Phil Jackson Wants Carmello To Stay With The Knicks
Lee Krahenbuhl
Phil Jackson got Carmelo Anthony to sit down with him at dinner to try to convince him to stay with the Knicks. That dinner and the conversation that followed probably saved the Knicks millions of dollars. Jackson admitted that he advised the player to renew his contract through July of 2015 so that the Knicks could have some more salary cap flexibility and get two more, what he referred to as, headline players. Jackson stated, “I told him it might be a good idea to hang in here and see what it’s like for a year, and go out the next year…But that’s his option, that’s what he’s earned, and that’s what’s part of his contractual agreement. He has the right to do that. But I just offered that as: ‘Look, this gives you an opportunity to see how this is going to change, see how we’re going to get going, your relationship to the team and the coach and the system or whatever.’” Jackson told reporters that Anthony said he would think about staying, which is a marked shift in opinion since he has been stating he would leave the team since October to become a free agent this summer. The Bulls and the Rockets have already expressed interest in acquiring Anthony so the player is being pulled in many directions.
Jackson feels like he did all that he could, but is concerned about Anthony going into free agency. Regardless of what Anthony decides to do, Jackson is confident that the Knicks will survive. It will limit their salary cap flexibility but they will play on without Anthony if they need to. However, Jackson said of Carmelo Anthony, “we recognize his talent, and his skill is the kind of skill and talent that gets you through playoff games where things get sticky, grind-out, and basketball becomes a force game and suddenly you need to have a player who has the capabilities of scoring with someone hanging on them in a situation that’s critical. He’s one of those players, one of the few players who can do that.” Everyone will be watching to see Anthony’s next move.
