After a few days of speculation about Carmelo Anthony’s future and where he would wind up, it appears he will not be going anywhere after all. According to multiple reports on Tuesday, the Knicks forward informed team president Phil Jackson that he wants to stay in New York and will not waive his no-waive clause.
Phil Jackson met with Carmelo Anthony today and asked him if he wanted to remain with the Knicks, sources told ESPN.
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) January 17, 2017
As for what Melo told Phil, source says he reaffirmed his desire to stay in New York with the Knicks.
— Ramona Shelburne (@ramonashelburne) January 17, 2017
As @FisolaNYDN reports, Anthony wants to win in New York — nowhere else.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) January 17, 2017
There's a reason 'Melo wanted no-trade clause in his contract: He wants to live and play in New York. He won't let Jackson chase him out.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojVerticalNBA) January 17, 2017
Shelburne’s report seems to imply that Jackson was not intent on trading Anthony in the first place. Asking the forward whether he wants to stay in New York is different than telling him that the team would like to blow up this experiment and rebuild.
Nevertheless, Anthony waiving his no-trade clause was always a distant proposition. He has routinely stated that he wants to stay in New York even despite public disputes with Jackson. His wife is a radio and television star and best-selling author who has made a living in New York.
Carmelo Anthony is not likely to win in New York; the Knicks have not been able to surround him with capable talent and his own game has been decaying in recent years.
But he is already cemented as a firs ballot Hall of Famer, the greatest Olympian in basketball history, and one of the best scorers we’ve ever seen. He has that, his hometown of New York, and his family’s happiness set in stone, even if the Knicks are a mess.
