New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony hinted at his free agency plans again when he said he would recruit players this summer to the Big Apple. Knicks coach Mike Woodson, meanwhile, plans to follow through with his offseason promise and restrict Amare Stoudemire to 20 minutes per game following the forward's offseason knee procedure.
Anthony declared earlier this month his intent to become a free agent in July. The All-Star forward said he wants to opt out of his contract to test free agency, but all signs so far suggest he will remain in New York.
He gave another hint about his plans on Tuesday when he responded to criticism from TNT analysts Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith about his ability to draw free agents to New York.
"They don't know what I'm doing," Anthony said after practice on Tuesday, via Newsday. "I haven't had a complaint yet in my 11 years in this NBA about playing with me. I think people would love to come to play in New York. And when that time comes, we'll be working on that.
"I have a big black book. I have a big Rolodex. People that talk about what's going on with me in the offseason, this and that, I should be getting people to come here, I am. I'm trying."
Anthony would have to wait until after the season to pitch New York to other players -- any discussion during the season between players about free agency is considered tampering under the NBA collective bargaining agreement, according to ESPN.
With the Knicks opening their season on Wednesday against the Bucks, Woodson appears ready to follow through on his offseason promise to restrict Stoudemire's minutes on the floor.
Multiple news outlets, including ESPN, report that Stoudemire will be restricted to 20 minutes per game in an effort to keep him healthy.
"We've just got to figure out if it's going to be 10 minutes, 15, 20," Woodson said earlier in October, via ESPN. "We won't know at this point until he's back on the floor and seeing how things are going."
Stoudemire, 30, is recovering from a knee procedure he underwent in the summer, his third in the past year.
