Reports Say Carmelo Anthony Staying In New York

NYDN - Carmelo Anthony is prepared to spend the prime years of his career in New York, the Daily News has learned. A person close to Anthony told The News on Wednesday that barring a last minute change of heart Anthony will re-sign with the Knicks after “agonizing over this” for the past week. “He will have something for everybody on Thursday,” said the friend who was with Anthony before Anthony’s scheduled workout with Kevin Durant and Kevin Love in Los Angeles on Wednesday. “He is really torn because this is the biggest decision of his career. But he wants to get it done in New York. He told me he believes in Phil.” Players can begin signing free agent contracts on Thursday and the deal on the table from the Knicks is a max contract worth $129 million over five years. The Lakers have also offered Anthony a max deal over four years while the Chicago Bulls would have to orchestrate a sign-and-trade in order for Anthony to receive close to a max contract.

Well this doesn’t come as a surprise to me. Nobody can leave $130 million on the table. This entire offseason so far has been a waiting game with all the big free agents waiting for someone to blink. Well the first domino just fell. And its an expensive fucking domino. Now bear in mind, it doesn’t necessarily mean he’s definitely remaining in New York:

Im not sure how sign and trades work when you’re dealing with a contract of that magnitude. Not sure if the Bulls can still work with that?

But I think thats a long shot. I think Carmelo has placed his faith in Phil Jackson and has seen enough immediate action from the front office to be confident that when all their money comes off the books, they will build a winner around him. I’m skeptical. Have been from the jump. But if Lebron really goes to Cleveland, the Bulls miss out, and Miami falls as a super power, the East is WIDE open. Even if they have to punt 2015, the landscape of the East is shifting enough that Melo and the Knicks may be right back in the thick of things in one or two seasons with the right moves. Cleveland with Kyrie and a young Wiggins will obviously be good, but by no means a dominant force. The Pacers are an enigma. Bulls needed someone like Carmelo to take that next step. John Wall and the Wizards ain’t there yet. The Nets suck. Its just a total mish mosh of teams if Lebron decides to bounce on Miami. One of the main reasons I didn’t want Melo back at max money was because I never thought they’d be able to get over the hump and past a team like Lebron’s Heat. But if thats no longer there, that changes everything. You’d have to imagine Phil would strike while the iron is hot AKA while the East is in flux and really make moves for the 2016 season. But again, all predicated upon a return to Cleveland and the fall of the Heat.