Report: Carmelo Anthony Willing To Waive No-Trade Clause
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The honeymoon is over.
Carmelo Anthony "would be open" to waiving his no-trade clause after renewing his vows with the struggling Knicks this past offseason, according to the New York Post.
The Knicks (4-20) have gotten off to a brutal start, made worse by a 10-game losing streak and reports of discord between Melo and other players -- Tim Hardaway Jr., specifically -- in the locker room.
Anthony, who sat out Wednesday's loss in San Antonio with a sore left knee, isn't ready to pull the plug so soon after re-signing with New York in July, according to the Post. But it seems he's angling to make his exit if Phil Jackson, in his first full season as team president, can pull something off that would benefit both parties.
"He thought things would be better than this, but he still wants to stick it out for now," a source told the newspaper. "He trusts Phil, but I think he's afraid of Phil."
Melo's agent responded in a statement, calling the report "utter nonsense."
Carmelo's agent Leon Rose: "Carmelo, as always, is committed to the Knicks. There have never been discussions about trades....(continued)
— Frank Isola (@TheFrankIsola) December 12, 2014
Leon Rose continued:..."or wanting to leave New York. Any story, rumor, report to the contrary is utter nonsense."
— Frank Isola (@TheFrankIsola) December 12, 2014
"Come on, man," Anthony said Friday, according to Newsday. "After all the work I did to get here and get back here, if I was to get up and want to leave now, that would just make me weak, make me have a weak mind. I've never been the person to try run from any adversity or anything like that. So I'm not going to pick today to do that."
Anthony was courted in free agency by the Knicks, Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets and Chicago Bulls. The 30-year-old forward admitted in a documentary that aired on MSG earlier this month that it came down to New York and Chicago, and at one point he was ready to join a "perfect" setup with the Bulls, whose pitch was hurt by salary limitations. He ultimately decided to rejoin the Knicks on a five-year, $124 million deal.
"This organization has supported me and in return, I want to stay and build here with this city and my team," Anthony wrote on his website in announcing his return over the summer.
With limited resources and an eye on the 2015 offseason, it was expected the Knicks would have a down year under rookie head coach Derek Fisher. But nobody expected them to lead the league in losses in mid-December. In terms of winning percentage, New York (.167) is just a half-game ahead of the lowly Philadelphia 76ers (2-19, .095).
The vaunted triangle offense has been a big bust, and Jackson might want to think about a total reboot to build his system from scratch.
"This is essentially the bottom of the barrel," WFAN morning show co-host Boomer Esiason said Friday. "This is worse than when Isiah Thomas was here."
New York landed Melo in a Feb. 2011 blockbuster with the Denver Nuggets. The seven-time All-Star is averaging 22.9 points and 6.6 rebounds this season.
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