Knicks Trade Rumors: Carmelo Anthony Comments On Trade Between New York Knicks, Boston Celtics
Knicks trade rumors recently dealt with Carmelo Anthony getting traded to the Boston Celtics. These New York Knicks trade rumors center on a report from ESPN stating that Anthony blocked a deal with Boston. A new report from CBS Sports on Saturday, February 27, shine more light on the potential deal. Anthony has now stated that he never tried to block a deal between the Knicks and Celtics.
As previously reported by the Inquisitr, previous NBA trade rumors revolved around a potential blockbuster deal between the New York Knicks, Boston Celtics, and Cleveland Cavaliers. In that scenario, Carmelo Anthony was going to the Cavaliers, with the Celtics then getting Kevin Love in the deal. The Knicks would have received several draft picks and matching player salaries to help complete the trade.
Following the NBA trade deadline, there have been a number of fresh New York Knicks trade rumors about how the team may have been closer to dealing Carmelo Anthony than previously thought. When Celtics president Danny Ainge stated that his team was close to acquiring a “big name” before the trade deadline, many NBA analysts started discussing how it could have been Anthony. Then the claims surfaced that Anthony blocked a deal with Boston.
The reality of these Knicks trade rumors is that the truth might not come out for quite a while. The New York Post claims that the Boston Celtics contacted Carmelo Anthony’s “people” about a potential trade. It states that Anthony’s advisers revealed he was still unwilling to waive his no-trade clause, meaning no deal would have been possible. But did those conversations actually take place? Anthony says “no.” In fact, Anthony actually said “heck no” to reporters and then posted “Don’t Believe the Noise” on his Instagram page.
Carmelo Anthony was given a full no-trade clause by the New York Knicks when he agreed to a massive contract extension. It means that the Knicks cannot trade him unless Anthony and his agents give the franchise permission. There are three more seasons left on the five-year contract, but Anthony has an early termination option following the 2017-18 NBA season. He can decide to play for about $28 million in the 2018-19 NBA season or opt out in the hopes of acquiring another new deal.
It is that team control that makes Anthony’s contract very alluring and part of the reason his name keeps appearing in New York Knicks trade rumors. The other reason is that the Knicks are still struggling to win games and are very likely to miss the 2016 NBA Playoffs. Many NBA analysts have stated that this lack of success could lead to Anthony wanting out of New York, but he has never shown any indication of that in public.
Anthony has played 53 games for the Knicks this season, averaging 21.4 points, 8.0 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game. He is putting up good numbers for the team, but it just isn’t translating into a lot of victories. In the updated NBA standings, the 25-35 New York Knicks are currently 6 1/2 games behind the eighth seeded Chicago Bulls (30-27). With just 22 games left in the regular season, it would be very difficult for the Knicks to make the postseason.
During the coming NBA offseason, Knicks team president Phil Jackson will have more money to add talent to the roster. Jackson will also have several roster pieces that he could deal in order to free up more money as well. With an NBA salary cap increase expected, the Knicks could once again become players in free agency. That might lead to Carmelo Anthony having a better chance at making it back to the NBA Playoffs and for the Knicks trade rumors regarding him to start dying down.
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