MELO WON THE WAR, BUT HE STILL MAY BE A GONER
Jackson ouster doesn’t move Melo off trade block yet, KP influence a factor
ORLANDO, Fla. — Even with Phil Jackson out of his way, things aren’t yet peachy-keen for Carmelo Anthony and the Knicks. He can breathe easier but not easy.
The Vertical reported that the Knicks still are looking to deal Anthony (though they’re unwilling to buy him out). The club, which doesn’t have anyone to replace Jackson as president yet, is trying to get younger.
However, Anthony has a no-trade clause he is expected to exercise if anything materializes. Anthony also owns a monetary trade-kicker, making a deal quite an enormous task.
Jackson and James Dolan had discussed buying out Anthony, but the owner was dead set against it. The stretch provision would have given the organization $15.4 million in extra cap space come July, but the downside is, Anthony would’ve remained on the cap for five years while he helped another team, presumably the Cavaliers.
Anthony, according to a source, is relieved at Jackson’s ouster. Because of his separation from his wife, La La, Anthony no longer was amenable to moving far from his 10-year-old son, Kiyan. Anthony’s wife said as much Tuesday during a TV interview.
Whether Anthony pushed for a buyout to sign with Cleveland as a free agent is a matter of debate. One source said he wanted to remain in New York and only would have asked for a buyout if things became untenable.
With genera l manager Steve Mills in charge for now, the future for Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis as teammates again next season looks a bit brighter. Actually, some Knicks officials believe Anthony’s influence on Porzingis has been detrimental and a key reason why Jackson became adamant about removing him from the roster any way he could.
“Phil thought Carmelo was trying to sabotage him ,” an NBA source said.
Anthony, the only Knick who has been a part of the four straight teams that h ave missed the playoffs, was con- sidered disruptive in the locker room. On March 1, when the Knicks were last in Orlando playing out the string, Porzingis voiced his support of the triangle offense. “We’re starting to learn it now the way we should and we should have been playing from the beginning of the season,” Porzingis said then. “So we’re a little behind. Hopefully, I don’t know when, we can start using it properly and making some impact playing it. I like the triangle.’’ According to an NBA s ource, Anthony was furious to read Porzingis’ positive sentiments on an offense he disdains. “Melo really chewed him out, lit into him,’’ the source said. There were few positive comments regarding the triangle afterward from Porzingis, who proceeded to blow off his exit meeting in protest of the chaotic state of the Jackson-run franchise. Jackson admitted at his mid-April press conference the triangle was “met by resistance from the top’’ and “rebelliousness.”
Charley Rosen, Jackson’s longtime confidant, wrote in a column Wednesday that Anthony’s “private complaining’’ led Porzingis to “become disrespectful to several members of the coaching staff.’’
In the end, Dolan became unable to justify keeping Jackson as president — having alienated his two best, most marketable players in Anthony and Porzingis.
Knicks coach Jeff Hornacek is expected to run the offense of his choice — similar to the fast-paced model he ran in Phoenix. Blending his offense with the triangle was said to confuse the players.
In a perfect world, Porzingis would love to be a Knick the rest of his career. His brothers, Janis and Martins, live with him in his Manhattan apartment. With the cloud of Jackson’s uneven leadership removed, Porzingis certainly will feel better about the future. He is a restricted free agent in 2019. Both he and Anthony are now on more stable footing — the Jackson coup com
plete.