Carmelo Anthony looking safe with Knicks as trade deadline hits

carmelo anthony looking safe with knicks as trade deadline hits 2017 images

Carmelo Anthony looking safe with Knicks as trade deadline hits 2017 images

Carmelo Anthony Looks Safe as NBA Trade Deadline Looms Large

About a month ago, New York Knicks President Phil Jackson appeared dead set on trading superstar Carmelo Anthony, so much so that the Knicks reached out to the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Los Angeles Clippers. As the February 23 NBA trade deadline approaches, Anthony clearly isn’t going anywhere.

The feud between Carmelo and Jackson has been extremely open over the past several months with the two exchanging words back and forth in interviews. There’s no love lost between these two. Though Melo is the leader of the team, the president obviously has more pull. Normally, even in the case of superstars, getting on the bad side of the front office is a good way to find yourself playing somewhere else. DeMarcus Cousins just experienced this, being traded to the New Orleans Pelicans after losing the support of much of the Sacramento Kings front office and the owner.

Carmelo has an interesting advantage in this situation, however: a no-trade clause.

In order for the Knicks to trade Anthony, he would have to voluntarily agree to the trade, waiving his clause. That means, if the Knicks are serious about unloading Melo, they would have to find a team he is willing to join (e.g. a championship competitor such as the Cavs) that also has the cap space or willingness to take on his lucrative contract.

Carmelo makes $24.6 million this season with another $54 million due over the two years left on his contract. On top of that, Anthony has a 15 percent trade kicker, which is essentially a bonus for relocating, and a player option for the 2018-2019 season. Fortunately for any team taking on Carmelo, there are rules that prevent Melo from making more than the league max or 105 percent of what he made the previous season.

It doesn’t look like anyone will have to worry about that this year anyways.

“I haven’t heard anything,” said Carmelo on the possibility of being traded this week. “I haven’t seen anything other than what’s on social media. Nobody has reached out to me. Nobody has called me. Nobody has called my team. That’s why I’m not too concerned about it. I’m relaxed. I don’t know how much more I can be relaxed than what I am right now. Even though it is a strenuous situation, it can be fatiguing at times mentally and emotionally, but I’m relaxed. I’m in a Melo state of mind right now.”

So it looks like Carmelo is safe for now. Which means more nonsense between he and Jackson. Yay.