Carmelo Anthony Leaving New York For Fear Of Being Knicks’ Scapegoat; ‘Melo’ Exploring Other Big Market Options?

The Carmelo Anthony experience may end in a New York minute. The standings are just the tip of the iceberg. Big Apple sportswriters have read the writing on the wall.

The New York City Sports scene is one of the busiest in all of America. After the Nets crossed the river, they now have eight pro teams (two each from NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL). The fan base is probably the most critical in the league, and the fact that the only rivalry between their two basketball teams is whether who is screwed worse has the Big Apple faithful fuming.

Carmelo Anthony is the biggest star, and the face of New York Basketball. This is a role that he aspired for, forcing a trade from the Denver Nuggets. Now the Nuggets have a better record with a core built from the Carmelo trade. They have a much lower payroll and they also own the Knicks draft pick in 2014. With every Knicks loss, the rumble in Mile High City gets louder.

Carmelo sat out their Christmas game due to an ankle injury and perhaps soiled pride. In that game, former Knick Stephon Marbury watched, and Melo saw firsthand his fate in a sinking ship. From the NY Post, quoting a source close to Anthony:  "He saw Marbury get heckled by some fans on Christmas. He doesn't want to be the next Marbury. He's very sensitive."

Stephon Marbury was a native of New York who was heralded as their homegrown star, just like Melo of Syracuse fame. He wore his welcome in Madison Square Garden and was evicted from the league, all the way to China.

The Knicks, without draft picks and salary cap flexibility will not be a different team next year, except they would be a year older. And for Carmelo Anthony, another year removed from winning a title.

The NY Daily News reporter Frank Isola talked to a former teammate of Carmelo, who requested anonymity. The former teammate gives an ominous warning: Melo is leaving New York. He opines: "I think he's leaving. I've played with Melo for a long time and he knows he can't win here. At this stage, all he wants to do is win. That's why he'll leave."

Melo is a year older than Lebron James, his high school rival. Both of them made pivotal decisions in their careers in the name of winning. Since then, their career paths have been polar opposites.

Carmelo Anthony can choose to be a free agent at the end of the season. "Free" is the operative word. Being an endorser, he needs to stay in a big market but being a laughingstock may be too high a price for him to pay. In 2014, he has more options than any other year, as big market teams will have cap flexibility. The LA Lakers and the Chicago Bulls (if they make cap clearing moves) can sign Melo as a free agent, and they have (injured but recovering) MVPs to pair with him. They also have good shots at lottery picks for the 2014 NBA Draft.

The sad fact for Knicks fans is that Melo bails. The Nuggets team Melo bailed on to get to the Knicks had a better record and had George Karl as a coach. What reason does Anthony have to stay in New York?