the losing, and will seek a better situation for himself. Coach Mike Woodson disagrees with that assessment, and stated, “Melo I think is on board. I know he’s on board…He’s going to be there to the bitter end if it’s a bitter end. But right now he’s going to be there. I trust he’s going to stay there. we got to make sure everybody else is on board.” Woodson though, might not be the most reliable source, as he’s been rumored to have lost the locker room, and is firmly on the hot seat as far as his job security goes.

Anthony isn’t the reason for the Knicks woes, as he’s having a very solid season. He’s currently averaging 26.1 PPG, 9.0 RPG, and adding 3.1 APG to those numbers. His slash line is .438/.412/.847. He’s also logging 39.2 MPG, and not receiving much help from the rest of the roster. He also just broke Bernard King‘s team single-game scoring record, dropping 62 on the Bobcats tonight. This total also eclipsed Kobe Bryant for the Madison Square Garden scoring record, which was previously 61.

So the big question is: Should the Knicks trade Carmelo Anthony? If he leaves after the season, the team gets nothing in return. This would not only set the franchise back in terms of on-court talent. It would also make the trade for him seem like a terrible deal in retrospect. The other factor to consider is if Anthony is worth re-signing to what is sure to be a max contract. He turns 30 this May, and has quite a bit of mileage on him. He’s never proven that he’s capable of leading a team on his own to a title, and the Knicks would be paying max dollars for his declining years. Re-signing Anthony would severely limit the other moves the team could make, and possibly prevent them from acquiring the pieces he would need around him to win. He wants to play with another star or two, and his salary would make it difficult for the team to accommodate that wish.

So the Knicks could decide to cut their losses and try to jump start their rebuilding process. That could be easier said than done, however. The first obstacle they will face will be finding a team that can take on his $21,388,953 salary. The Knicks would have to take back a large contract or two to make the trade work. They could trade for an expiring contract, but unless the deal was sweetened with a young player they could add to their core, or they receive a first-round draft pick, they wouldn’t gain anything by trading him. Teams may balk at that price for a player who could end up a half-season rental.

The second major issue would be finding a team that Melo would be willing to re-sign with. The Clippers, Lakers, and Bulls might fit that need. There were rumors about the Clippers having internal discussions about trading Blake Griffin for Melo, but the team dismissed them as false. The Clippers might not want to disrupt their roster in the middle of the season. They also might figure they could try and sign Anthony after the season, and not have to surrender any assets now. The Lakers don’t have much to offer outside Pau Gasol‘s expiring contract, and the Bulls could offer Carlos Boozer and another player. Neither of those last two scenarios would improve the Knicks fortunes.

It’s time for you to play general manager. After examining the situation, what would you do? Would you hold out hope that Melo will stay, either because the Knicks can offer the largest contract, or out of loyalty? Or would you try and find a taker, and hope that you could get something useful for your star? Vote below, and feel free to comment on why you made that particular choice.

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Odds & Ends: Butler, Woodson, LeBron

January 23rd, 2014 at 8:52pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Last week, Caron Butler seemed to vent a little frustration about his role in Milwaukee after he was removed from the starting lineup recently in favor of giving more minutes to Giannis Antetokounmpo and Khris Middleton, telling reporters:

“The information I received before coming here is that ‘You’re going to play a lot…And I want to play. I want to be out there to help the situation.”

Since then, Butler appears to have changed tune and reiterated that he wants to stay in Milwaukee, personally taking team owner Herb Kohl aside to let him know how much he values being a part of the Bucks organization:

“I had a moment with Sen. Kohl after the game because I really wanted to talk to him and express to him how excited I am to be here…I want to be here in Milwaukee and I want to be part of the process…This is home to me. I want to help these guys develop” (Gery Woelfel of JournalTimes.com). Woelfel adds that Butler also held similar discussions with GM John Hammond and head coach Larry Drew, whom Butler reportedly has a “healthy rapport with.”

