With free agency awaiting him at the end of the season, nearly everybody has some type of opinion on just what exactly Carmelo and the New York Knicks should do in this situation. The Knicks are fighting for a playoff seed, though I’m not necessarily sure I see the point. With a matchup against probably Miami or Indiana on the horizon if they do squeak in, they’ll still be done playing extremely soon.
So that makes the decision of Carmelo the biggest story surrounding the Knicks right now. But one former NBA GM offered his thoughts, and they might just surprise you.
“I really think if Carmelo left them, he may be doing them a favor,” said the ex-GM, who has no ties to the Knicks. “They probably don’t see it that way. But in the long run, it’s probably doing them a favor.”
He then went on to make it clear that the Knicks are an attractive destination with or without ‘Melo.
“New York is the greatest city in the world and the Garden is the best place to play basketball,” he said. “Guys want to go to play in New York. It’s going to hurt for a little bit. But if you have cap space, it’s not going to be that hard to get a good player to come to New York.”
Could Carmelo leaving ultimately be a blessing in disguise for the Knicks? Probably not.
The Knicks have yet to demonstrate the ability to construct a championship team in recent memory. Their recently claim to relevance has been and has only been Carmelo. I’m sure at the very least, the Knicks want ‘Melo to sell tickets and have one of the better players in the league playing for their franchise.
