Kristaps Porzingis has a friend in Carmelo Anthony, and he doesn’t want to lose him.
The NBA’s trade deadline has come and gone, but the rumors surrounding Anthony’s future with the New York Knicks is still a hot-button issue. Will the Knicks try to move him over the offseason? Will he request a trade? Should either party even want to be married to the other anymore?
These questions are being bandied about much to the displeasure of Porzingis, who, per ESPN.com’s Ohm Youngmisuk, doesn’t want Melo to go anywhere:
Kristaps Porzingis has already lost his first NBA coach this season, and he hopes Carmelo Anthony’s frustration doesn’t lead to his losing his mentor down the road.
Anthony voiced his frustration this week with the spiraling Knicks sinking in the standings, and Porzingis said he hopes Anthony stays patient and remains with the New York Knicks for the long term.
“Obviously I wouldn’t want to lose him,” the rookie said when asked whether he’s worried about Anthony’s frustration leading to a potential change this summer. “He is who he is on our team. He’s very special.
“And we need him to do big things in the future, especially for me. I love playing alongside him, so that would obviously not be something that I want.”
Understandable.
From a basketball standpoint, Anthony takes a lot of pressure off Porzingis. There’s no telling how the rookie would fare as a featured option without Melo drawing defensive attention and slinging bullets his way.
From a development standpoint, Anthony’s mentorship of Porzingis is important for both sides. Porzingis has a safety net in Melo, and Anthony, never known as the mentoring type, is continuing to transform as a player and person.
For what it’s worth, Melo decided to weigh in on all these matters:
Ignore the noise. #Focused #StayMe7o pic.twitter.com/7Dljxx81P6
— Carmelo Anthony (@carmeloanthony) February 25, 2016
"When you get tired of hearing dumb sh*t"#StayMe7o pic.twitter.com/lofWrnNLUO
— Carmelo Anthony (@carmeloanthony) February 26, 2016
Well, that settles it. Melo isn’t going anywhere, nor is he trying to. And that isn’t going to change this summer. Like, at all.
Okay, it might.
We don’t really know.
But for now, Melo appears content with being in New York, even if he’s pissed about losing—in large part, I assume, because he has no other choice.
