yellowboy90 wrote:

wargames wrote:

yellowboy90 wrote:You guys really think Melo is going to move his son to Cleveland?

Clippers are not trading Blake, the more likely trade canidate is Chris Paul who has an opt out next summer. It's silly to go out west and try to compete the better option is staying east but there are zero real trade options.

With the cap going up a lot of teams could absorb his contract damn near outright. Washington is an option, Miami might be an option too. If he really wants to chase a ring I think Cleveland is the only legit option out there. Plus a lot of his friends are there already.

It's not just about absorbing Melo's contract it's about places he wants to go and return assets. Melo for Otto Porter and a protected 1st is not that appealing.

I doubt he is traded for so little. Never forget the knicks don't have to trade him. He could stay here and they could go about tanking for a pick next year just as easily. Teams are going to still have to make it worth the knicks while to let Melo go. He is after all the best player on the knicks roster.

Also I can't say this enough Melo isn't the problem. The problem is the knicks should/need to tank for a few more seasons to rebuild around KP and having talent like Melo here during that time is pointless. He's an all star on a team that has become a rebuilding team inspite of him being here.

That Knicks/Boston deal still sounds like the best deal for everybody involved. Melo can go play with a team and an all star in IT, Knicks could get a TON of picks and unfortunately tank for a season or two more. I don't even know if the knicks went to Melo with that deal but I would hope if it was offered again he would at least think about it. Especially if it lands high like top 3. Phil coming back with a top 3 pick for Melo this year will make trading him a lot more easy to swallow for the fans and the media.

nyknickzingis wrote:Yeah it's Dolan's fault that Melo is so much in a physical decline, straight up elevating and making an open practice dunk leads to him being rejected by the rim. The guy is a steep physical decline being paid money that superstars in their prime make. Knicks like usual are paying a star for what he was used to be able to, not what he is actually able to do. I blame Dolan in that regard (seems before Phil he was always interested in getting the best star available on the market) but this current situation has as much to do with Melo's physical decline and huge salary as it does Dolan's mistakes.

You just named out last 5 stars lol guys with physical problem paid too much at the wrong time. Dolan likes to dish out 100mm to 32 yo.

Chandler wrote:few thoughts:

1) I wonder if the team had anything to do with it; telling the fan to essentially heckle Dolan for a refund; maybe they just thought some distance would be better than a very awkward public appearance

2) melo has really played selflessly this year (at least by his standard); I don't think that's debatable, and we should be grateful for that. But honestly a move (almost any move) can be a good thing for all parties. right now melo's presence might be holding back the rest of the team's development; the other guys need to learn how to win without him.

3) the best thing that can happen to the Knicks is for the Cavs and/or Clips to come close to winning it all this year. CLips have aging CP3 and they are smart enough to know that the "missing piece" can't be hoping on some young guy to blossom just in time. Likewise for the Cavs, who seem hell bent on getting a championship even at the expense of longer term success (see Wiggins trade). In either case, Melo would make a lot of sense for them because he could be devastating as the 2nd guy.

4) I'd prefer Boston picks than Blake, and honestly don't want Blake. Totally unsold that his game will translate to NY or any other team that doesn't have an elite point guard

5) the next best thing that can happen for NY is for OKC to lay a dude in the playoffs. Not that I expect that, but that could be the catalyst for Durant (or Westbrook the next year) to seek a change of scenery

I agree with pretty much all of this to the letter.

Though I do wonder if Westbrook/Durant would come here with no Melo. OKC has had some brutal losses in the past week though. Giving away games against the Warriors and Clippers they really should've won.

Awesomebury

gunsnewing wrote:I'm gonna feel to sorry for Fishmike. What's he gonna do when his bf gets traded?

Hows the Rubio/Shump in 2016 to "Make the Knicks Great Again" campain going?

Im super flattered you think about me so often! Do I come up often at the TFK basement support meetings?

GustavBahler wrote:

gunsnewing wrote:I'm gonna feel to sorry for Fishmike. What's he gonna do when his bf gets traded?

You could help fish in his time of need by sharing your epic tale of butthurt after Lin left. 📚

Funny how guys get so emotionally vested in these guys.

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- A day after the New York Knicks issued a statement saying that Carmelo Anthony should not have responded to a heckling fan, Anthony said the statement was the team's and owner James Dolan's idea.

Melo is on his way out. Two swipes at Dolan in one week is someone looking for the exit.

fishmike wrote:

GustavBahler wrote:From ESPN:

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- A day after the New York Knicks issued a statement saying that Carmelo Anthony should not have responded to a heckling fan, Anthony said the statement was the team's and owner James Dolan's idea.

