The NY Knicks are coming into the offseason with Carmelo Anthony as the top priority and Phil Jackson has some moves to make to help keep Melo in NYC and trades involving Tyson Chandler, Amar'e Stoudemire, Raymond Felton or Andrea Bargnani could be on the table and this is going down while Jackson still is looking for a head coach, with names like Mark Jackson, Mike Dunleavy and Luke Walton coming up as possible candidates.
The Knicks had a rough season in 2013-14 and they were basically doomed from the start after going 3-13 and they missed the playoffs for the first time in a few years and it marked a major step back for the team. Last season they won 54 games and the division and now Jackson is in charge after another change in leadership and as he looks for a new coach, the franchise is looking to keep Anthony in NYC. According to SI.com and Pro Basketball Talk, the Chicago Bulls and the Houston Rockets are the two main teams looking at Anthony this offseason.
The Knicks feel that they are in good position to keep Anthony since they can offer him $33 million more than anyone else, but money may not be the only thing he is thinking of. Jackson has already said that the team will likely have to give a little less to help build and while Anthony has said he is okay with that, it may not be the best way to get things going with your impending free agent. Teams like the Bulls and Rockets will have to make major moves to get Anthony, while the Knicks likely will have to trade one of the names mentioned above at least.
The Rockets are coming into things looking at Anthony as well as Rajon Rondo as a target and they will have to make moves with Omer Asik and Jeremy Lin to get enough space to do that. The Rockets want to make their own big 3 with Dwight Howard and James Harden, while the Bulls want to do the same with Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah. The Bulls likely will have to amnesty or trade Carlos Boozer to get things going and that could give them enough space for Anthony or Love.
Anthony has a major decision to make and while he likely wants to stay in NYC after being traded there from the Nuggets, he has to weigh all his options and do what is best for him. Anthony is getting to age 30 and while he has shown that he is an elite player in this league, he has never made a deep playoff run and has not been close to winning a championship yet and that could be what he wants to focus on now. Anthony hoped to do that with the Knicks, but the team was not able to build on the success it had the past couple years and now they are back to square one.
The Knicks have big things coming this summer and Phil Jackson is hoping the next head coach can clinch bringing back Melo to NYC.
