The relationship between Carmelo Anthony and Phil Jackson has seemingly deteriorated to the point of no return, and the end result could very well be Anthony packing his things and leaving The Big Apple in the near future.
Following Anthony’s brief meeting with Jackson on Tuesday, Ian Begley of ESPN.com reported that there are some within the New York Knicks organization who believe it would be best for the team to part ways with its biggest star.
Sure, some in the organization believe the best course of action for Anthony and the Knicks is to part ways, per sources. But if you asked enough people around the Knicks and caught them in an honest moment, some would probably say the same thing about Jackson. And it’s worth noting that the Knicks’ options in any Anthony trade are limited; there aren’t an abundance of teams that are close to winning and can obtain Anthony without gutting their roster. Perhaps potential trade partners in a Melo swap became even more limited when it was announced that Clippers guard Chris Paul would be lost for six to eight weeks with a thumb injury.
Of course, Anthony has maintained that he wants to remain with the Knicks and would have to waive his no-trade clause for anything to happen. But you have to wonder how much longer he can remain in his current work environment if Jackson wants him gone.
The Knicks have won just two of their last 11 games, and Jackson was already taking shots at Anthony before the team was struggling. Losing has simply magnified the situation.
Judging by Anthony’s thoughts on his meeting with Jackson, it sounds like Jackson wants to move on from 32-year-old. It would be a surprise if Phil didn’t eventually get his way.
