.png){kind=small}
Uncertainty remains for Carmelo Anthony and his future with the New York Knicks.
Will Carmelo remain with the Knicks and play out his contract or will he approve of a deal and be moved elsewhere.
Of course, the Knicks may just buy Carmelo out, but are hesitant to do so for a couple reasons.
The first being if Anthony is bought out, his salary(or a large portion of it) will be counted on the team's salary cap for future seasons.
A scenario no Knick fan wants any part of.
What good is paying Anthony a max salary for him only to play on a minimum salary elsewhere while competing for a ring?
The simple answer is absolutely nothing.
The second option is that Carmelo Anthony, no trade clause and all, still has trade value and the Knicks can receive a package of some younger players and/or future picks.
A much more beneficial option that the Knicks management is looking at.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, reported that Carmelo Anthony will accept a deal to the Houston Rockets or the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The Knicks are not likely to receive a package that a team would normally get for a player of
Melo’s caliber. Part of it is the no trade clause and the public comments from management saying Anthony may be better off somewhere else.
Melo has connections to both teams and both the Rockets and Cavaliers will be among the NBA elites for this season as they try and compete for a title.
Wojnarowski reported that James Harden has already began pitching Carmelo Anthony about the idea of accepting a trade to the Rockets. Anthony will then form a big three with Harden and Chris Paul.
With the Cavaliers, it is well noted that LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony have a strong personal relationship. The Cavaliers are in a need to upgrade their roster as they have mostly stood pat to begin the offseason while teams in the west stacked their rosters.
What happens to Carmelo Anthony will severely impact the Knicks next season. If they decide to trade him or buy him out, the Knicks are looking at a rebuild. If they keep him and add some mid-level free agents to the Anthony - Porzingis core, the Knicks will be competing for a playoff spot in the depleted Eastern Conference.
Anthony’s uncertainty is one of the NBA’s most intriguing NBA storylines and it something to follow to as the days count down to start of the 2017-2018 season.