New York Knicks Trade Rumors: Carmelo Anthony Ready To Waive No-Trade Clause


New York Knicks trade rumors now indicate Carmelo Anthony may be ready to waive his no-trade clause. While there had been recent murmurs that the Knicks had been shopping Anthony, possibly to the Cleveland Cavaliers for Kevin Love, everyone had refuted that particular story. Now a new report by CBS Sports reveals that following another ugly loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday night (Jan. 25), Anthony has expressed that he could actually waive his no-trade clause.

This is huge news because it not only gives the front office in New York permission to start shopping its star player, but it shows that Anthony could be very willing to go to a new team before the NBA trade deadline hits on February 23. This is also going to create a new wave of New York Knicks trade rumors, as many teams around the league could use a scorer and playmaker like Anthony on the roster. The quotes that Anthony gave reporters after the loss to the Mavericks will certainly get discussed ad noseeum by NBA analysts on Thursday (Jan. 26).

“I mean, if they want to go in a different direction, that’s something that I have to consider. I would have to consider that. Like I said, all the talk that’s going on right now, that’s out of my control. Nobody called me. Nobody got in contact with any of my representation or anything like that, so it’s something that I don’t worry about. I’m not thinking about that right now.”

[Image by Tom Pennington/Getty Images]

There is a lot of drama that continues to brew between Carmelo Anthony and the front office of the New York Knicks. The franchise has struggled to stay competitive since acquiring him from the Denver Nuggets but also knows that Anthony sells a lot of tickets at Madison Square Garden. Trading away a star player like Anthony could hurt the bottom line for the Knicks, especially if a deal doesn’t bring back another recognizable name. It puts the front office, and specifically team president Phil Jackson, in a very difficult position.

The loss to the Dallas Mavericks drops the Knicks to just 20-27 on the season and keeps the team 11th place in the Eastern Conference. While the Knicks didn’t lose ground on the No. 8 seed Chicago Bulls (23-24), falling to a team that was just 15-29 coming into the night has not gone over well with fans on social media. It continues a streak of bad games against teams near the bottom of the NBA standings, including a season-sweep that the lowly Phoenix Suns just completed against New York. Giving up an average of 108.1 points a game tends to do that.

Despite all the New York Knicks trade rumors this season, Carmelo Anthony has still been putting together a good stat line. Through 46 games, he is averaging 22.7 points, 6.0 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game. Those are numbers that would translate very well if the Knicks were to do deal Anthony to another contender before the NBA trade deadline. He would also come with some team control, as Anthony is due about $26.3 million for the 2017-18 NBA season before he can use an early termination clause in his contract.

[Image by Tom Pennington/Getty Images]

If the front office in New York does decide that it is time to move in a new direction, Anthony likely won’t be the only veteran player going to a new team before the NBA trade deadline. Point guards Derrick Rose and Brandon Jennings are in the final seasons of their current contracts, making them primary targets to get dealt if the Knicks officially start a rebuilding process. Due to the comments that Anthony just made, fans of the team should expect many fresh New York Knicks trade rumors to bubble up, especially as other teams look to improve for the second half.

[Featured Image by Tom Pennington/Getty Images]

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