Carmelo Anthony Trade Rumors: New York Knicks Trade Talk Increases Before Deadline

Carmelo Anthony trade rumors are back for the New York Knicks. The Anthony trade rumors are nothing new for the Knicks, as he is the biggest asset the struggling team has on the roster. A report from ESPN on Saturday, January 30, sheds some light on what the Knicks could do before the NBA trade deadline. The report also points out how much better the Knicks have been this season when Anthony is on the court.

After missing several games due to injury, Carmelo Anthony returned to play against the Phoenix Suns on Friday, January 29. He helped lead the team to a 102-84 victory that was as one-sided as the score indicates. Anthony finished with 19 points, 10 rebounds, and eight assists to show, once again, how valuable he is to the Knicks when healthy. Knicks coach Derek Fisher spoke about his impact on the game following the win.

“He didn’t try to take over the game. He has been playing that type of basketball for several weeks now. When he’s sharing the ball and making everyone else better, we’re a much better basketball team.”

It’s not surprising that the Carmelo Anthony trade rumors are popping up again, as the New York Knicks are just 23-26 on the season. That’s good enough for ninth place in the updated NBA standings for the East, putting the Knicks two-and-a-half games behind the Indiana Pacers for the eighth seed. Putting that in better perspective, the Knicks are also just four-and-a-half games behind the Atlanta Hawks for the fourth seed in the East. It shows how a hot month could get the Knicks into a really good position to make the 2016 NBA Playoffs.

To underscore the value that Anthony has for the Knicks, the team is 0-6 without him and 23-20 when he is on the court. If the Knicks continue to improve with Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis on the court, this might just be a team ready to win its first playoff series in a while. In 43 games this season, Anthony is averaging 21.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 4.1 assists per game. He is shooting fewer three-pointers and allowing the game to come to him more often than not.

Addressing the Carmelo Anthony trade rumors, ESPN NBA writer Ian Begley states that, “Carmelo Anthony is too valuable to trade.” That might be the view that the front office for the New York Knicks is taking on the situation as well. It is true that any trade involving Anthony could bring back young players and draft picks, possibly giving the team a chance to re-build for the future. It’s also possible that simply holding on to Anthony could still yield the team a lot of short-term success.

The Knicks aren’t a terrible team and have the potential to not only build off the success this season, but to add more pieces during the 2016 NBA offseason. In his rookie season, Kristaps Porzingis is averaging 13.9 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per game. He has become a force on defense in the low post and coupled with Robin Lopez gives the team a much stronger front line than it has had recently. Langston Galloway, Jerian Grant, and Lance Thomas have also provided a nice spark for the team off the bench.

The Knicks have a real test coming up on the NBA schedule, as the team plays the Golden State Warriors on Sunday, January 31. After the Warriors beat up on the Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, and San Antonio Spurs by more than 30 points each in the span of a week, Knicks fans are interested in seeing how this game will go. The next week could determine whether even more Carmelo Anthony trade rumors come up, especially if the team falls further away from making the 2016 NBA Playoffs.

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