Melo: "If I have to be a free agent in order to (win a title), then that's what I have to do"

http://espn.go.com/new-york/nba/stor...ew-york-knicks

Talk about taking it out of context.

He is playing the ultimate team mate here by saying he will take less money even if it meant going to FA to end his current contract 1 year earlier.

 

melo went to new york to play with amare and chandler and eventually build around the "big 3" of melo/amare/chandler. now that amare is D-O-N-E it's really no point in staying unless he waits until amare and jr smith is off the books.

it's like if wade tore his acl after the heat big 3's first year. i'm sure lebron wouldn't want to stay with just a chris bosh unless they bring in another "star" with those bosh.

 

melo is not stupid enough to goto L.A where he will be chucker #2.

 

Actually, if memory serve me correct it was supposed to be Amar'e, Melo, and Chris Paul- but the Knicks stupidly signed Tyson Chandler instead of saving room for Paul.

 

This sounds to me like Dolan is really going to have to sell Melo on some sort of plan that will improve the team substantially.

And since its very unlikely such a plan can be contrived, much less implemented, Melo becoming a free agent seems immanent unless Melo is traded to a team that meets Melo's expectations.

So the point becomes whether Dolan does the smart thing and gets something for Melo in a trade, or stubbornly and delusionally thinks he can keep him and lets him walk for nothing.