Carmelo Anthony believes in Phil Jackson's vision so much that he did the team a nice favor. Instead of taking the most money he can from the team's bank account, the guard took a little pay cut, accepting $5 million less than he had to in order to help the team improve both this summer and next. With several players currently on the trade block given the team's financial restraints, does Anthony's new deal help their futures?
According to ESPNNewYork.com, Anthony signed a contract worth $124 million, making the max in his first year. This opens a lot of doors for the Knicks that were previously closed. It allows the team to make a move this offseason to help fill holes and it fills the bigger picture for Jackson which is attracting big names next summer. After numerous trade rumors, there are also a few players on the roster likely happy because the pay cut secures their future in New York for at least a season.
"He did exactly what we kind of asked him to do," Jackson said, via ESPN.com. "Give us a break in the early part of his contract so that when we have some wiggle room next year, which is hopefully big enough wiggle room, we can exploit it."
Amar'e Stoudemire, Andrea Bargnani, Iman Shumpert and Tim Hardaway Jr have all seen their names pop up in trade rumors this offseason. The pay cut by Anthony likely means that at least three if not all of these players are safe for the season. Knicks' fans were not thrilled seeing Shumpert and Hardaway pop up in trade talks for Pau Gasol, although nothing was ever finalized. Stoudemire and Bargnani come off the books at the end of the year, meaning Jackson is not forced to send them off this summer if no interest comes from other teams.
All of this sets up for a 2015 offseason that should be pretty big for the Knicks. Jackson has all of the big players in mind including Rajon Rondo, Marc Gasol and Roy Hibbert. ESPN reports that Jackson would also like to acquire LaMarcus Aldridge if he opts to test free agency as well. Jackson has a plan and Anthony is putting his trust in it. The team might not be contenders this year, but 2015 could be a different story.
