The NBA trade rumors will continue to buzz for Carmelo Anthony despite the recent changes with the New York Knicks.
Anthony will probably not make any drastic moves (as he has a no-trade clause, he has control) as he has positive reactions with the hiring of Jeff Hornacek as the team's new head coach. This was reported by the NY Post who quoted their unnamed source.
"He likes it because Hornacek runs a real modern offense - which will highlight [Kristaps] Porzingis," a source familiar with Anthony stated. "That's what Melo wants. He wants Kristaps to be as much a focal point of the offense as himself. He's got a coach well-suited."
It was previously reported that Carmelo had a strong opinion on the coaching search while he denied that he was against Kurt Rambis shedding his interim tag. Melo was also reported to prefer former Cleveland Cavaliers coach David Blatt. Based on this recent claim, what he really wants is to be free from the Triangle Offense.
The question remains-should the New York Knicks trade Carmelo Anthony even with the hiring of Jeff Hornace? Experts from ESPN Insider weigh in.
Most of them said "yes." Amin Elhassan minced no words. "It's time to aggressively shop him. If they can get a first-round pick for him, great. But waiting until after the first week of free agency might yield some desperate suitors who have struck out in the market and want something to show for their cap space."
Bradford Doolittle actually thinks it has been that way for "quite awhile" because the Anthony may want a title and the Knicks want a slow rebuild and that is a "disconnect" that both sides can't ignore. If the Knicks fail to get a veteran star in free agency (as they have no draft picks), Doolittle believes that "this might finally be the summer when Anthony forces his way out. To the Rockets. Clippers. Heat. Anywhere."
Note that Doolittle believes the initiative would come from Anthony himself. Kevin Pelton notes the "no-trade clause" in Carmelo's contract takes any decision-making position away from the Knicks brass.
The Houston Rockets, LA Clippers and Miami Heat all present better chances for Anthony to go deep into the playoffs. The Heat situation is interesting because of Chris Bosh's condition. If Bosh needs to retire prematurely, Melo would probably be interested.