Carmelo Anthony has now had some time to think about his situation with the New York Knicks since their regular season ended, and about whether he still wants to be part of their long-term future.
His verdict?
He wants to stick around. Still.
Per The Wall Street Journal‘s Chris Herring:
Melo, on whether he's gonna be involved in who the next coach is: "I hope so." On whether he'll retire a Knick: "That's the plan."
— Chris Herring (@Herring_NBA) April 28, 2016
Correction: "That's the goal."
— Chris Herring (@Herring_NBA) April 28, 2016
If Melo wants a say on the Knicks’ next head coach, he clearly wants to stay put. His words are not some verbal facade that will allow him to win the resulting optics if he ever waives his no-trade clause to play for a better team that cannot ship back adequate assets in exchange for his services.
Of course, maintaining this stance certainly won’t hurt should he ever leave New York.
Anthony has become something of a sympathetic figure in the Big Apple. He wronged the Knicks by forcing his way to the team at the expense of too many assets and has since struggled, at times, to adapt his game to meet the needs of those around him.
But that’s all ancient history now.
Though Carmelo Anthony put the Denver Nuggets in a vise back in 2011, the Knicks had the option of passing. They were bidding against themselves and didn’t need to move heaven and earth to acquire. That trade is on them more than him.
Beyond that, Melo has adjusted. He is a better team player; he just wrapped up the most unselfish season of his career for one of the worst teams he’s ever been on. That’s not easy to do as a player. He has also proved to be a valuable mentor for Kristaps Porzingis, the future of the franchise.
Losing Carmelo Anthony, then, shouldn’t be an option for the Knicks. Not at this point. If nothing else, they need him to make life easier on Porzingis as he progresses toward bearing the full weight of a franchise cornerstone on his own.
Until then, Melo is a necessity. And while that doesn’t mean the Knicks should acquiesce to his every desire, it does mean they should include him in the coaching search and any free-agency pursuits, treating him as if he’s indispensable—because, for now, he most absolutely is indispensable.
