Carmelo Anthony Trade Rumors: New York Knicks Star Addresses NBA Rumors
Carmelo Anthony trade rumors seem to have a lot in common, with most not taking into account that the star of the New York Knicks has a no-trade clause in his contract. For Knicks president Phil Jackson to work out any deal with another franchise, he first has to get permission from Anthony to even make a serious offer. To this point, Anthony hasn’t agreed to waive that no-trade clause, making it seem like he will remain with the Knicks after the upcoming NBA trade deadline.
A report by NBA analyst Steve Popper has some direct quotes from Anthony, as he again addressed the various NBA rumors that continue to include his name. Any fans of teams hoping to acquire Anthony this year might want to take a look at what he has to say, as it should put an end to any of the Carmelo Anthony trade rumors floating around on social media.
“I never thought I would be anywhere else. No, like I told you all before, nothing came to me. Nothing came to my table for me to look at. Until that time comes then they don’t need for me to even talk about the trade clause. You don’t know what can happen. I’ve seen a lot of things happen in this league over the years. I don’t know what’s going to happen or what can happen. Obviously, we know what can happen over the next week or two. But I guess we’ll see when that time comes.”
The NBA trade deadline hits on February 23, giving New York Knicks team president Phil Jackson more than a week to negotiate a deal with another franchise. It also gives him that time to sit down with Carmelo Anthony and go over which teams that the All-Star forward would be willing to play for this year. Anthony would need to go to a good situation to convince him to give up the no-trade clause and move his family in the middle of the season. Outside of that, he seems very content to simply keep playing games with Madison Square Garden serving as his home court.
Heading into the games on Wednesday (Feb. 15), the New York Knicks have a 23-33 record in the updated NBA standings. That puts the team 12th place in the Eastern Conference and three games behind the Detroit Pistons (26-30) for the No. 8 playoff seed. Though the Knicks have lost seven of their last 10 games, the most recent victory was an impressive one over the San Antonio Spurs. Could that win over the team with the second-best record in the entire NBA give them a bit of momentum? Only time will tell on that facet of the season.
A reality is that the Knicks would have to pass four teams in the standings just to move into the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference. That would be difficult for the team, as there are only 26 games left in the regular season. It wouldn’t be impossible, though, suggesting that the trio of Carmelo Anthony, Derrick Rose, and Brandon Jennings might be able to make a postseason run after all. One big question is whether all three players will still be on the Knicks’ roster a week from now, as Jennings and Rose are in the final year of their current contracts.
The Knicks have a tough game coming up on the schedule Wednesday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder. A loss could spur a “fire sale” from the front office in New York, taking away veteran players who could help Anthony make it back to the NBA Playoffs. At that point, he might be more willing to waive his no-trade clause, especially if it looks like the Knicks have no chance at the postseason. For now, though, none of the current Carmelo Anthony trade rumors mean anything, as he still hasn’t talked with Phil Jackson about leaving New York.
[Featured Image by Elsa/Getty Images]
