Brace yourself Knicks fans, it is the return of the anonymous teammate. Carmelo Anthony's pending free agency is the elephant in every interview right now as many speculate where the New York forward could be headed. He has already confirmed he will test the market, so is an exit from the Knicks in the works? Anonymous teammate believes so.
Someone told Frank Isola over at the New York Daily News that Anthony is good as gone from the Knicks when the season is over.
"I think he's leaving," anonymous player said. "I've played with Melo for a long time and he knows he can't win here. At this stage, all he wants to do is win. That's why he'll leave."
Well no one can argue with the fact that the Knicks cannot win. They have the third-worst winning percentage in the NBA after a sluggish start to the year that has yet to turn around. The team is not setup well for the future. They do not own a first-round draft pick for the next few years. Current contracts are killing their salary cap space, making it very difficult for the team to sign any players to surround the forward with.
"We are the laughingstock of the league right now," Anthony said, via New York Post. "Do I like being laughed at? Hell, no. I don't like that feeling."
The one thing the anonymous player failed to mention is the fact that the Knicks can offer him more money than anyone else. Anthony can earn $30 million more with New York than any other team. But is that what he wants?
According to the New York Post, NBA sources agree with the anonymous teammate. Anthony is ready to win, but in a big market to further his business deals. That of course keeps New York in consideration, but the Post reports that right now the Los Angeles Clippers are the front runners.
Anthony likes the idea of playing with players like Blake Griffin and Chris Paul who are in their primes over someone like Kobe Bryant with the Lakers. Paul and Anthony are good friends which could sway the decision. If the Clippers are going to get him, they will have to make some sort of trade or a lot of roster moves. As of now, the team does not have the salary cap space to give Anthony the right contract.
Free agency is still a long ways away. Anthony has only briefly hinted at what he is thinking about doing. The forward recently praised the moves of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh for teaming up. Could Anthony, Paul and Griffin be the new Big 3?