The New York Knicks appeared to be one a better path after they got Carmelo Anthony back from knee soreness. They strung together some wins over a few bottom-feeder teams to break the lengthy losing streak, but frustrations are running high once again as the Knicks fall back into their losing patterns. Now, Anthony is injured again and Phil Jackson is preparing to simply clean house before the deadline.
The Knicks fell to the Miami Heat on Monday which likely was not a surprise to fans, but injuries took their toll in the 109-95 defeat especially to Anthony. The star aggravated a left knee injury and now his status for the weekend's All-Star game is in jeopardy. Anthony left the game midway through the fourth quarter and did not return. The star was clearly frustrated after the game.
"I'm not thinking about the All-Star at this point," Anthony said, via ESPNNewYork.com. "As long as I can go to Orlando [on Tuesday] and kind of don't feel nothing or no soreness, I'll see what happens. It's frustrating, not being able to be yourself and fighting through it."
The injury will once again bring up talk about whether or not Anthony should shut things down for the remainder of the year. He has missed 12 games this season mainly due to knee issues, but is still averaging 24.1 points per game. The Knicks are the worst team in the NBA at 10-42 and have no chance at making the postseason at this point. With Anthony being the main recruiting tool for the Knicks in free agency, they need the star healthy for 2015.
With each loss, team president Phil Jackson pushes harder for trade deals. There is a chance either Pablo Prigioni or Andrea Bargnani could get traded since their contracts are favorable, but deals for players like Jose Calderon have gone unnoticed with the deadline approaching. Amar'e Stoudemire is likely preparing to say goodbye to the Big Apple as ESPN.com reports the Knicks will likely buyout his contract. While no one will trade for the forward, several teams are eyeing him in free agency.
According to Dan Woike of the Orange County Register, the Los Angeles Clippers are eyeing Stoudemire as a potential replacement for Blake Griffin who is out indefinitely after shoulder surgery. They are also looking at Kevin Garnett who could be facing the same fate with the Brooklyn Nets. The Dallas Mavericks are also being linked to Stoudemire along with the Houston Rockets who are dealing with injuries to Dwight Howard.
