Carmelo Anthony wouldn’t be satisfied if his career ends without a championship, but acknowledges he’s facing a different kind of urgency than friend LeBron James. “I’m in a different situation than him,” Anthony said Wednesday about James and his recently stated urgency to win a title now. “He’s won. He’s just coming off of a championship, so for him to say he’ll be 33 and doesn’t have time to wait, he must have a different type of plan, a different goal, a different mindset of winning now and taking advantage of it.”
More on Carmelo Anthony to Cavaliers?
Asked if he got the sense that management wanted him to stay with the Knicks, Anthony said: "It was a quick meeting. That's all I can say."
Anthony did not rule out leaving the Knicks to maximize his chances to win a championship at some point. He is due to make $26.2 million next season and has a player option for $27.9 million in 2018-19, the final season of his contract with the Knicks. "I don't think it would be called kind of chasing a ring," Anthony said of potentially leaving to join a contender. "I think it would be looking at opportunities and situations, if and when that time [does] come. I think it would be a collective effort on all fronts, not just mine. I think it would be a collective effort on the organization and understanding the direction that they want to go."
Stephen A. Smith: The New York Knicks want to get rid of Carmelo Anthony. They want to get rid of him bad. They are willing to take Kevin Love, who's had back injuries, knee injuries... I mean, Lord knows whatever. Body is supposedly breaking down.
Charley Rosen’s piece for FanRag Sports stated “it’s understood” Anthony would only accept a trade to the Clippers and Cavaliers and possibly the Lakers. The Cavaliers, sources close to the situation indicated, are so far over the cap, putting them in a horrible luxury-tax situation, that a deal would seem highly improbable, even if Anthony may want to one day play with his buddies LeBron James and J.R. Smith.
If you’re looking for a path to making it happen, sure, theoretically it’s possible. And since James can be a free agent this summer, he could take that pay cut sooner than expected. The New York Daily News reported during the All-Star break the Cavs, Celtics and Knicks discussed a three-team deal that would send Kevin Love to Boston and bring Anthony to Cleveland. Those reports were quickly refuted, although one source with knowledge of the situation said this week James has indeed previously pitched the idea to Cavs management of somehow bringing Anthony to Cleveland. That would require Anthony waiving his no-trade clause.
Carmelo Anthony hasn’t had much to smile about professionally this season, but something that makes him chuckle is seeing his name linked to the Clippers, Cavaliers and other teams. “I laugh it off,” he said. “Just laugh it off. People always try to make scenarios, and situations, but nothing has happened.”
There was even a report Friday night Boston and Cleveland had “very preliminary talks’’ about whether to ask the Knicks if they wanted to join a three-way trade with Anthony that included Kevin Love, with Anthony going to Cleveland. An NBA source told The Post the Knicks had not been approached by the teams, and there was “nothing to it.” The report also stated talks did not progress.
The Daily News has learned that the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers have discussed a blockbuster trade centered around Kevin Love. There were very preliminary discussions about expanding the deal to include the Knicks and Anthony, who would have to waive his no-trade clause in order to facilitate a deal to the Cavs. The Knicks would receive draft picks and players in return. One of those players is believed to be Timofey Mozgov, who five years ago was traded by the Knicks to Denver in the Anthony deal.
Those talks have not progressed. Plus Anthony reiterated on Friday that he has no plans to seek a trade. However, when asked if he's thought about his future with a losing organization, Anthony gave a cryptic answer. “Not yet. I'm pretty sure I'll have that conversation with myself and my family and my team,” he said. “But it's not a conversation for right now.”
