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Knicks Trade Rumors: Five reasons to keep Carmelo Anthony

By Maxwell Ogden

NEW ORLEANS, LA - FEBRUARY 19: Carmelo Anthony #7 of the New York Knicks reacts in the first half of the 2017 NBA All-Star Game at Smoothie King Center on February 19, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images)
NEW ORLEANS, LA - FEBRUARY 19: Carmelo Anthony #7 of the New York Knicks reacts in the first half of the 2017 NBA All-Star Game at Smoothie King Center on February 19, 2017 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 12: Kyle O’Quinn #9 and Carmelo Anthony #7 of the New York Knicks greet each other before the tipoff against the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden on April 12, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – APRIL 12: Kyle O’Quinn #9 and Carmelo Anthony #7 of the New York Knicks greet each other before the tipoff against the Philadelphia 76ers at Madison Square Garden on April 12, 2017 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

5. One Last Chance

Keeping Carmelo Anthony on the roster would be equal parts PR work, human decency, and basketball evaluation. The desire for a youth movement is one of the most sensible visions the front office has produced in quite some time, but there’s another short-term route to follow.

Anthony only has so much left in the tank at 33 years of age, but New York could do some damage control by giving him one last chance to resurrect the Knicks.

The obvious hurdle here is that New York has disregarded the type of veteran free agents who could help Anthony win in 2017-18. That’s somewhat justifiable, however, when one considers the contracts that have been handed out.

George Hill and Jeff Teague received three-year deals worth $57 million, and Jrue Holiday was handed a five-year contract worth $126 million.

Knowing that to be true, New York dodged a proverbial bullet by not handing out a massive contract to a point guard it may not build around. Having said that, there are still ways New York can build around Anthony on a short-term basis.

There are still veterans on the roster, and with a last-ditch effort to sign a quality free agent in 2017, the Knicks could give Anthony one last chance.

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