Carmelo Anthony is tired of trying to carry the New York Knicks by himself. After the team's disappointing loss in the playoffs this season, Anthony wants the Knicks to make some big offseason moves to add more talent to the roster. The New York Post is reporting that Anthony wants a "bona fide secondary scorer" to take some of the pressure off him.
The Knicks struggled with shooting during their second round series against the Indiana Pacers. Anthony was battling a shoulder injury and no one else stepped up to help him. Sixth Man, J.R. Smith, could not get a shot off and Amar'e Stoudemire proved to be of little assistance.
Both Smith and Stoudemire were supposed to be the secondary option all season. Neither guy turned out to be the go-to player for Anthony. Smith has delivered two terrible playoff seasons in a row. The Knicks would ideally like to re-sign him, but Anthony wants someone more reliable in the lineup.
When Stoudemire was brought in back in 2010, he was supposed to be a solid scoring option next to Anthony. However, a slew of injuries have made in almost irrelevant to the team. Plus, his inflated contract is not helping the team out. Over the next two years, Stoudemire will make $45 million. He is not worth anything in a trade, so he is guaranteed to be back with the Knicks.
New York's tight cap space makes adding a quality scorer an issue. Their best bet is some sort of sign-and-trade with another team. They would not be able to get someone like Chris Paul since the tem already has $75 million in contracts for next season. That leaves them trading away someone significant in order to get someone else in return.
Tyson Chandler could be quality trade bait, but then the Knicks would not have a legit big man. Iman Shumpert could make for a good trade, but Anthony thinks he has potential and could grow into a star for New York. The Knicks could try and get a younger guy that shows promise, which might be their only option.
With the Knicks current financial situation, it is hard to see them making big moves in the offseason. They simply cannot afford a marquee guy to please Anthony. He will be a free agent when the season is over. If the Knicks do not make improvements, he will likely opt out of his contract and test the market.
