Carmelo Anthony has stated his commitment to the New York Knicks. He has a no-trade clause in his contract that he has the right to waive. He has opted not to waive that despite interest from other teams, and yet trade speculation continues to circle around him. With the Knicks in disarray, many expect Anthony to jump ship. After hearing the talk, Anthony just laughs it off.
Earlier in the season it was reported that Anthony opted not to waive his no-trade clause for a move to the Boston Celtics. Since then, Anthony has stated that his focus is to recruit to New York, not leave New York. Regardless of his comments, speculation is still stirring. As New York heads to Los Angeles for a showdown against the Los Angeles Clippers an then the Lakers, Anthony is making it clear he is not seeking a move out West.
"I laugh it off," Anthony said. "Just laugh it off. People always try to make scenarios, and situations, but nothing has happened. My name is always associated with L.A. Whether it was early with the Lakers and now it's the Clippers. I try not to pay attention to that."
For now, Anthony is devoted to the Knicks. Could that change? Yes. The Knicks are preparing for a transition this offseason. They first must decide if Kurt Rambis is their future head coach or if someone like Tom Thibodeau or Luke Walton could be a better choice. They also need to sign a big name or two to the roster in free agency. If the Knicks fail to make the right choices, Anthony could easily waive the clause and head to a team ready to win.
Anthony is set to earn $24 million next season. He will be a difficult player to trade for, but there will be interest. A lot of Anthony's future will be dictated by Phil Jackson's vision for the franchise moving forward. Anthony re-signed with the Knicks because he trusted Jackson to make the right moves. So far that has not happened. If the Knicks cannot get Anthony help, he could be gone.
Anthony is standing by the franchise as free agency sits on the horizon. The Knicks will have enough cap space to sign at least one big name while getting other role players. Of course Kevin Durant is at the top of their list while Mike Conley and Rajon Rondo will be priorities as well. Anthony plans on doing everything he can to get those guys to New York, but if it does not happen, the Clippers or Lakers could be looking pretty good.
"If we want this team to be better, if we want more pieces of this team, I don't have a choice but to go out there and do my job and try to get people to come," Anthony said. "And for them to see it from my perspective [more] than anybody else's perspective - see it from a player's perspective."