Melo is on his way out. Two swipes at Dolan in one week is someone looking for the exit.

right? Gotta wonder... I also wonder if Dolan is simply shooting his mouth off behind the scenes and its trickling down to the players. Things were pretty quiet and happy right? Then Dolan's tour ends, he's back at MSG full time and we hear nothing but headscratching negativity.

I am far more worried about how the Knicks handle Melo than whether or not he gets traded. This is a guy who is really respected by his peers and listened to. He wanted to be here. He resigned for less ($5mm is still $5mm) and if this isnt handled well could spell a very long FA drought.

Some folks around these parts love to say how no FAs want to play with Melo but Tyson and Lopez are good quality FA signings we havent seen since the Houston/Childs offseason (maybe I can start calling Melo the best FA draw since Ewing ). Regardless Knicks need to be classy and appear to be doing what is best for Melo. Thats how the game is played. Thats culture. Thats good business.

fishmike wrote:

GustavBahler wrote:From ESPN:

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- A day after the New York Knicks issued a statement saying that Carmelo Anthony should not have responded to a heckling fan, Anthony said the statement was the team's and owner James Dolan's idea.

Melo is on his way out. Two swipes at Dolan in one week is someone looking for the exit.

right? Gotta wonder... I also wonder if Dolan is simply shooting his mouth off behind the scenes and its trickling down to the players. Things were pretty quiet and happy right? Then Dolan's tour ends, he's back at MSG full time and we hear nothing but headscratching negativity.

I am far more worried about how the Knicks handle Melo than whether or not he gets traded. This is a guy who is really respected by his peers and listened to. He wanted to be here. He resigned for less ($5mm is still $5mm) and if this isnt handled well could spell a very long FA drought.

Some folks around these parts love to say how no FAs want to play with Melo but Tyson and Lopez are good quality FA signings we havent seen since the Houston/Childs offseason (maybe I can start calling Melo the best FA draw since Ewing ). Regardless Knicks need to be classy and appear to be doing what is best for Melo. Thats how the game is played. Thats culture. Thats good business.

I agree, this has to look like the Knicks are trying to find a solution thats good for everyone involved. Might need to include someone changing the password on Phil's Twitter acct.

Gotta give Melo credit because his no trade clause made that more likely.

Im guessing Rivers would have liked to have waited for the offseason to have a good long look at Melo's medical records considering his contract, but Melo possibly forcing a trade might speed up the process. There is also Boston and all those draft picks. If we could get an unprotected pick this season Phil could end this charade of making the playoffs, start playing Grant, and go for that number one spot.

http://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/14895151/carmelo-anthony-says-apology-heckling-was-team-owner-idea

Apology, statement on heckler was team's, owner's idea, Carmelo says

GREENBURGH, N.Y. -- A day after the New York Knicks issued a statement saying that Carmelo Anthony should not have responded to a heckling fan, Anthony said the statement was the team's and owner James Dolan's idea.

Anthony reiterated that all he did was tell a disgruntled fan to direct his issues with the plummeting Knicks toward Dolan, who was seated near the team bench, at the end of the Knicks' 104-85 loss to Portland on Tuesday night.

That, though, prompted a statement Wednesday afternoon and Anthony also said he talked with Dolan.

"The Knicks," Anthony said with a chuckle when asked who encouraged the statement. "It was a collaborative effort though. We sat down and we talked about it. Everybody thought it was a good idea to send that apology."

Anthony was later asked if it was his decision to issue a statement.

"It was Mr. Dolan's decision," he said.

As the Knicks were on their way to losing for the 15th time in their last 18 games Tuesday, a fed-up fan let the Knicks bench and the franchise star hear it. That was when Anthony pointed the fan toward Dolan, who was seated in his courtside seat near the bench.

"I don't really think I said anything wrong," Anthony said. "The guy said he wasn't coming to any more games. I said why are you talking to me about it? The owner's right there. You should discuss that with him. Don't yell my name out and talk to me about that. Talk to the owner about that. It wasn't no hostility. He said what he had to say. I said what I had to say. That was that."

"Wasn't no curse words," Anthony added. "He yelled my name out and said, 'Melo, you guys suck! I'm not coming to no more games.' So I [said I] think you should talk to the owner and get your money back."

While Anthony and Dolan spoke, the franchise player said it wasn't "that serious" that it required a sit down with the owner. Later Wednesday evening, the team said Anthony did not attend the Knicks' charity bowling function due to personal reasons.

When asked what made him talk back to the fan, Anthony said, "It definitely was frustration. As a player, you don't want to go through that, you don't want to deal with that. Losing builds up. To hear that from a fan, you don't want to hear that either at that point in time."

"I'm the leader of this franchise," Anthony added when asked how much he takes the Knicks' spiral personally. "I take the good with the bad. At the end of the day it falls on me. I accept that. I put the weight on my shoulders and I walk with that weight through the fires."