Carmelo Anthony may just be staying put after all.
While recent reports indicated that the New York Knicks were still trying to work out a deal involving the 33-year-old, ESPN’s Ramona Shelburne and Adrian Wojnarowski are now reporting that those talks are on hold.
According to Shelburne and Wojnarowski, the team has decided “to pursue a conversation with the 10-time NBA All-Star about possibly reincorporating him into the organization.”
The Knicks, according to the ESPN report, have ceased trade talks with both the Houston Rockets and Cleveland Cavaliers.
Anthony has a no-trade clause but was “eager” to waive it, the report notes.
Shelburne and Wojnarowski cite league sources who informed them of the reason for the change of plans:
“The departure of Phil Jackson as president — and the impending arrival of Sacramento executive Scott Perry as general manager — has pushed the franchise’s top basketball executive Steve Mills to reconsider the Knicks’ intentions on trading Anthony,” they write.
The ESPN story adds that the Knicks hope to have Anthony — who has two years and $54 million left on his deal — meet with the new front office and new coach Jeff Hornacek soon. But according to Shelburne and Wojnarowski, Anthony is unlikely to “respond with eagerness about a plan to reincorporate himself into a franchise that has been pushing him — publicly and privately — to accept a trade out of New York.”
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