The New York Knicks are currently in a precarious situation, as president Phil Jackson has openly said that Carmelo Anthony is not in the organization’s plans moving forward, but the star forward has a no-trade clause.
Jackson and Anthony either need to put aside their differences, and Anthony needs to take on a different role with the team moving forward, or Anthony needs waive his no-trade clause, and accept that his time in New York has come to an end.
One former NBA player who has a good relationship with both Anthony and Jackson is Los Angeles Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, who won five championships under Jackson with the Lakers and won two gold medals with Anthony as a part of the USA Olympic Men’s National Team.
Bryant recently gave advice to Anthony in regards to Jackson, saying that Anthony could either shun him or use him as fuel to be better, via Peter Sblendorio of the New York Daily News:
“Phil’s always gonna speak his mind and speak his opinion,” Bryant told the Daily News during the Tribeca Film Festival. “It all depends on the athlete and what the athlete wants to do with it. If you want to shun it, or do you want to use it as fuel to be better?”
Jackson has certainly expressed interest in trading Anthony, but the question of who would be willing to give up what Jackson is looking for, while also taking on Anthony’s contract that has two years and more than $53 million left on it, remains.
Bryant is right in that Jackson is not afraid to speak his mind, but as it currently stands it does not look like Anthony wants to deal with Jackson criticizing him anymore, so his time in New York could be coming to an end.
