Him playing ball does bolster his trade value too. If the knicks get a 0.500 record to start the season and Melo looks like Melo (which is 1000% doable in the east) his trade value goes up. It's also a positive for Melo because, what if Melo forces a trade to Cleveland and LeBron breaks his leg game one of the season. Then Melo is screwed. This way Melo can survey the league, and who knows, he might open his destinations up a bit more. I'm not counting a team like Miami out of the mix if they look good. They closed the season super strong last year, and Spolstra is no slouch. Miami, or literally anyone in the east could lock up that third seed.
Replied to the wrong post. My bad. I agree with your original post. The Knicks suck as an organization.
Anthony is under contract with Knicks, they have every right to deal with his contract one way or other. They realize that they need to rebuild. If they could build from their picks, they might win championship sooner than Rockets, who knows?
They have every right to deal Carmelo to the teams he wants to be dealt to. They cannot deal him to any team they want, as they renounced those rights with the deal he signed 3 years ago.
MIAMI???? You think Melo might end up choosing Miami? Let's just forget city names for a second. Have you not been reading that Melo wants to play with his BFF's named Chris Paul or LeBron? Neither of which are in Miami. Portland wants him to come to their town too, but no one named CP or LeBron are there. Sacramento would like him, Dallas too, Charlotte too. Add New Orleans, Phoenix, Lakers, Indiana, or any others to that list that would like Melo. But he's not going to ANY of those others because of specific reasons. Those reasons are named Chris and LeBron. End of story. Not sure how people are coming with these scenarios where Melo may go to X city or town because they have 'potential'.
As long as NYK are unwaivering in their resolution to not trade Melo for garbage they can try to force his hand. That's all I'm saying. Also, go back and re-read my post. The idea of him going to Miami stems from if they had a strong start to the season. I said that if he were to be held to wait, he could survey the land and see a team outside the two he listed to play with. Miami, based on location, taxes, and a decent core in the east could be alluring. If Miami plays the start of the season how they played the close of last season it wouldn't be a bad pick. While Melo wants to play with his friends, NY could really force his hand here. They could sit back and say "fine, if you don't want to play then don't". It's not that different than a buyout, but in the end it still give NYK to change their mind on trading him (unlike a buyout). In the end you think this is Melo's decision. It isn't. Sure, he can kick a trade, but NY can also not trade him as well. Melo can ask for the stars and the moon, but it doesn't mean he'll get them.
I'm not sure there's all that many people on the planet that buy that bluff. This is basically what the Knicks are trying to do and hoping someone will say Unfortunately for them, this type of thing doesn't work in real life.
It is Melo's choice. When have you seen a player demand a trade and then not get traded. Melo does not want to be in NY and they don't want him either. One way or another it will get worked out.
Not really. Waiting is the best game for the Rockets. Here's how things could change: We could be offering Ryno and our lotto protected 1st right now. At the deadline, when Ryan is having a better season on a better team than last season, and with the Knicks being notified that Melo won't expand his list or opt out of his contract anymore, that lotto protected first is gone. They can have Anderson or buy Melo out. The only risk here is if Cleveland becomes stable again and Melo considers going there, but by the looks of things, Lebron is not staying there past this season and so Melo is not going to waive his NTC for a team that will self-destruct 3-4 months later. The Knicks best play right now is to take Anderson and our first. Then they can buy out Anderson if they're so worried about it (and that would be better than buying out Melo) or they can spend the next 2 years - the 2 years that they would have been paying Melo to be nothing - parlaying Anderson into smaller and smaller contracts. When Anderson has 2 years left, he will fetch an expiring contract easily, and that will give them the same relief as holding Melo hostage. It's just posturing. A new GM doesn't want to let the last GM's stupidity affect his performance appraisal for 2 years. He can get rid of Melo now, and be judged on a clean slate, and the absence of full cap space won't be blamed on him.
Again, read my post. Not saying he won't be traded or that they will make it work (also dream asked for a trade), I'm saying NYK might say they won't settle for garbage. He will get traded, but right now NYK has the options to set the terms.
New York has been trash for 20 years now. Their highlight of the last 10 years have been a one legged Amare. Linsanity. And the shell of Tmac. Carmelo holds ALL the cards here. NY says they want to rebuild around youth, but you pay 20 - 30 million a year to a guy who you threw under the bus. You say for weeks, that you will trade a guy and have a deal in place... then say "Well his value is low (because of us) and we wanna see if we can convince him to stay." Well if you have to CONVINCE someone under contract to stay... doesn't seem like a power position. Then there is the perception of it. Dolan has shot himself in the foot how many times over the last 20 years. Isiah Thomas as a your personnel guy and coach. Phil doesn't seem much better. NY is the "Mecca of Basketball" but who do you get to come there to play when your front office is this dysfunctional. And you want to hold a player hostage after you trashed him and he was the bigger man. No. The Knicks have no power here. Not if they want to come out with ANYTHING good from this. Free Melo!!!
