Knicks’ Anthony ready for ‘conversation’ about deal

NO-TRADE CLAUSE

Carmelo Anthony with the Knicks. He won’t be a free agent until after the 2018-19 season, at which point he’ll be 35, and he is owed an average of about US$27 million for each of the next two seasons

In other words, even if the Knicks want to trade Anthony, they may have trouble finding a willing partner even if he weren’t inclined to block it. However, a contending team could see the 6-8 forward, who is averaging 22.1 points this season, as the final piece to a championship puzzle, and the Cavs and Clippers make particular sense, as they feature two of his best friends (LeBron James and Chris Paul, respectively).

In addition, Anthony has given recent signs of becoming disenchanted with his New York tenure, as the team tumbles toward its fourth non-playoff season in as many years. After a lastsecond loss Wednesday to the 76ers, Anthony reportedly went on a locker-room tirade, and he previously had said, “Regardless of what happens, when we win, it’s us. When we lose, it’s me.”

Carmelo’s comments Sunday came after a 116-101 loss to the Raptors, the Knicks’ 10th loss in their past 12 games. After starting the season 16-13 and hoping to host a first-round playoff series, New York is now in 10th place in the Eastern Conference, and heading the wrong way as second-year star Kristaps Porzingis nurses an Achilles injury.

In his article, Rosen referred to Porzingis as “the Knicks’ future” and as having “the attitude, the work ethic and the talent to become a perennial all-star.” On the other hand, Anthony was described as having “sticky fingers” (he doesn’t move the ball enough), legs that are “almost gone” and an aversion to playing defence.

Rosen, who coached under Jackson in the Continental Basketball Association during the mid-1980s and has written numerous books on basketball, posited that in addition to the Cavs and Clippers, Anthony might also see the Lakers, Raptors, Hawks or Trail Blazers as attractive destinations. If the writer was, indeed, offering thoughts similar, if not identical, to those of Jackson, then the latter may have been trying to widen the list of possible trading partners.

If Anthony does agree to a trade out of town, we could see a major deal go down before the NBA’s Feb. 23 deadline.