Schmeelk: Jackson's Silence About Carmelo Anthony's Future Is Deafening
By John Schmeelk
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By now everyone has heard about what Charley Rosen wrote on FanRagsSports.com a few days ago. His words about Carmelo Anthony were harsh with stinging criticism of his defense, unwillingness to move the ball, misses in clutch situations, age and humongous contract. He concluded Anthony "has outlived his usefulness in New York."
A writer or blogger criticizing Anthony wouldn't normally be a story, except for the fact that Rosen is a former coaching friend of Phil Jackson, the Knicks' president. He is someone Jackson has granted a number of exclusive interviews to over the years, which were often very honest and critical of players on the team.
Rosen has written since that his words and opinions were only his own and were not from Jackson. Carmelo Anthony was told about the article (and that it was the opinion of Rosen, not Jackson), to which he said that if Jackson no longer wanted him in New York, he should tell him and they could figure out a solution. The only possible solution would be him waiving his no-trade clause, something he has said he has not considered.
A couple nights have passed since then, and according to Anthony, he has still not heard anything from Jackson or general manager Steve Mills. If Jackson didn't believe what Rosen wrote, even after Rosen made it clear Jackson had no impact on his story, wouldn't it have made sense for him to reach out to Anthony and clear the air?
His silence is deafening, leaving in question what role he thinks Anthony has in the future of the Knicks organization. Nothing Rosen wrote is without some merit. With the Knicks' championship window still years away, a 32-year-old Anthony isn't much use to the team except to bring in future assets to build around Kristaps Porzingis.
Of course, if Jackson thought this about Anthony, why did he trade for Derrick Rose and sign Joakim Noah this offseason in an attempt to win now? Has it really taken Jackson this long to figure out that Anthony will be far from a star up by the time the team is ready to win? It wasn't difficult to imagine when he was signed to his last big contract a few offseasons ago. Now, it has to be glaringly obvious, even to him.
Whatever the case might be, Anthony is unlikely to waive his no-trade clause. He can opt out of his contract in the summer of 2018 and choose his destination rather than be traded now. Of course, that leaves the Knicks in a predicament where they would lose their franchise player for nothing. He does get a raise in the form of a trade kicker if he is moved, which does give him some financial motivation.
If Anthony does decide to waive his clause, finding a contract match with another team will be hard. Getting what Jackson probably thinks is fair value would be difficult, too. Jackson would have to do far better than when he traded Tyson Chandler after he took control of the organization. Even though Anthony is on the back end of his prime, he could still be of use to a team trying to win a title.
The final scenario that could be interesting is how owner James Dolan reacts to all that. If Jackson really wants to rid the team of Anthony but he doesn't want to leave, whom does Dolan side with? Jackson has done little right since he got here except drafting Porzingis, while Anthony hasn't instilled a winning culture on the team since his arrival.
If Dolan decides it's time to trade Anthony, does he let Jackson do it? If Dolan picks Anthony over Jackson, will the next general manager be forced to keep Anthony on the team for the duration of his contract? Or will Dolan eject both and start from scratch? The only thing for sure is that the status quo isn't working.
The bottom line is that Jackson has once again put the Knicks at a crossroads. Right now, they are on the road to nowhere. They still don't play enough defense, and they'll be lucky to get one of the final two playoff spots. If they do, they'll get blasted in the first round of the playoffs anyway. The only thing that would accomplish is giving Dolan an excuse to raise ticket prices.
The best thing for the Knicks is to blow things up and build around Porzingis. Dealing Anthony, if he decides he's up for it, could be the first step. Does Jackson want to go there? Does Dolan? Does Anthony? They are all answers we don't have, but that the Knicks need.
For everything Knicks, Giants and the world of sports, follow John on Twitter at @Schmeelk
