Wojo: Carmelo Leaning Towards Leaving NY

[nacceltic]

http://sports.yahoo.com/news/sources--carmelo-anthony-leaning-toward-leaving-knicks--bulls--rockets-in-contention-161206919.html

From the story: New York Knicks star Carmelo Anthony is leaning toward leaving in pursuit of immediate championship contention, and awaits the Chicago Bulls and Houston Rockets to clear the necessary salary-cap space to sign him in free agency, league sources told Yahoo Sports.


My thoughts:

1) Two less suitors for Kevin Love

2) Taj Gibson & Omer Asik are officially available...for likely not a ton in return.

[Tr1boy]

Melo will def opt out. This could be his last contract.   

As to coming back to the knicks i'm not sure. He will want changes. The team has to trade Staudermire and prob good to trade Chandler to get more help/picks.

They will pursue Lowly agressively. JR smith has to get his act together.

[D.o.s.]

I know LC and a lot of the smart CB'ers disagree with me, but I'd still Rather have Anthony than Love.  Just to keep my biases in the open.

Anyway, here's the key pull from that article.

Anthony has said he's willing to take less than the maximum-allowable contract, but league sources said that involves situations where he can be shown how his financial concessions can result in the immediate acquisition or retention of talent. Anthony hasn't expressed interest in taking less for hypothetical signings in 2015 or '16, as New York wants him to do, sources said.

Anthony isn't as concerned over a novice head coach in Derek Fisher as he is a roster barren of assets and talent to move toward contention.

A perfect distillation of the conundrum star players like Love and 'Melo face on teams run by incompetent management.

[Tr1boy]

I rather not have both.  Love bc i don't want to give up the farm , plus to me he is not a max player and Anthony bc the guy is a major ball hog. Also doesn't really have a good attitude.

Knicks one game last season were winning by 10 with a minute to go.  The coach calls a timeout to discuss a play and melo gets annoyed by this.    What kind of coach is going to want to deal with someone like this?

[RJ87]

I think he'd fit more naturally in Chicago than Houston and hopefully it is the Bulls that get him. That would take them out of the Love competition and Houston doesn't have the assets to Love without Parsons cooperation.  So yeah, Melo to the Bulls please.

[Endless Paradise]

I rather not have both.  Love bc i don't want to give up the farm , plus to me he is not a max player and Anthony bc the guy is a major ball hog. Also doesn't really have a good attitude.

Knicks one game last season were winning by 10 with a minute to go.  The coach calls a timeout to discuss a play and all you see Melo do is get annoyed.    What kind of coach is going to want to deal with someone like this?

Oh, stop it.  Mike Woodson was beyond incompetent.

But yeah, let's cherry pick a single instance of a player getting upset about something and use that to say they've got a bad attitude.

That leaves exactly zero players in the league with good attitudes.

[Waew]

miami. a gimped derrick rose who is never healthy is not a selling point.

[LooseCannon]

Knicks one game last season were winning by 10 with a minute to go.  The coach calls a timeout to discuss a play and melo gets annoyed by this.    What kind of coach is going to want to deal with someone like this?

I honestly think that one of the biggest reasons for the Celtics to avoid Carmelo Anthony is that I don't think he will be receptive to being coached by a relatively young white guy without an extensive resume in the NBA as a player and/or coach.

[SHAQATTACK]

I think his first choice is the Heat, but I don't think Wade will quit or Bosh leave ...... Those guys in Miami aren't going to leave 70 million on the table  IMO.

Chicago would be great ..... If he really see s himself there .....not sure he'd be thrilled

LA is where he would be welcomed the most, an instant hero ,  all the glamor and press, endorsements , etc. 

I believe Heat will stay pretty much big three with ....new improvements , new FA to replace the old ones.

I think Melo is going to LA ......and I hope he does .......that makes LA less attractive for Love .   All those Divas ......just too much poo poo to wade though .

Wallace contract is killing us .

[JBcat]

In all honesty after what the Bulls might have to give up for Melo in Gibson, Butler, and Mirotic I'm not sure the Bulls situation will be better than ours for him.  I mean Rose has hardly played in the last 2 years.  My guess is he most likely be a shell of his former all NBA self.  It's a risk on Melo's part if he wants to play for a true contender.

[Tr1boy]

Knicks one game last season were winning by 10 with a minute to go.  The coach calls a timeout to discuss a play and melo gets annoyed by this.    What kind of coach is going to want to deal with someone like this?

I honestly think that one of the biggest reasons for the Celtics to avoid Carmelo Anthony is that I don't think he will be receptive to being coached by a relatively young white guy without an extensive resume in the NBA as a player and/or coach.

yup. I mean who behaves that way?? The coach wants to execute a play/plays regardless of what the score is.  Ppl read Melo saying, "man just play".   

[colincb]

Knicks one game last season were winning by 10 with a minute to go.  The coach calls a timeout to discuss a play and melo gets annoyed by this.    What kind of coach is going to want to deal with someone like this?

I honestly think that one of the biggest reasons for the Celtics to avoid Carmelo Anthony is that I don't think he will be receptive to being coached by a relatively young white guy without an extensive resume in the NBA as a player and/or coach.

Maybe, but I've read from several non-Celtic-related writers that Stevens was perceived to have done a really good job in Boston within the NBA and as a result more teams are actively looking at college coaches.  The anti-Pitino. Apparently wears well with players too.

OTOH, some of the teams looking in the college ranks were likely being shut out of prime, NBA experienced candidates (Cavs and TYWolves for instance).

[Kane3387]

Called Houston in march. Makes to much sense. He'd be perfect at PF there.

[crownontherocks]

Glad this is out there so the bulls can try to focus on trying to grab mello, while we go for love at the draft, and still attempt to sign mello if thats the route we go.

[tstorey_97]

The big FA opt in/opt out candidates represent a different set of requirements than a "good" player. Anthony, James, Wade...to a lesser extent Love and Bosh etc are not only interested in salary. In some cases their endorsement deals double or, in the case of James, triple their salary. Be advised of the influence born by the other party in these matters, the agent. The agent gets 5 to 10 to sometimes 20% of the endorsement mark up on shoes, beer and Chevy's.

In turn, teams are not just getting a player, they are getting a "marketing asset." When a star is signed to a contract the team gets a large revenue kick through numerous channels.

Finally, the NBA will benefit as a marketing entity with Kevin Love in a big market. In balance, the NBA will lose with Carmelo in any market that is not LA or NY.

For all parties it is best that Lebron James is playing for a well managed team in a large market. Also best that he is in the finals each year. If you're not happy about this follow some sport that does require television revenue to pay everyone, like division III collegiate sports.

I don't believe Chicago or Houston are "right" for Anthony, Inc. New York is best for him, except zen guy has a lot of work to do. LA is a shot and who cares as he will be the perfect Faker. He and Bryant can fight for shots...whoopee.

Are the Celtics a spectator here? No, they are assuredly a player. They have won a lot of games with Ainge and classified as a very well managed team. They have a strong market position in the pantheon of NBA teams and are not considered a liability by agents. Star Celtics sell a lot of stuff and are recognized worldwide, these are all factors.

Would James, Anthony or Wade come to Boston? Sure, if a title chase is guaranteed, the player, the agents, the NBA would be AOK with proven President, Ainge in place. Will they come here? Doubt it, but 'taking deals off the table" because you don't like a player is not what is done in the NBA....working a deal is what is done and Ainge has a seat at the table.