According to multiple reports, the New York Knicks have been actively shopping Carmelo Anthony, hoping to find a team that is willing to give them a lot in return for the superstar. At 21-27, the New York Knicks remain in the mix for a playoff spot but are almost certain to get squashed in the first round of the playoffs should they get there. With no championship in sight, the New York Knicks feel it would be in their best interest to trade Carmelo Anthony and start rebuilding, presumably around Kristaps Porzingis.
Like any major move, there are pros and cons that need to be weighed before making a final decision. I will do my best to list the pros and cons of trading Carmelo Anthony and then come up with a conclusion of as to what I think makes the most sense.
Pros: The most obvious reason for why the New York Knicks should trade Carmelo Anthony has to do with the fact that they are not on track to win a championship. Carmelo Anthony was brought in to bring a championship to New York and with that clearly not happening anytime soon, it makes sense to not prolong the rebuilding process any further. The Knicks might as well pull the trigger on a good offer and move on to the next chapter of their history.
No hard feelings towards Carmelo Anthony or anything. Basketball is a business and the Knicks need to do what is best for business, which is to position themselves for long-term success in the future as opposed to trying to make a quick fix for the next couple of years. If the Knicks make a deal at the trade deadline, while Carmelo Anthony is still 32 years old with some gas left in the tank, they may actually get a pretty good offer that will benefit them for the long-term. The longer they hold on to him, the older he gets, and the more his value drops.
Cons: The reason why trading Carmelo Anthony is not a good idea is that Carmelo Anthony still has some gas in the tank at just 32 years of age and further, he's not the problem. Carmelo Anthony is averaging 22.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, making him one of the best players in the NBA, even though he is past his prime.
If the Knicks actually wanted to get better, they would get a new front office or their current front office would start making smarter decisions. Carmelo Anthony can still contribute to a championship caliber team and so why not see if such a team can be built in New York? Get rid of Derrick Rose, continue to build around Kristaps Porzingis, and see what free agents you can attract in the summer.
The fact that Carmelo Anthony wants to stay in New York is enough of a reason to hang on to him. So long as you have him, you have a flicker of hope. The moment you deal him, you are officially in rebuilding mode once again without ever building up to something in the first place. Trading Carmelo Anthony would anger the fan base and further prove that the front office is inept and incapable of building a championship caliber team.
Conclusion: When weighing both the pros and cons of trading Carmelo Anthony, it appears as though there is more reason to hang on to him than to trade him. Carmelo Anthony is still one of the top players in the NBA and he has been the one bright spot on this Knicks team during the past few seasons. Trading him would not make the team better in the short term and with draft picks likely being what gives hope for the future, there is no guarantee that those draft picks ever materialize into anything valuable. The bottom line is the New York Knicks need to do all they can to be competitive with Carmelo Anthony playing an important role. They still have time to build themselves into a quality team with him around. They just have to make the right decisions going forward.
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