With all the rumors and speculation regarding Carmelo Anthony’s future in New York, with the Knicks, churning out new material at warp speed, it’s easy to lose sight of reality.
And the reality is, it seems, that Melo remains committed to the Knicks’ future.
Consider what he said about asking head coach Kurt Rambis to hand out more minutes to New York’s younger players, per ESPN.com’s Ohm Youngmisuk:
Carmelo Anthony told reporters that he approached other veterans and then Kurt Rambis about giving more minutes to younger players for the rest of the season to develop guys like rookie Jerian Grant. “Those guys need to play, especially right now,” Anthony said according to reports. “… You can practice and do drills and one-on-one things all day long but you only get that experience by playing in an actual game. I think it’s good for them, it’s good for the morale of the team, it’s good for their confidence. Because sometimes in a situation like this, you can lose your confidence. And that’s something we don’t want.”
Would someone who is angling to leave, by way of waiving his no-trade clause and demanding to be dealt, be concerned with the future of developmental projects like Jerian Grant?
Probably not.
Indeed, Melo could be, and probably is, looking out for himself here. There’s no point in him logging 35-plus minutes per game when the Knicks have nothing to play for. He will turn 32 in May and should to keep himself as fresh as possible for next season and beyond, regardless of whether he’s playing in New York or elsewhere.
Still, Melo’s continued concern, self-driven or not, for guys like Grant and Kristaps Porzingis does, in many ways, accentuate his commitment to the Knicks and city of New York. His stance may waver over the summer, if and when the Knicks fail to substantially upgrade the roster in free agency. But, for now, he seems to be planning on staying put, a surprisingly refreshing perspective from someone who has officially been failed by the Knicks more than he ever personally failed them.
