Carmelo Anthony wants to stay in New York, and the New York Daily News’ Frank Isola reported the Knicks star told president Phil Jackson that when the two had a meeting on Tuesday to discuss his future.
Carmelo Anthony told Phil Jackson he wants to stay with the Knicks
Despite an acrimonious relationship, Anthony told the Knicks president that he doesn’t want to waive his no-trade clause.
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Anthony requested to speak with Jackson twice, according to ESPN.com’s Ramona Shelburne, after Jackson’s close friend Charley Rosen dealt blow after blow in a Jan. 12 column suggesting the All-Star forward’s time with the Knicks had run its course.
“Listen,” a visibly irritated Melo told a pool of reporters, according to the Daily News, “if that’s what they feel ... if that’s what’s coming from that side, that’s what’s coming from that side. I haven’t thought once about (waiving his no-trade clause) to be honest with you. I hear it. I hear all the rhetoric that’s going on out there, and I still come to work every day and play and bust my ass and try not to worry about it.”
In his column, Rosen hammered Anthony for “saving even more steps on (the defensive) end of the game to conserve his energy for offense,” and having “sticky fingers (that cause) whatever ball-and-player movement is in effect to come to a grinding stop.”
“The only sure thing is that Carmelo Anthony has outlived his usefulness in New York,” he wrote.
When asked to respond to this line of the article, Melo said: “If that’s the case than that’s what’s coming from that side I guess it’s a conversation we should have. If they feel like my time in New York is over I guess that’s a conversation we should have.”
Anthony’s trade speculation has run in tandem with New York’s nosedive over the past month.
The Knicks have lost 14 of their last 18 games. New York (18-24) entered the day 11th in the East after sitting third in the conference with a 14-10 record on Dec. 11. The Knicks cannot trade their All-Star forward, who’s under contract for another two years worth $54.1 million after this season, because he negotiated a no-trade clause into his contract.
Even if Anthony waived his no-trade clause, he negotiated a 15 percent trade kicker that would increase his annual salary to nearly $30 million.
“I’ve never even thought about that,” Anthony said of his no-trade clause, according to Isola. “I guess people are talking about it but it’s not something I’ve thought about so far.
“People can have their own opinions but I haven’t mentioned it once. But that seems to be the trend when you start losing, people want to start searching.”
Anthony re-confirmed his commitment to winning in New York. He is averaging 22.2 points per game on 43 percent shooting from the field and 35.8 percent shooting from three-point range.
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