Here’s more from around the Association tonight:

  • Despite a disastrous season and questions of Carmelo Anthony‘s long-term future in New York as the Knicks continue to struggle, head coach Mike Woodson doesn’t think Anthony would request a trade by the February deadline: “Melo I think is on board. I know he’s on board…He’s going to be there to the bitter end if it’s a bitter end. But right now he’s going to be there. I trust he’s going to stay there. we got to make sure everybody else is on board’’ (Marc Berman of the New York Post).
  • Heat superstar LeBron James thinks it’s too early to say whether or not he’ll play when Team USA participates in the 2016 Olympics: “I don’t know where I stand for 2016…Obviously, if I’m healthy in 2016 that summer, if I can get to leading our country by playing, then that would be great to be a part of that…But I can’t commit to it right now” (Charlie McCarthy of FOX Sports Florida).
  • Joe Cowley of the Chicago Sun-Times thinks the Bulls may be better off without Luol Deng and explains why the reverse isn’t necessarily true. Cowley thinks Deng would prioritize a shot at a title rather than playing tutor on a young Cavaliers team, and that head coach Mike Brown has already shown signs of not knowing how to use the 28-year-old forward.
  • Brian Mahoney of the Associated Press thinks of Dwight Howard‘s snub from starting the All-Star game this year as proof of how much damage he’s done to his reputation over the last few years and that there’s rebuilding to be done (Twitter link).
  • According to Ryan Lillis of the Sacramento Bee, the Kings have finalized a deal to buy Downtown Plaza from JMA, a San Francisco-based firm that had purchased the mall back in 2012. The Kings and the city of Sacramento plan to use the site to construct a new $448MM arena.
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Atlantic Rumors: Carmelo, Nets, Rondo

January 21st, 2014 at 12:08pm CST by Chuck Myron

Players and coaches around the league share the general feeling that Carmelo Anthony will leave the Knicks in free agency, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, who believes the star is weary of the team’s losing. Anthony and other Knicks embraced Nets coach Jason Kidd after Brooklyn’s blowout win over their crosstown rivals yesterday, and Isola sees it as evidence that the club misses Kidd and other veterans on last year’s roster who are no longer around. Here’s more from the Atlantic Division:

  • The Nets created trade a small trade exception as part of their swap with the Pelicans today, worth $788,872, equivalent to Tyshawn Taylor‘s salary. They don’t get one as part of their deal with the Bulls, since Marquis Teague is making more than Tornike Shengelia.
  • Boston anticipated Rajon Rondo would someday become the leader of the team, and so the Celtics have groomed him for that role, one GM Danny Ainge believes he’s better prepared to embrace now that he’s adopted a calmer demeanor, observes Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald.
  • The Celtics appear high on Zeke Marshall, as the team’s front office pushed to acquire his D-League rights via trade earlier this year, according to Mike Taylor, Marshall’s coach with Boston’s D-League affiliate. Marla Ridenour of the Akron Beacon Journal has more on the already well-traveled prospect who went undrafted out of the University of Akron this summer.
  • SB Nation’s Tom Ziller names the Knicks and Nets as two of the league’s most desperate teams, suggesting much is at stake for the New York City franchises between now and the trade deadline.
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Eastern Notes: Green, Heat, Melo

January 20th, 2014 at 10:37pm CST by Cray Allred

Sam Young has signed with the Vaqueros de Bayamon team in Puerto Rico, per Emiliano Carchia of Sportando. The former Pacers wing is currently playing in Australia, and will play out his season there before joining the Puerto Rican league. Here are some notes from around the Eastern Conference:

  • League executives believe the Celtics want to trade Jeff Green, according to Sam Smith of Bulls.com. Smith suggests Boston is “probably trying to persuade someone to take Gerald Wallace along with Green” at this point, but that he could be moved on his own eventually.
  • The opinion around the league is that the Heat – after bringing in guard Toney Douglas and shipping out center Joel Anthony – are not done dealing, per NBA.com’s David Aldridge. League sources believe Miami is looking to add another wing before February’s trade deadline.
  • Carmelo Anthony says he’s not losing hope that he can win a championship with the Knicks, per Al Iannazzone of Newsday. The star will opt out of his deal and become a free agent this summer, and there has been much speculation on whether he truly intends to re-sign with the Knicks at that point.
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Eastern Notes: Stern, ‘Melo, Rondo, Embiid

