The time is ticking for New York Knicks franchise player Carmelo Anthony to get the ever-elusive championship ring. But it appears Anthony and the Knicks' front office are not in the same page, with New York focusing on rebuilding for the future.
It would be a major disappointment for Anthony if he still fail to get into the NBA Finals this year, or better yet win a championship ring.
Anthony, at 31-years-old in 21 NBA seasons, is obviously in win-now mode, but according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, Phil Jackson's plan for the Knicks "conflicts" with Carmelo's own, sparking suggestions from executives around the league to trade the superstar.
"Why not trade him now when you could get something for him?" one opposing team executive said.
According to Isola, requesting a trade, or waiving his no-trade clause, is an option Anthony should consider at this stage of his career. While it may be difficult to convince Anthony of such move, it remains the only way he could play for a team that has a legitimate chance for a title run.
The Knicks are currently 10th in the Eastern Conference with a 23-28 record. They are only 3.5 games behind eighth-placed Detroit Pistons, but inconsistency has kept them from climbing up the leaderboard.
With the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio Spurs, and Cleveland Cavaliers dominating the league, the Knicks' chances for a playoff and title run are slim to none, or probably none at all. This means Anthony's hopes to catch up with his pals Lebron James and Dwyane Wade in championship ring counts will never happen unless he joins a contending team.
Isola also noted the possible landing spots for Anthony if in case he gives New York the green light to trade him. The Chicago Bulls, Toronto Raptors, Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, and the LA Clippers are all teams capable of competing against other powerhouse teams in the league. But the most fitting team Anthony should probably join is the Celtics.
Kristaps Porzingis and the Knicks' continuous struggles have them shifting from having playoff hopes to rebuilding for the team's future, which means New York would need plenty of draft picks and an expiring contract to sign one or two top free agents in the summer.
"The idea, of course, is to begin a rebuild in earnest around Kristaps Porzingis. Depending on whom you ask around the league, New York might be able flip Anthony for a package of valuable draft picks or young talent," ESPN's Ian Begley noted.
The Celtics have all of what the Knicks need to rebuild: a plethora of first round draft picks and David Lee's expiring contract. Moreover, Anthony would instantly fit in the Celtics as their go-to-guy without hurting the team's chemistry.
However, the process and technicalities of trading Anthony to the Celtics are not as simple as it looks.
Anthony has a massive salary, which is not really enough to compensate with just Lee as the trade piece. It is unlikely that the Celtics would give up their entire roster just to acquire Anthony, so the best case for Boston would be getting a third team to complete the trade.
Anthony has insisted he has no plans of leaving the Knicks anytime soon. But the Zen Master's path toward rebuilding may force Anthony to do so.