FanPost

Carmelo and the Knicks

I am both a Carmelo Anthony fan and a New York Knicks fan, but am concerned Carmelo's choice sets both the player and the organization up for failure. With Carmelo resigned, the Knicks fate rests nearly entirely on the 2015 Free Agent class. The top two players in the class most likely won't be available in that LaMarcus Aldridge has all but re-signed with Portland next season & Kevin Love will most likely be traded to a contending team with a promise to re-sign. Marc Gasol will be the only "real" possibility and that's a big wager to bet your organization's future on one free agent (see LA Lakers, who have lost that bet two summers in a row).

In my opinion, what would have been best for Carmelo, the Knicks AND the Bulls would have been to arrange a sign and trade with Chicago. The Bulls have potentially three 1st Round picks in 2015 that they could have included with some combination of whatever salary dump expiring contracts that would be traded. That would have given the Knicks their own 2015 1st round pick (which presumably would have been a lottery pick once they traded Carmelo) plus some of the Bulls' picks, plus almost $60 million in cap space (A'mare's $24 million & Bargnani's $11.5 million will expire, as well as Anthony's contract coming off the books) to acquire several free agents, max contracts or otherwise to build a team suited to Jackson & Fisher's liking. Because it was a sign and trade, Carmelo wouldn't have been giving up any of the money he could get from the Knicks, and the Bulls could contend immediately.

Don't get me wrong, I think this Knicks team will have a better record than last year's team, even though the roster is worse (Chandler is a bigger upgrade over Dalembert than Calderon is over Felton). This team may even make the playoff; but if they do, it will be as a 7 or 8 seed and they will lose in the first round, thus starting the "Carmelo can't win in the playoffs" discourse again, which drives me insane. It may sound strange but I actually hope they don't make the playoffs so we don't have to hear those criticisms, plus the Knicks would then have a lottery pick in the 2015 draft and give the players like Calderon, Shumpert, Hardaway, etc., a chance to acclimate to the Triangle offense. I hope they can sign Gasol and/or other pieces that fit Phil's vision, but if they don't, Carmelo may end up 34+ years old, opting out and looking for somewhere he can win a ring before it's too late.