Carmelo Anthony (Photo : NBAE via Getty Images)
The NBA trade rumors within the season have died with the deadline, but there were many transactions to revisit.
The trades for the rentals-impending free agents like Al Horford and Dwight Howard, did not materialize as the cap space will spike and Bird Rights loses its value because several teams can offer off their cap space.
However, for players still under contract like Carmelo Anthony, Blake Griffin and Kevin Love, they would still be fair game for predators like the Boston Celtics, and as a report from ESPN claims, they probably inquired, at least.
"It is unclear if there were any formal discussions between New York and Boston and if those discussions ever reached an advanced stage," Ian Begley of ESPN carefully stated. "But Boston was informed that Anthony had no desire to leave the Knicks via trade to play for the Celtics, sources say."
The word "informed" could refer to a response from the Knicks camp or Anthony's camp. Melo has a no-trade clause in his contract which is a strong indication that he wants to stay in New York. But the Knicks may be out of the playoffs again for the third straight year, when Anthony made the in his first 10 years, including all his seasons with the Denver Nuggets.
There might be a chance that frustration would set in, because when he was asked on whether he is already thinking about his future with the Knicks, he had this response.
"Not yet. Not yet. Not yet," Anthony said. "I'm pretty sure I'll have that conversation with myself, my family, my team [agents]. That's not a conversation right now."
Not now when everyone is still playing in regular season. That could change when the playoffs start, the excitement heightens and Carmelo Anthony is reduced to being a spectator like the rest of us.
Still, he reiterated his love for the city and acknowledged its grandeur when he said, "doing it in New York is better than doing it any place in the world." He added: "One in New York is better than multiple somewhere else."
What if he can't do it in New York, not even once? What if he realizes that he has a better chance with a team like the Boston Celtics who can make the playoffs even without him?
CBS noted that if the Celtics go deep in the playoffs, they might even gain more leverage against the Knicks as they might not even need Anthony that much. They are in a very enviable position.
"It's extremely rare to win, have financial flexibility and be looking forward to a high draft pick at the same time," CBS' James Herbert stated. "That's the position Boston is in, and even if Anthony didn't want to jump ship, players know it's a good place to be now."
