NBA Trade Rumors: Carmelo Anthony Is Still Bent On Leaving New York? Knicks Should Make Tough Decision On Their Superstar

The Knicks have improved in the New Year, but that did not stop the NBA Trade Rumors regarding Carmelo Anthony.  A five-year contract that is 30 million dollars higher than any other offer is not as enticing when you consider five years of losing.

The list of great players who have never won a ring includes Charles Barkley, Karl Malone and John Stockton. Steve Nash, sadly, is on his way. Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce did everything to narrowly avoid being in there. In short, no one wants to be there. Not with the internet making every fan aware of it. Not when the every announcer mentions it and legacy is more important than money. Superstars will get their money, but only champions get a ring. Charles Barkley will tell you, long after you've spent the extra millions, they will still call you a star with a tarnished legacy, an asterisk or a question mark.

Carmelo Anthony's decision at the end of this season will decide whether he joins that list or not. He will turn 30 before the season ends. In today's faster game, that age marks the crossroads. He will be the main man of his team if he decides to stay. But Melo must remember that every team has a top scorer, not every stadium has a banner. Madison Square Garden has one, but will the Knicks of the next five years add to it?

That's something on Carmelo's mind. Talking to Ian Begley of ESPN NY:

"Anything else is irrelevant to me when it comes to basketball. Championship is the only thing that's on my mind, is the only thing I want to accomplish, I want to achieve, and I'm going to do what I got to do to get that."

What should the Knicks do, if they are of sound, non-delusional ownership? From Dan Feldman of the PistonPowered blog(via ESPN): "The tea leaves increasingly say Melo will leave as a free agent this summer. What's the upside of keeping him these next few months? The No. 8 seed? That's not even guaranteed. Get some draft picks and give yourself a chance to rebuild once these bad contracts begin to expire in two years."

Will the New York Knicks take the advice? We will find out after February 20, the trade deadline!