As 31-year-old Carmelo Anthony heads into the back nine of his NBA career, the New York Knicks are nowhere near legitimate title contention. With a bad left knee and no championship, might Me7o consider asking out of The Big Apple? That’s the question Knicks legend and color commentator Walt Frazier is pondering out loud.
In a Monday interview with Ian Begley of ESPN New York, Clyde spoke on the possibility of Melo potentially leaving the Knickerbockers.
I’m sure Melo wasn’t happy. His future is now. You know, he’s not getting younger. This is going to be a pivotal season for him to see really how he fits into the Knick plans and how this is going to go from here. Will he ask out, you know what I mean, if he sees that this is not happening? Because right now the Knicks, [it’s] going to be tough to make the playoffs. They are a few years away and Melo knows that his days are numbered, so stay tuned.
Despite his subsequent attempts at damage control, it’s well-known that Anthony was not pleased the Knicks drafted Kristaps Porzingis No. 4 overall last June. Seeing Phil Jackson ship close friends JR Smith, Iman Shumpert, and Tim Hardaway Jr. out of New York couldn’t have sat well with Melo either.
Anthony inked a massive five-year, $124 million extension last summer, and the deal is already looking disastrous for both parties. Melo’s 2014-15 season ended after just 40 games as he averaged 24.3 points per game, 6.6 rebounds per game, and 3.1 assists per game on 44.4 percent shooting. He will be 35 when the deal expires, and it looks like Melo is starting to regret choosing the money in New York over the championship potential in Chicago.
While Frazier is simply speculating about Anthony’s mindset right now, where there is smoke, there is often fire. Carmelo has made some less than flattering comments about the franchise in months past and was previously reported to be willing to waive his no-trade clause last December.
The Knicks are several years away from turning the 17-65 dumpster fire last season into a contender and Melo knows it. New York management knows it too, and maybe they really should start entertaining the idea of a trade. It’s never good to build around an aging superstar with knee problems. Perhaps it would be best for them to cut their losses, cash out, and move forward with whatever return they can get for Anthony.
Watch out because Melo’s days in New York might truly be numbered.
