This is starting to get weird. And quite frankly, a little embarrassing.
The New York Knicks are title contenders. That’s what they’re selling us on, anyway. Carmelo Anthony, Tyson Chandler, J.R. Smith, Iman Shumpert, Andrea Bargnani—they’re supposed to be the core of a championship hopeful. Yet talk keeps shifting to the future, like the Knicks are some young rebuilding outfit debating which way they should tank.
Free agency was always going to be a topic of discussion for Anthony this season. He can opt out of the last year of his deal this summer and become an unrestricted free agent, which he is going to do. ‘Melo wants to explore free agency, he wants to be wined and dined for the first time in his career. That’s not only to be expected, it’s fine.
This is what contracts and free agency is all about. Players eventually control their own destiny. They have a right to leave or re-sign. Can’t rank on ‘Melo for wanting to do what so many superstars before him have done, and what so many after him will do.
All this talk of what the Knicks must do to keep him is somewhat irking. Sure, they can’t suck. That’s step one. But everything else is about improving the roster somehow over the next two years—most likely in 2015 when the Knicks have cap space—to better suit ‘Melo’s needs.
Now, I know the Knicks aren’t perfect. Man oh man, are they far from perfect. But we’re at the point where ‘Melo, the face of a contender, is holding court on how he will recruit free agents to play in New York, per ESPN New York’s Ian Begley:
“I haven’t had a complaint yet in my 11 years in this NBA about playing with me. I think people would love to come to play in New York,” Anthony said. “And when that time comes we’ll be working on that. I have a big black book. I have a big Rolodex. People that talk about what’s going on with me in the offseason, this and that, I should be getting people to come here, I am. I’m trying.”
Thing is, while Begley says ‘Melo is talking about next summer, the Knicks don’t have cap space in 2014. They have $27.3 million in guaranteed contracts on the books, a number that will balloon to $50.7 million once Amar’e Stoudemire opts into the $23.4 million remaining on his deal. Add in what it would cost to re-sign Anthony, and the Knicks have nothing to spend.
Anthony could have been talking about 2015, too, which is even more ridiculous. It’s then that the Knicks will have cap space. Only $290,000 in guaranteed salary will be on the ledger, not including Anthony’s future hold. But that’s so far away. Is Anthony, 29, really looking to two summers from now, when he’ll be 31, as a reason to stay in New York? I call bull.
Trust me, he’s going to re-sign with the Knicks. He has 129 million reasons not to leave. Just know that he won’t return under the pretense he’ll be able to recruit big names like LeBron James and Kobe Bryant (ha) to New York next summer. Unless the Knicks move Smith and Raymond Felton (easy), dump Chandler and Bargs’ expiring deals (possible) and find a taker for STAT who is also willing to send pretty much nothing back in return (impossible?), it’s not going happen.
There’s always 2015 when Kevin Love, Rajon Rondo and Marc Gasol will be available, but there’s also now. The Knicks need to establish a semblance of continuity, and that dictates they, ‘Melo included, stop looking for the next score. Especially when that next score could be more than two seasons away.
Dan Favale is a firm believer in the three-pointer as well as the notion that defense doesn’t always win championships. His musings can be found at Bleacherreport.com in addition to TheHoopDoctors.com. Follow @danfavale on Twitter for his latest posts and all things NBA.
