The New York Knicks are heading into a very important season for the franchise, as the team knows that Carmelo Anthony can opt out of his contract this season and after talking with the New York Observer, it appears he may do just that.
According to ESPN.com, Anthony spoke about becoming a free agent and while he didn't say that he would be leaving the Knicks, he said in an interview that it's a dream of every player to be a free agent and that he would like to do that for the first time in his career. Anthony was drafted by the Nuggets, signed another deal there and then was traded by the Nuggets to the Knicks.
If Anthony jumps ship, he will have some suitors in the Los Angeles Lakers, Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls as well as other teams and the Knicks will obviously be in the mix as well. The Knicks had their best season in a decade last year after winning over 50 games and the Atlantic division and after being defeated by the Indiana Pacers in the playoffs, Carmelo Anthony and company are ready to make a championship push next time around.
"I want to be a free agent," Anthony told the New York Observer. "I think everybody in the NBA dreams to be a free agent at least one time in their career. It's like you have an evaluation period, you know. It's like if I'm in the gym and I have all the coaches, all the owners, all the GMs come into the gym and just evaluate everything I do. So yes, I want that experience."
Anthony and the team are using the offseason to improve and after trading for Andrea Bargnani and bringing back JR Smith and Pablo Prigioni, the roster is already looking stronger than last year. The team still has free agents it can go after and Anthony will be getting some extra training this year from one of the best big men of all time, as ESPN.com reports that the star will be working with Hakeem Olajuwon to get some improvement on his post-up game and defensive work down low.
The trade means that Anthony will likely be playing a nice amount at power forward and along with Amar'e Stoudemire, the two will work with Olajuwon in Houston to get better in the post. The two will work out in August, although the report says that Tyson Chandler will not be working out with the duo. Anthony had a great season last year while leading the league in scoring, but he said after being eliminated by the Pacers that his post-game could use some work and now he will be working with one of the best.
Last year he averaged 28.7 points and ended up with the most post up plays of any small forward with over 390 and he likely will have even more this season. He also shot over 40 percent from that area and if he improves a bit more the Knicks should be even more successful on offense than they were last year. Anthony has been working hard all offseason and the team could also still go after names like Elton Brand, while they may lose Kenyon Martin to the Spurs.
Reports say that the team could be targeting Sebastian Telfair and Carlos Delfino to add some support for Raymond Felton and Prigioni and either of those players could add depth to the bench. Last season the team ranked 11th in points per game and seventh in defense with 95 points per game and if Melo can add some skills to his post-game, the team should improve in both areas.
