After meeting with the Chicago Bulls, Houston Rockets, Dallas Mavericks and Los Angeles Lakers, Phil Jackson gave his final pitch to Carmelo Anthony and it appears it was enough to convince the superstar to stay in New York.
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According to CBS Sports’ Ken Berger, Carmelo has agreed to re-sign with the Knicks:
League source confirms to @CBSSports that Carmelo Anthony has decided to re-sign with the Knicks. "Melo is staying," the person said.
— Ken Berger (@KBergCBS) July 12, 2014
With Jackson and Derek Fisher in the fold, Carmelo will have a chance at success in New York after arguably the worst season in recent memory for the Knicks. Although the team has few assets and will take time to rebuild, Jackson is up to the task while bringing along Fisher to help implement the triangle offense in New York.
Even though Carmelo will be back in New York, a lot of questions surround the immediate future of the superstar and the storied franchise. Jackson has a better track record than most with 11 NBA titles to his credit as a head coach and two more as a player with the Knicks, but he’s in unfamiliar territory in a front-office role that will prove to be difficult over the next few years.
Landing Carmelo in free agency was the team’s top priority and they were able to do just that. Bringing back Anthony gives the Knicks one of the best scorers in the league, but talent will need to be added around him to give New York a chance to compete in the Eastern Conference.
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Despite a rebuilding process that could take a few years, the Knicks have taken a giant leap forward by locking up Carmelo for the foreseeable future. The real question from here on out is whether Jackson can continue to add pieces to the puzzle in New York to at least make this team competitive in the next few years.
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Jeremy Lin Traded To The Los Angeles Lakers
