The New York Knicks have their eyes on the future. The short-term outlook is grim, but the long-term viewpoint is very nice for New York. Carmelo Anthony continues to stress his full confidence in Phil Jackson while preparing to do some recruiting of his own after his knee gets healthy. The Knicks have money to spend over the next year and intend to do just that. However, does Anthony have enough star power to win over big names?
The Knicks are preparing to enter a battle for point guard Rajon Rondo. There is plenty belief that Rondo has no intentions of re-signing with the Dallas Mavericks when his contract expires after issues with the coaching staff. Make no mistake. Mark Cuban will offer the house to Rondo in order to stay put, but the point guard looks ready to hit the free agent market and teams are lining up to make their sales pitch.
Rondo confirmed to the media that Kobe Bryant is pushing for him to sign with the Los Angeles Lakers. Rondo said all the right things, making it clear that he is simply focused on winning with Dallas and taking the Mavericks to the NBA Finals, but the pressure is there to join Bryant for his final year in the league.
"When he speaks, it speaks volumes," Rondo said, via ESPN.com. "It's an honor and a compliment that he'd want to play with a guy like me, but right now, I'm focused on winning a championship with the Dallas Mavericks."
If Anthony is going to recruit Rondo, he has to get over Bryant's loud voice and star power. According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, Anthony has been wanting Rondo to come to the Knicks for some time now. When Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce were traded from the Boston Celtics, Anthony made a push to get Rondo to New York, convinced he was the final piece to a championship puzzle. That desire for a teamup is still there.
The Knicks are planning to dump Jose Calderon which will leave them with the likes of Langston Galloway next year. They need an elite point guard. The team has eyed players like Goran Dragic, Reggie Jackson and trades for players like Brandon Jennings. Rondo would certainly be a strong upgrade, but he is not going to be an easy get for the team.
