NBA rumors are suggesting that Chandler Parsons might be leaving the Dallas Mavericks via free agency this summer. According to ESPN , the New York Knicks are said to be one of the many NBA teams that are going to pursue the 6’10”, 230-pound forward. With Carmelo Anthony, Kristaps Porzingis and Robin Lopez already under contract to the Knicks, the addition of Parsons should make things rather interesting in New York City.
With Carmelo Anthony, the New York Knicks have one of the best pure scorers in the NBA and someone that is still considered a legitimate franchise player. Anthony decided to become more of a team player this season, but he still ended up playing in the NBA All Star game earlier this month. When trade rumors started swirling around Anthony, it was reported that Carmelo turned down any deals because he wants to fulfill his commitment to the Knicks.
Robin Lopez might not have been the sexiest free agency signing in the NBA this summer, but he has started to prove that he deserves the $54 million contract that New York Knicks president Phil Jackson handed him after being turned down by LaMarcus Aldridge and Greg Monroe. Lopez has shown more than a willingness to do all of the little things, and his presence has made it much easier for Kristaps Porzingis to adapt to life in the National Basketball Association.
Kristaps Porzingis is going to be the franchise player for the New York Knicks in the next couple of years. While there are still games where the Latvian rookie needs to be corralled, Porzingis needs to be on the court if he’s ever going to take the torch away from Carmelo Anthony. Kristaps needs to be allowed to make his mistakes during the games if he is ever going to have enough confidence to become the biggest thing in the Big Apple.
With all of that in mind, Carmelo Anthony, Kristaps Porzingis, and Robin Lopez all have a good claim to one of the three starting front court spots for the New York Knicks. Since he has improved so much since being a second round draft pick of the Houston Rockets, Chandler Parsons wants to be a starter. He’s not going to leave a good situation like the Dallas Mavericks to become a sixth man, regardless of which NBA team is making the offer.
Robin Lopez seems like the likeliest candidate to be moved by the New York Knicks. NBA teams know that he’s more than solid as a starting center, a position that lacks depth league wide. A team like the Los Angeles Lakers would love to have Lopez around to teach Julius Randle the ropes. Though they might be dominant on the defensive side of the ball, Carmelo Anthony, Chandler Parsons and Kristaps Porzingis would be extremely difficult to defend against.
Though he has been telling the world that he wants to stay with the New York Knicks, Carmelo Anthony might start listening to Father Time. There’s only so many years that NBA stars are allowed before their bodies break down. If a great opportunity comes along that enables Anthony to get a legitimate chance at winning his first NBA Championship, then he might be inclined to waive his “no trade” clause and accept a ticket out of town.
While the thought of losing either Carmelo Anthony or Robin Lopez might not sound all that appealing to Phil Jackson right now, the New York Knicks can be taken to bigger heights by pairing up Chandler Parsons and Kristaps Porzingis together.
[Featured Photo by Tom Pennington/Getty Images]
