Carmelo Anthony has informed Phil Jackson that he wants to remain a member of the New York Knicks. What are the pros and cons of that decision?
The future of the New York Knicks may have been determined on Tuesday, Jan. 17, 2017. Franchise player Carmelo Anthony and team president Phil Jackson held a long-awaited meeting to discuss the nine-time All-Star’s future in New York.
After weeks of speculation and tension, a decision appears to have been reached as to whether or not Anthony will remain with the Knicks moving forward.
Anthony has a no-trade clause in his contract, which gives him the power to decline any trade proposal he’s included in. Thus, the rumors of Jackson wanting to move Anthony were met by the reality that the 32-year-old would have to sign off on any attempt at a trade.
According to Ramona Shelburne of ESPN, Jackson asked Anthony a simple question during their meeting: do you want to be traded?
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
Per Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, Anthony told Jackson that he wants to stay and win in New York.
Carmelo Anthony reaffirmed his desire to stay with Knicks in meeting with Phil Jackson today, league source tells @TheVertical.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) January 17, 2017
That’s a decisive answer to a franchise-altering question.
With Anthony under contract through 2018 and possessing a player option for 2019, the Knicks will need to find a winning balance. In order to do so, the rational approach would be to address the pros and cons of Anthony staying in New York, and figure out what both sides need to do better.
The question is: what are the benefits of Anthony remaining in New York and in which areas must he and the Knicks collectively improve?