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Knicks Trade Rumors: Phil Jackson Calling Teams About Carmelo Anthony

By Maxwell Ogden

Jan 7, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) dribbles the ball in the first half of the game against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Indiana Pacers beat the New York Knicks 123-109.Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 7, 2017; Indianapolis, IN, USA; New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony (7) dribbles the ball in the first half of the game against the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life Fieldhouse. The Indiana Pacers beat the New York Knicks 123-109.Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-USA TODAY Sports /
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New York Knicks team president Phil Jackson has reportedly reached out to three teams in an attempt to trade franchise player Carmelo Anthony.

The New York Knicks are plummeting down the Eastern Conference standings. Since beginning the season at 14-10, the Knicks have gone 6-17 and fallen from a potential No. 4 seed to the depths of the non-contenders.

As the Knicks continue to lose games, team president Phil Jackson is probing trade interest for franchise player Carmelo Anthony.

Anthony has a no-trade clause in his contract, which limits Jackson’s options when attempting to swing a trade. If Anthony is going to be traded, then he’ll have to sign off on whichever deal he’s a part of.

According to NBA rumors guru Adrian Wojnarowski of The Vertical, Jackson has probed trade interest from three teams: the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Los Angeles Clippers.

"Armed with a hope that Carmelo Anthony will eventually waive his no-trade clause, the New York Knicks have reached out to the Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers and Cleveland Cavaliers to probe their interest in a trade, league sources told The Vertical.Knicks president Phil Jackson is determined to find a destination and deal that Anthony would agree to accept before the Feb. 23 NBA trade deadline, league sources said."

The most important note from Wojnarowski’s report is that Jackson is looking to orchestrate a complete rebuild around Kristaps Porzingis.

Anthony is currently averaging 22.7 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and 2.1 3-point field goals made in 33.6 minutes per game. He’s doing so on a slash line of .438/.372/.835 and is committing just 2.0 turnovers per game.

Over the past 10 games, Anthony has accumulated an average of 25.1 points on 50.0 percent shooting from the field.

Unfortunately, the Knicks are just 3-7 during those 10 games.

The 32-year-old Anthony still has star-caliber ability, but Jackson is struggling with the idea of building around him. New York is seven games below .500, and no matter who’s at fault, that reality must be accepted.

It’s entirely possible that the Knicks will turn the season around, but if they fail to do so by the trade deadline, Jackson may attempt to execute a complete rebuild.

Porzingis and Anthony play well off of one another, but one is 21 years of age and the other is 32. Their timelines don’t match up, which means Jackson’s longstanding desire to incrimentally build around Porzingis would continue to be at the detriment of Anthony’s hopes of winning now.

Regardless of whom you believe deserves the blame, it appears as though Jackson is moving forward with his attempt at a rebuild.

Must Read: Where does Carmelo Anthony rank amongst the greatest players in New York Knicks history?

The next month is going to be a wild one in New York.

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