The look of disgust on Carmelo Anthony's face as the New York Knicks lost by double-digits to the Brooklyn Nets was very clear. ESPN camera caught the look right on cue as Anthony just shook his head when Andrea Bargnani missed a defensive rotation. As tension grows in New York, trade rumors surrounding the franchise player cannot be ignored nor thought ridiculous anymore.
The New York Daily News reports the Knicks have grown extremely nervous that Anthony is preparing to exit in free agent. The forward has already announced his plans to test the market, but many assumed he would re-sign with New York since the Knicks can offer the most money of any team. However, a string of embarrassing losses and tough future financially have New York thinking of a trade before Anthony can simply walk away.
Anthony did not hide his disappointment in his teammates. The forward told reporters after the loss to Brooklyn that they simply did not put up a fight and it was embarrassing. Anthony noted that he truly did not believe the team would be in this position after a preseason filled with hype and expectations. However, here the Knicks are currently sitting with a 7-14 home record and no improvement in sight.
"It's not getting hard," Anthony said, via New York Daily News. "Just right now, when you're going through this situation, it kind of blurs everything. It kind of clouds a lot of everything, your thinking, your mentality ..."
Owner James Dolan might have said the team has no intentions of getting rid of anyone at the trade deadline, but he will likely be forced to go back on that statement. There are several trade situations that could take place if the Knicks pull the trigger on a move. ESPN offers a scenario with the Chicago Bulls. The Los Angeles Clippers have also had internal discussions about a Blake Griffin/Anthony player swap. That might be the most far-fetched rumors out there right now.
The team could also make moves regarding Tyson Chandler. He could be the first to go before Anthony. Chandler is certainly the face of the Knicks' defensive effort, but this team really has no identity so does it really matter? New York could have a hard time with this move though seeing as the long-term outlook for Chandler is not positive. New York also had the intention of using the Anthony/Chandler pairing the lure another top player to the city.
The fact is Anthony is in his prime and wasting away with the Knicks. He is the only one attempting to do anything on the team and the lack of help is not improving. The Knicks are not set up well for the future which will highly influence Anthony's decision. While the idea of trading Anthony even a month ago seemed insane, now it seems like a very realistic possibility.