The NBA Rumors went ablaze when Carmelo Anthony was reportedly being traded.
An article by The Daily Knicks covered the recent trade buzz that would send allegedly send Carmelo Anthony to the Cleveland Cavaliers. The trade would also involve players like Kevin Love and Timofey Mozgov and the Knicks should receive a package of expiring contracts and draft picks-something they desperately need.
However, those were all shot down with Anthony's statements to Stefan Bondy of NY Daily News. Firstly, he did admit that he actually wanted to play with a star and that he can't do it himself.
"I think everybody kind of dreams and hopes that they can play with another great player, another star player. It's a star player's league," Anthony said. "I think that's what we talk about when we all get together - 'I want to play with you, I want to play with you.' Even here different guys say, 'Come play with me, come play with me.' So that's always the mindset. Sometimes it happens, sometimes it don't."
Anthony took on the challenge of carrying the New York Knicks when he signed his five-year contract, but the plan was the team would also sign more stars along the way, and that's easier said than done at this point, and Melo is now frustrated.
"But I think everybody that's in my situation, that's in my position, they all want the load off especially the older they get. Because you realize you just can't do it all by yourself. Everybody knows that," he concluded.
Still, those statements should not be seen as confirmation that he does want to leave New York. On the contrary, he is actually recruiting stars to the Big Apple, and he is already working on his pitch.
"I think it's just more about guys wanting to come, guys wanting to play alongside me, guys kind of just seeing the future of what it's going to be on the court," Anthony said. "I don't think right now the coaching situation is a big part of it. Maybe it is in some guys' eyes. But I think in this day and age it's more about who the guy is going to be playing with out there on the basketball court instead of who is out there on the sideline. Because that can come later."
Another off-season is approaching and it remains to be seen whether Carmelo the Recruiter is as good as Carmelo the player.