Carmelo Anthony has been involved in three played-out Melo-dramas this season and none were directly created by him.
From Phil Jackson saying he stalls the offense, to George Karl ripping him in his book and finally the Charley Rosen article that led to Anthony announcing once again he wants to stay with the Knicks, it's fair to wonder why Anthony wants to stay with the Knicks.
"What makes it easier to get through it is because I know all of it is (expletive)," Anthony told Newsday. "That's why I can come here and be at peace and still be able to talk to you all about the situation because I know a lot of the stuff that's being said is BS. And I know if I go back to (management) they're going to be 'Oh we didn't say that.' I've dealt with that stuff before."
The Knicks are losing, perhaps heading to their fourth straight season of missing the playoffs. Anthony often is the scapegoat when he doesn't play hard defense or move the ball enough. Yet he gets little credit for what he does: keeps the Knicks in many games with his scoring, opens up shots for his teammates because of the attention he receives.
This won't change unless the Knicks start winning. But Anthony plans to stick it out. He said for the first time in an interview with Newsday that he would "consider" waiving his no-trade clause it if the Knicks told him "they want to go in a different direction."
Anthony isn't there yet. He said he loves New York, loves playing in Madison Square Garden, loves the attention _ all of it. He also feels a loyalty to his teammates and doesn't want to be selfish and abandon ship while the team is struggling.
Now, it won't be easy to move Anthony. He has a 15 percent trade kicker, worth roughly $9.9 million, that gets split in half and added to his salary for this season and next.
But waiving his no-trade might be something he thinks long and hard about after this season when he's not dealing with the daily grind and has more time to talk it over with his family.
The Knicks, as bad as they have played lately, are still in the playoff chase, just two games out going into Saturday's game against the Suns. The goal is still the playoffs. If they moved Anthony now or before the Feb. 23 trade deadline, the Knicks have no shot at the playoffs.
For all of Anthony's flaws, he wants to lead the Knicks back into the playoffs. He wants to win in New York. He's not turning his back on them now, and the front office shouldn't turn their backs him yet.
The Knicks' focus should be to limit the distractions and play basketball. If they do move Anthony right now it should be to power forward full-time with Kristaps Porzingis starting at center. Anthony's best position now _ and it has been the past five years _ has been at power forward. Bring Joakim Noah off the bench.
All that matters, or should matter, is doing whatever it takes to make it to the playoffs. Know this: the Knicks have a better chance getting there with Anthony than without him.
