The NY Knicks are coming into the offseason with Carmelo Anthony as their main priority and Phil Jackson may look at a Tyson Chandler trade along with deals involving Raymond Felton, Andrea Bargnani, Iman Shumpert, JR Smith and Amar'e Stoudemire to clear space to sign Melo and possibly other players like Luol Deng or Lance Stephenson and teams like the Chicago Bulls or Dallas Mavericks could be interested.

Anthony comes into the offseason after having another strong season offensively and he is hitting the market in his prime at 29 years old. The Knicks have the advantage of being able to give him the most money and the longest contract, but that doesn't mean he will sign with the team. According to ESPN.com, Anthony has officially opted out and his agent said that Melo wants to test free agency to see what's out there and it also could be a negotiating tactic with the Knicks, as this gives Anthony more leverage.

Anthony may piss off some fans by opting out, but he has every right to do it and this comes years after he signed his first contract and is likely the last major contract deal he will sign. Anthony started his career by getting drafted by the Denver Nuggets and that meant he did not get to choose his team and then he signed an extension to remain there. Anthony did get to steer his trade to the Knicks, but he was not a free agent and now he has the chance to hit the market for real for the first time in his career. Anthony may stay with the Knicks, but he has every right to opt out and test the market.

Chandler and Stoudemire are key parts of the team, but they are making a ton of money and moving them could allow the Knicks to sign Anthony and other players. The team is over the tax so they are in a tough spot and since Jackson may not be able to make the team into a winner for a couple years, Melo may try elsewhere. The Rockets, Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls and Mavericks are all options and the Lakers could chase as well.

According to ESPN.com, the Knicks are shopping Shumpert for a first round pick, as they do not have one this year after trading it. Zach Lowe writes that the Miami Heat could offer the 26^th pick for Shumpert, but right now there is no movement on that deal. The team cannot use as much money as allotted because of certain league rules until July and that could make it tough to buy a draft pick. This year the draft is deep and the Knicks would have been in the lottery had they kept the pick.

Last season the Knicks started off 3-13 and missed the playoffs and they ended up with just 37 wins and that came after the team won over 50 games and the division the previous season. The Knicks averaged 98 points per game last season to rank 20^th in the league and Anthony was very good once again, averaging over 25 points and making the All-star team. Some of the biggest knocks on Anthony are that he is not LeBron, but no one is and that argument is starting to feel hollow for NY fans.