January 19th, 2014 at 12:08pm CST by Jonathan Nehring

An end of an era is drawing near when NBA commissioner David Stern will turn the keys over to Adam Silver at the end of this month. Mark Heisler of Sheridan Hoops reminisces on his memories of Stern and the great impact he had on the NBA. Heisler sums up his memories with the following statement. “Whether you loved him, hated him, respected him or lived in fear of angering him, if you played, worked in or followed the NBA, you have him to thank. For people like me, you have him to remember and to miss.”

For those of us who will still be following the NBA beyond Stern’s retirement, here are a few notes around the Eastern Conference.

  • According to Al Iannazzone of Newsday, the primary job for the Knicks‘ front office until February 20th is to figure out if Carmelo Anthony wants to stay in New York and what it will take to keep him there. Iannazzone thinks the Knicks should use every effort they can over the next month to get whomever Carmelo wants to play with or they won’t likely have Anthony’s services next season. If they can’t get who Carmelo wants for teammates, Iannazzone urges the Knicks to trade Anthony before the deadline. If not, they risk a very likely chance they lose Carmelo this summer while getting nothing in return.
  • One of Carmelo’s desired teammates is rumored to be Rajon Rondo. Reports of Rondo being traded have resurfaced of late and Matt Moore of CBS Sports breaks down why trading Rondo makes sense for the Celtics. Moore believes if the Celtics can get a first-round pick for him they should trade Rondo right away. With Rondo entering a contract year next year Moore reasons the Celtics (as typical of most teams under the current CBA) are unlikely to extend Rondo during the season and wait until the following summer. Moore believes that will be too late for Boston because Rondo won’t wait around for the Celtics current rebuilding project. In addition, according to Moore “the number one rule for any rebuild is you move your best player on a big contract. It gets you the most assets back.”
  • While not currently in the NBA, a look at our reverse standings indicates Joel Embiid will very likely join a team from the Eastern Conference next summer. After Embiid’s performance yesterday Jeff Goodman of ESPN (Insider piece), Josh Newman of Zagsblog, and Gary Parrish of CBS Sports all think Embiid has moved into at least the top three of next summer’s draft and potentially the number one pick overall.
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Atlantic Rumors: Smith, ‘Melo, Young

January 15th, 2014 at 6:31pm CST by Chuck Myron

J.R. Smith expressed his displeasure both during and after Monday’s game to Mike Woodson, who had decided against starting him for overtime that night, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News. Smith was late for a meeting Tuesday, sources told Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com, and Woodson benched him for the entirety of last night’s game. Begley hears Smith is still angry at the team for waiving his brother last month. Still, Woodson said today on The Stephen A. Smith and Ryan Ruocco Show on ESPN New York 98.7 that he’s not “kicking J.R. to the curb,” and that he’ll remain a “big part” of the club, Berman notes. Here’s more from the Atlantic Division on the day that Smith and six others become eligible to be traded.

  • Woodson also said on radio that he’s “concerned” that the events of this season might lead Carmelo Anthony to sign elsewhere, but the coach nonetheless believes Anthony will play for the Knicks his entire career, Newsday’s Al Iannazzone observes.
  • The Sixers are ramping up discussions with other teams about potential Thaddeus Young trades, and executives around the league consider it a “lock” that they’ll try to trade Evan Turner, writes Grantland’s Zach Lowe in a piece on today’s three-team swap.
  • The Warriors reportedly passed on Kyle Lowry because they were worried he’d be a poor fit for their locker room, but the Raptors point guard tells Sean Deveney of The Sporting News that he’s unaware of how the team would get that impression.
  • Nerlens Noel has been medically cleared to play, and while Jeff Goodman of ESPN.com hears he could make his NBA debut in four to six weeks, Sixers coach Brett Brown says there’s no such timetable, and that he still may sit out the season, notes Tom Moore of Calkins Media (Twitter link).
  • Conversely, Jason Richardson says there’s a “good chance” he’ll come back from injury to play for the Sixers this season, Moore tweets.
  • The Sixers recalled Lorenzo Brown from the D-League today, one day after sending him down, the team announced via Twitter. He had 22 points and eight assists for the Delaware 87ers last night.
  • Rajon Rondo‘s brief trip to the D-League today didn’t involve any travel, as the Maine Red Claws came to the Celtics practice facility in Waltham, Massachusetts, to practice with him, as Chris Mannix of SI.com explains (on Twitter).
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Odds & Ends: LeBron/Melo, J.R. Smith, Deng

