Carmelo Anthony is reluctant to leave the New York Knicks despite reports that he will be traded to a playoff contender in the summer. Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reported that Anthony is having second thoughts about being traded because he doesn’t want to be away from his son for an extended period of time, especially now that his marriage to actress La La is on the rocks.
According to reports, Anthony and La La separated in 2017 after seven years of marriage. Reports of their breakup surfaced days after Knicks president Phil Jackson said that Anthony "would be better off somewhere else".
While he’s trying to orchestrate a deal to either the Philadelphia 76ers or the Washington Wizards, Anthony’s mindset is to stay in New York and he can do it by rejecting any trade that the Knicks will enter into. With Anthony’s veto power over any trade, the Knicks may opt to buy out the remaining $60 million in Anthony’s contract.
Jackson reiterates decision to trade Anthony
Last week, Jackson reiterated his earlier pronouncement that Anthony may be better off with another squad and he must accept a trade to a contender.
“We’ve expressed the fact that we haven’t been successful and it might be time for (Carmelo) to find an opportunity to go somewhere else,” Jackson said in an interview with MSG Network.
Up to now, there has been no clear taker for Anthony via trade, primarily due to the huge salary cap hit that his contract carries. According to his deal, Anthony’s cap will be pegged a $30.3 million if he’s traded before July 1. If he’s traded after July 1, Anthony’s cap hit would increase to $34.4 million next season and $27.9 million in 2018-19.
Cavaliers favorite to land Anthony?
If the Knicks buy out Anthony’s contract, the Cleveland Cavaliers are the favorites to land his services, giving the team another option on offense. The Cavaliers are also eyeing LeBron James’ former teammate Dwyane Wade if he secures a buyout with the Chicago Bulls.
James, Anthony, Wade and Los Angeles Clippers playmaker Chris Paul have been planning to play in one team at some point in their respective careers.
Paul has already opted out of his deal with the Clippers but the Cavaliers cannot afford his price due with a small room in their salary cap.
A 10-time All-Star, Anthony averaged 22.4 points and 5.9 rebounds per game last season for the Knicks. In his 13-year career with the Denver Nuggets and the Knicks, Anthony averaged 24.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists.
