The New York Knicks have paused all trade talks concerning Carmelo Anthony with the Houston Rockets and Cleveland Cavaliers, per ESPN.
New York reportedly agreed to hire Sacramento Kings front office member Scott Perry as its new general manger Thursday, which has caused the Knicks to “re-consider” their strategy with Anthony.
The departure of Phil Jackson as president — and the impending arrival of Sacramento executive Scott Perry as general manager — has pushed the franchise’s top basketball executive Steve Mills to reconsider the Knicks’ intentions on trading Anthony, league sources said.
It is believed the timing of that communication with Houston and Cleveland coincided with the clandestine negotiations that were ongoing with Sacramento and Perry, the Kings VP of basketball operations.
The Knicks have reached an agreement in principle on a deal to make Perry the team’s new GM, but consummation of the hiring is pending the Knicks and Kings arriving at terms on compensation, league sources said.
The Knicks want Anthony to meet with the new front office and coach Jeff Hornacek in the near future, but it’s unlikely that Anthony will respond with eagerness about a plan to reincorporate himself into a franchise that has been pushing him — publicly and privately — to accept a trade out of New York, league sources said.
It’s possible the Knicks are just putting talks on hold so as to allow the new general manager a chance to be involved in all talks the rest of the way, but Anthony’s biggest critic in the Knicks organization was Phil Jackson – who is long gone from the franchise.
Some would say Melo “outlasted” Jackson and “won” the battle.
There’s a chance now that he is the last one standing, he’ll spend the rest of his career in New York comfortably and peacefully.
However, the Knicks have more than a few reasons to try to move him for the betterment of their franchise.
We’ll continue to update all Melo-related drama as it unfolds this offseason and possibly even beyond.
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