January 9th, 2014 at 9:16pm CST by Ryan Raroque

Both Al Iannazzone of Newsday and Mitch Abramson of the New York Daily News passed along some of LeBron James‘ comments on Carmelo Anthony with regards to free agency:

“You got to do whatever makes you happy…When you’re happy, the game of basketball is going to be fun for you. Strive to be great every day and live with whatever else happens. So we’ll see.”

Asked further if he’d recommend Anthony leave some money on the table when he signs his next contract, LeBron had this to say:

“I recommend it to me…It doesn’t work for everybody. The way I live my life don’t work for everybody. All I care about is winning. I came to Miami to win. Money didn’t make me happy. Winning made me happy, and it still does. That’s what matters to me.”

We’ve got more links to pass along out of the Association tonight, and you can find them below:

  • Not surprisingly, George Karl deplored J.R. Smith‘s recent behavior, telling Michael Kay on 98.7 ESPN radio in New York that his former player is going to wake up one day and realize how much he’s wasted great opportunities because of this “mockery he brings to the game.” In spite of that, Karl added that Smith still has a “skill that championship teams need” and suggested that a team like the Heat or Spurs may be able to corral the erratic shooting guard: “There’s that possibility…I think right now that’s the position if I was J.R.’s agent [I would take]. I would be looking at a culture where there would be more peer pressure…I know San Antonio has always liked (J.R.) and I know they’ve thought about bringing him in…San Antonio doesn’t make a lot of mistakes” (Ian Begley of ESPN New York).   
  • Although Luol Deng‘s agent Herb Rudoy didn’t expand upon how far apart the numbers were with the Bulls regarding contract extension discussions, he mentioned Andre Iguodala‘s contract with the Warriors (four years, $48MM) as one that would be commensurate with Deng’s ability, writes Nick Friedell of ESPN Chicago.
  • When asked about a potential return to Chicago for his client in the near future, Rudoy responded: “Never discussed…I have no idea. We didn’t talk about it.” 
  • Tom Haberstroh of ESPN explores the topic of whether or not Andrew Bynum would be a good fit with the Heat (Insiders only).
  • Ian Begley and Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN New York, Robert Silverman of Knickerblogger, Ethan Sherwood Strauss of TrueHoop, and Brian Windhorst of ESPN have a roundtable discussion on the Knicks and Nets‘ chances of making the playoffs, winning the Atlantic Division, getting to the second round of the playoffs, and which has the brighter future.
  • K.C. Johnson of the Chicago Tribune goes in-depth about how the Deng trade presents an enormous opportunity for Bulls rookie Tony Snell (Subscribers only).
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Atlantic Notes: Carmelo, Nets, Raptors, C’s

January 6th, 2014 at 10:43am CST by Luke Adams

Regardless of whether or not Carmelo Anthony plans to re-sign with the Knicks, the team should trade him, opines Howard Beck of Bleacher Report. Beck argues that even if Carmelo stays, building a contender around him would be tricky, and that the Knicks would be better off starting the retooling process now. Multiple league executives agree with that assessment, with one suggesting that an ideal trade partner for New York would be “a team that so wants a star and so wants it now and will do anything to get it, and that thinks Carmelo is still a star.”

