Carmelo Anthony was trying to avoid this outcome this season, but reality is starting to set it. The New York Knicks star re-aggravated a lingering knee injury that could lead to him being shutdown for the remainder of the season. At this point, the Knicks have the long-term picture in mind and Anthony is the center piece of that. Team president Phil Jackson needs the star healthy and shaking hands with all his free agent friends this summer. However, for the short-term, could the injury mean a few trades are unlikely at the deadline?
Anthony told the media per the Wall Street Journal that he will make decision regarding his knees after the All-Star break. The star has not officially pulled himself from the game, but the chances he does not play are pretty high as Anthony will likely take the time to rest and determine was his health status is for the last two months of the season. The Knicks are not making the playoffs, something that will impact his decision, but Anthony is not aiming to rush into anything just yet.
"I'm not thinking about the All-Star at this point," Anthony said, via ESPNNewYork.com. "As long as I can go to Orlando [on Tuesday] and kind of don't feel nothing or no soreness, I'll see what happens. It's frustrating, not being able to be yourself and fighting through it."
Anthony's knee injury is just another on a long list of setbacks for the Knicks this season. Jackson has been aggressively seeking trades before the NBA deadline, but eventually he will run out of bodies to field an entire team unless they strike gold again on the D-league rosters.
According to Marc Stein of ESPN, Amar'e Stoudemire is good as gone. The power forward will be released if not traded at the deadline and a number of teams remain very interested in his services. The Dallas Mavericks, Los Angeles Clippers and Houston Rockets all have big man injuries and will target Stoudemire is he is made available on the open market. That would likely end trade talk for Andrea Bargnani simply because the team needs some kind of depth going forward.
The other focus will be on Jose Calderon and Pablo Prigioni. The rise of Langston Galloway has afforded the Knicks some flexibility, but with Anthony out the chances Calderon stays put are high. Trades have been hard to come by for the veteran as a few teams like Prigioni instead. New York will need some playmakers on the roster if their leading scorer is on the bench for the rest of the season.
