Carmelo Anthony Won't Let Phil Jackson Push Him Out Of New York

Carmelo Anthony’s resolve to stay with the New York Knicks has reportedly been hardened thanks to Phil Jackson’s passive-aggressive campaign to get him out of town. On Tuesday, Jackson used his Twitter account to send a shot across Anthony’s bow, but that hasn’t made the nine-time All-Star more eager to leave. Quite the opposite according to Adrian Wojnarowski.

A source told The Vertical that Jackson was “underestimating Melo’s willingness to stay.” That’s terrible news for the Knicks, who seem hell-bent on moving Anthony and starting a full-scale rebuild centered on Kristaps Porzingis. The problem is, moving the 32-year-old forward will be incredibly difficult given his declining play and the two years and $56.2 million left on his contract after this year. The Knicks will also owe Anthony a $9.5 million bonus if he’s traded.

New York has reached out to the Boston Celtics, Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Clippers to discuss a potential deal, but interest has been tepid at best. The Knicks are also clearly asking for too much in return. Anthony isn’t the player he once was and he’s not a guy who is earning his contract anymore.

Anthony has a no-trade clause, so he doesn’t have to approve a trade anywhere, meaning he and the Knicks would have to work together to find a solution amenable to both parties. Apparently Jackson’s penchant for communicating publicly instead of in person has irked Melo and damaged the relationship between the two, making a deal even harder. If anything, Anthony appears less likely to approve a deal unless it’s a perfect scenario for him.

So basically the point of this report is the following: the Knicks are a complete mess.