New York Knicks: Brian Scalabrine weighs in on Carmelo Anthony rumors
Everyone has an opinion about what the New York Knicks should do with Carmelo Anthony. 11-year NBA veteran Brian Scalabrine voiced his on The Big3 Show.
The New York Knicks are approaching a decision that will define the trajectory of the organization for years to come. That statement has been made ad nauseam over the past six months, but it’s rung true in more ways than it should.
Frank Ntilikina was selected at the 2017 NBA Draft, Phil Jackson was relieved of his duties as team president, and Scott Perry was hired as general manager—and the madness has just begun.
With the president jettisoned, the franchise point guard drafted, and the general manager hired, the next order of business is determining how Carmelo Anthony fits into the equation. The 10-time All-Star has clout, but he’s also a 33-year-old star on a rebuilding team.
In a recent appearance on The Big3 Show with Josh Eberley and Oliver Maroney, 11-year NBA veteran Brian Scalabrine stated his belief that New York should accept a swap of Anthony for Ryan Anderson.
"“I would personally do the Ryan Anderson deal for Carmelo Anthony. Carmelo is such a dominating personality. With the Knicks going in the direction they are, they’re trying to make this about Porzingis. Ryan Anderson I think would fit in fine with New York.”"
That’s a debatable statement, but it’s one that may be worth looking into, if not merely discussing.
Anderson, the 2012 Most Improved Player, is a nine-year NBA veteran. A 6’10” power forward, Anderson is a mismatch nightmare with an elite outside shot and the size to shoot over a vast majority of defenders.
This past season, Anderson was one of just five players to convert at least 200 3-point field goals on 40.0 percent shooting or better from beyond the arc.
The other four players to do so were Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Bradley Beal, and J.J. Redick—all of whom are guards.
By pairing Anderson with another sharpshooting big man, Kristaps Porzingis, the Knicks would create one of the most dynamic offensive units in the NBA.
The issue with Anderson, however, is that he’s debatably overpaid and working along a different timeline than the Knicks’ young core. The 29-year-old is due $61,264,637 over the course of the next three seasons.
Inheriting his contract would mean pairing it with the combined $163,301,340 that will be paid to Tim Hardaway Jr., Courtney Lee, and Joakim Noah over that same three-year window.
Including Anderson, the Knicks would owe a combined $224,565,977 between 2017-18 and 2019-20 to four players with a combined two All-Star Game appearances—both of which were achieved before 2014-15.
Those are the type of financial decisions that new general manager Scott Perry is aiming to avoid.
Thus, while Anderson may fit as a pure talent, there’s reason to question whether or not his contract would be a burden worth taking on.
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In the eyes of 11-year NBA veteran Brian Scalabrine, the New York Knicks should pull the trigger on building a dynamic offensive duo.