Carmelo Anthony signed a five-year contract agreement with the New York Knicks almost two years ago under the idea that Phil Jackson was going to lead the team to an NBA title. Instead, the Knicks had one of their worst seasons last year and are on the same path again this season with no hope in sight. Anthony is understandably frustrated with the state of the franchise, as he looks around the league and wonders why he is not having the same success as his peers.
The Knicks are in the midst of a 3-15 stretch that is knocking them out of playoff contention. In the meantime, Anthony's friends like LeBron James, Chris Paul and Dwyane Wade are all playoff bound, even with weeks still to go in the season. Anthoyn told the media that after making the playoffs for 10 straight years with the Denver Nuggets, he is left wondering what happened.
"I don't think envy is the right word, but I do look at my peers and say, damn, what am I doing wrong?'' Anthony said. "I should be there. There was one point they were looking at me like that. I made it 10 years straight. Right now it's a rough patch for me. I'm trying to figure out a way to get out of that."
Anthony has been surrounded by criticism lately after telling a heckling fan to ask owner James Dolan about getting their money back. That forced the star to release an apology, which he said was not his idea. Anthony told the media that he felt he did nothing wrong, but he apologized after Dolan asked him to. That, of course, started talk that there was a lot of disconnect between Anthony and the Knicks' front office. The star had no interest in entertaining the rumors.
"Too many interpretations. If anyone wants to tie my words up, that's exactly what I said," Anthony said.
The 31-year-old currently holds a no-trade clause in his contract. It is not crazy to think that he could waive that and head to a team better suited to win in the next few years. The Knicks are not that team. Anthony had that chance prior to re-signing with New York. The Chicago Bulls and Dallas Mavericks were making big pushes to acquire the forward, but he decided to stay loyal to the Knicks franchise, which is not working out.
An NBA executive believes that Anthony would be worth a lot in a trade and that the Knicks should consider the idea. There is a market for him, despite all of the losses New York has suffered. For now, Anthony will stay put and watch his friends contend for a title. If the Knicks do not improve, this summer could bring change for the star.
"It's been trying,'' Anthony said. "For me to just remain sane and remain positive through the entire situation is definitely challenging from that standpoint."