Here’s more from around the Atlantic:

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Atlantic Notes: Carmelo, Lopez, Patterson

January 5th, 2014 at 11:49am CST by Chuck Myron

Carmelo Anthony brushed off rumors of trade talks involving him and Blake Griffin, calling the reports “silly and stupid” to gathered media today, including Frank Isola of the New York Daily News (Twitter link). That doesn’t mean that he and Chris Paul wouldn’t like to join forces, Isola notes, and Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com wrote yesterday that their desire to play together hasn’t waned since Paul first raised the idea in 2010. Anthony addressed the latest talk linking him to Paul, pointing out that, “It never happens,” as Isola also tweets. Of course, there’s wiggle room with that statement, too, since Anthony didn’t say it will never happen. As cryptic messages and conflicting reports abound, here’s the latest from the Knicks and their Atlantic Division rivals:

  • The Nets believe Brook Lopez will recover fully from the latest surgery on his right foot, but if the procedure designed to make the foot more resistant to injury doesn’t prove successful, the 25-year-old’s career is probably in jeopardy, writes Brian Windhorst of ESPN.com.
  • Patrick Patterson‘s strong play has helped fuel the resurgence of the Raptors following his acquisition as part of the Rudy Gay trade, observes Ryan Wolstat of the Toronto Sun.
  • The Knicks and Clippers are denying that they’ve had internal discussions about an Anthony/CP3 trade, but with the Knicks far adrift from their title aspirations, Keith Schlosser of Knicks Journal thinks New York’s front office should be open to such a deal.
  • Tom Moore of The Intelligencer wonders how the Sixers would have fared if they hadn’t traded Jrue Holiday this past summer.
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Knicks, Clippers Deny ‘Melo-For-Griffin Talks

January 4th, 2014 at 7:44pm CST by Zachary Links

7:44pm: Alex Kennedy of HoopsWorld took to Sulia and expanded on the quotation that Woelfel tweeted earlier. Rivers’ full comment on the alleged deal:

“Please, please, let’s move on. That’s so stupid. Let’s move on. It really is, it’s just so stupid. You know how I rarely read stuff, but someone told me to read that. … It’s just stupid. My issue with any of that crap is that network (ESPN), to me, reports a story that they created and then they do reports on it for the next two days, on a story that they created! It’s stupid. [Griffin’s] name isn’t out there. I mean, if you’re the Knicks or whoever, wouldn’t you want Blake Griffin? I would! I don’t see what the story is, I really don’t. I just thought it was such a non-story.”

The Knicks have echoed Rivers’ sentiment and haven’t considered a deal involving Anthony and Griffin, writes Marc Berman of the New York Post. According to Berman, the only way the Knicks would attempt to deal for Griffin is if New York was facing a situation where they lost Anthony to another club this summer without compensation.

7:06pm: Before Saturday night’s game against the Spurs, Clippers coach Doc Rivers called the rumors suggesting such a deal between his team and the Knicks “so stupid,” tweets Gary Woelfel of the Racine Journal Times.

11:37am: A source tells Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com that the mutual desire Anthony and Paul have to play together is just as strong as it was in 2010, when Paul suggested at Anthony’s wedding that he’d join the Knicks.

8:04am: As Carmelo Anthony plays out the final year of his contract with the Knicks, club officials have discussed proposing a trade to the Clippers for Blake Griffin, league sources tell Chris Broussard of ESPN.com.  Sources say the Clippers front office has also had internal discussions about such a deal ,but the two sides haven’t talked to each other about a potential deal yet.

As of now, neither team is certain it would pull the trigger.  The Clippers appear to be the more reluctant party, however, because of the season Griffin is having.  He’s really turned it up as of late, averaging 26 points and nearly 11 rebounds in his past ten games.  One source close to the situation said the Clippers’ latest round of talks ended in favor of keeping the 24-year-old.

Meanwhile, New York’s top priority appears to be re-signing Anthony to a long-term deal.  Unfortunately for them, the team’s struggles and Melo’s unwillingness to make a commitment to the club mean that they have to explore other possibilities.  The Clippers are one possibility for the Knicks since Anthony and Clippers point guard Chris Paul have wanted to play together since 2010 and that sentiment apparently has not changed.

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