Caption
Close
New York
Phil Jackson may be trying to trade Carmelo Anthony because he’s given up trying to change him.
That seemed to be the conclusion Tuesday when the New York Knicks president of basketball operations broke his Twitter silence with a tweet that was another dig at the star forward.
In the tweet, Jackson referred to a column by Bleacher Report writer Kevin Ding that suggested Jackson is frustrated because Anthony doesn’t have the same will to win as Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant, two of Jackson’s greatest players when he coached.
Jackson tweeted on Tuesday: “Bleacher’s Ding almost rings the bell, but I learned you don’t change the spot on a leopard with Michael Graham in my CBA daze.”
Jackson was referring to Michael Graham, a college star from Georgetown who never enjoyed much success in the pros. Jackson coached Graham on the Albany Patroons of the now-defunct Continental Basketball Association.
It was at least the third time this season that Jackson or someone close to Jackson was critical of Anthony, the 32-year-old forward who remains the best player on the disappointing Knicks. That has triggered reports that Jackson is trying to trade Anthony, who acknowledged recently that the question is wearing on him.
“It definitely kind of tests you. It puts you to the test and you have to dig deep within yourself to get through it on a day-to-day basis and figure out a way to still go out there and play at a high level every night,” Anthony said.
“It is testing my will, it is testing me as a human being, but it is also making me stronger throughout this process.”
Jackson said in one interview this season that Anthony tends to hold on to the ball too long to be successful in the triangle offense. Then Charley Rosen, a Jackson confidante and former assistant coach, wrote a column that was heavily critical of Anthony, saying his legs are “going, going, almost gone” and that “the only sure thing is that Carmelo Anthony has outlived his usefulness in New York.”
Rosen later wrote another piece saying those were his thoughts alone, after Anthony speculated they must be Jackson’s as well. Anthony then met with Jackson and told him his preference was to remain in New York.
He owns a no-trade clause that Jackson gave him when Anthony re-signed with the Knicks in 2014, allowing him to approve any deal. But Jackson has reportedly reached out to the Cavaliers, Clippers and Celtics to see if they would be interested in a trade.
Any move would be difficult, given Anthony’s salary that would be tough for another to match without dealing back another All-Star caliber player, or multiple players the Knicks may not want.
Jackson hasn’t spoken to reporters in New York since September and hadn’t tweeted since Dec. 27. He won a record 11 championships as a coach, but the Knicks are on pace to miss the playoffs for the third time in his three full seasons as an executive.
Our editors found this article on this site using Google and regenerated it for our readers.
