Speculation growing over Melo’s future as frustration creeps in.
New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony has insisted that regardless of whether or not the team make the playoffs this season, it won’t affect his decision in free agency this summer.
The 29-year-old’s future is a hot topic for discussion as the Knicks have just 25 games remaining in order to save their season as they continue to fight for a playoff spot.
New York take on the Miami Heat on Thursday night, and with a 21-36 record for the year they are five-and-a-half games adrift of the Atlanta Hawks who currently hold the eighth and final seed in the Eastern Conference.
It would be the first time in his previous 10 seasons in the NBA that Anthony has missed the playoffs, but he has insisted that it will not be a factor when he sits down with the Knicks management this summer.
Melo has previously stated that he would be willing to take less money if it could allow the Knicks to construct a competitive roster, although with their struggles continuing on and off the court, speculation continues to intensify that he will seek a new team with a realistic chance of an NBA championship.
“A lot of things are going to be thought about when that time comes,” Anthony said, as reported by Newsday.
“Off the court, on the court, just a lot of things are going to have to be put all on the table.”
“I don’t think about it like that, that I want to make the playoffs before I make that decision,” Anthony added. “That decision is going to happen regardless. That time is going to come. Me making the playoffs is something that I want to do; something that I never experienced before, not making the playoffs. That’s a different motivation.”
Despite his positive comments over the All-Star break with which he would have reassured Knicks fans, Anthony has sounded particularly frustrated and at a loss to explain what has gone wrong with the team this season in recent nights.
The Chicago Bulls have been consistently linked with a move if they can make the required cap space, while the Heat haven’t been entirely ruled out depending on their free agent situation this summer.
Anthony has scored 42, 44, 35, and 44 points in his last four games, but the Knicks have conspired to lose three of those as their disastrous season continues with the spotlight firmly on their star player and whether or not he will still be at the Garden next season.
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