All of the preseason talk with the New York Knicks surrounds Carmelo Anthony and that pending free agency decision approaching next summer. Reports continue to hound the forward about his intentions. After making headlines stating he would test free agency in 2014, Amar'e Stoudemire is confident the news will not be a distraction.
Stoudemire is well aware of the pressures that come with approaching free agency. The power forward left the Phoenix Suns back in 2010 to sign a five-year, $100 million deal with New York. He told Anthony to stop talking about any intentions and just play the season out.
"I dealt with it before," Stoudemire said, via Newsday.com. "What I did was I kept it quiet until the actual summer. I think it won't be a distraction. We understand what we're trying to do as a team. We're trying to win a championship. We're trying to improve on what we built on last year. So it shouldn't be a distraction for us as players. We should be okay with it."
Anthony has not done a great job of that so far. He told the New York Observer that he will test the market next summer, but that does not mean he will not be returning to the Knicks with a new contract. Clearly, Anthony is just looking for a pay bump and the Knicks can certainly give him that. New York can offer the free-agent-to-be $129.1 million in a max deal, more than any other team.
The Knicks star is confident that his decisions will not hurt the team this season. While head coach Mike Woodson is worried Anthony is not focused, the star reassured fans that his head is in the right place.
"I'm a guy who's strong-minded person who's not gonna let that outside stuff bother me," Anthony said, via ESPNNewYork.com. "(Woodson) knows that. I told him, 'Don't even think about worrying about me, as far as letting that interfere with my game or this team - I'm not, so you shouldn't.'"
Every team is likely to go after Anthony next summer, including the Los Angeles Lakers who held back this year to prepare for a 2014 run. Anthony does not expect a phone call to come from Kobe Bryant to recruit him to Los Angeles, although he loves the idea about playing for the star.
"It's definitely an opportunity that I'm willing to explore and experience," Anthony said. "That not whatsoever means that I'm not coming back to New York or I don't want to be here in New York. So I don't want nobody to get that impression."
