Will Carmelo Leave the Knicks? Where to Next?

The NBA Playoffs are underway and look as though they may live up to the hype, not missing one single exciting beat along the way. The playoffs are however missing their *usual* representative from New York. With both the Brooklyn Nets and the New York Knickerbockers enduring down years, which has come to be something of the norm for these franchises. “Big time” hoops are done in the Big Apple until next season. There is a saving grace for the Brooklyn Nets, however — at least this year, they are not the team with the most dysfunction heading into next year’s preparation.

At the end of every season, some sooner than others, teams have exit meetings and press conferences to tie a bow around the season and provide a bit of insight on where the team is headed. Phil Jackson of the New York Knicks had his turn the other day, and said a mouthful. He said a ton of intuitive things, but his main point was that Carmelo Anthony would probably not be a Knick next year. Outside of the pandora box full of questions Phil Jackson’s presser may have inspired, the main point is, “Where will Carmelo land?”

This is a question in which the answer has many parts, but the first thing that must be addressed is Melo’s no trade clause. Since he will waive it after being crucified by Phil, the primary hurdle for the Knicks will be moving him to a destination of his choosing. There are reports that he wants to join a team who will help build his brand.

The next factor in this equation is fit and culture. Carmelo Anthony is at a point in his career where you know exactly what his skillset, strengths, and weaknesses are. Although they won’t change, effort is something that is innate, does not need to be learned, and can always be manipulated based on motivation. This is all critical because Melo must go to a place that knows how to utilize his skills and also has enough “backbone” as a team/franchise to put Melo in his place when he needs to be. This has been an underlying story to the clashes Melo has had between his organizations — the lack of discipline or authority to put him in check.

As the market and fit are the essential aspects, it is important to evaluate one more aspect before teams make Melo an offer: his salary. The remainder of his contract is two years, $25.5 million AAV, which few teams can afford. This is a large price tag for an aging, scoring superstar who can be more than defensively limited at times. However there are teams who can afford Melo, and it would be in their best interest to take him.

The obvious major markets in sports are New York, Los Angeles, Dallas, and maybe even Philly. There is one team in particular that meets the two aspects mentioned above: Miami.

Miami offers not only the glitz and glamour of any major city, but it also affords the opportunity for one to continue obligations that can only happen in certain markets, as it is an entertainment hub city. Not only would Anthony still be afforded anything he could find in any other city or market, but it would also allow him to maintain and elevate his brand.

The Heat are known for their culture building reputation, something that can greatly benefit Melo. Hassan Whiteside and James Johnson were both known as rowdy players before joining the Miami organization. With the different culture headed by the underrated Erik Spoelstra, both players have produced career years. This isn’t to say that Carmelo will turn into Kawhi Leonard, but it does say that the Heat will pull out whatever defensive potential Carmelo has left and work with it.

On the other side of the ball, Anthony’s work speaks for itself. The Miami Heat caught a bad break this year, although it could have been avoided by avoiding a putrid 11–30 start. The loss of Dion Waiters down the stretch did not help either. At full strength and with the right supporting cast, Melo is a mad bull with the ball who couldn’t be diverted from the rim even if Phil Jackson dressed as a matador. In case you hadn’t figured it out yet, culture and fit shouldn’t be an issue.

The last part gets a bit sticky, but can be accomplished through some creative problem solving and manipulation. This part covers the financial aspect. I won’t even pretend to go into detail on how the Heat would go about making this thing come together. However, it would probably revolve around some of the cheap wing options and free cap space that the Heat have available. If it means anything, they DID form the Big 3 several years ago, who all made hefty salaries while fielding decent teams around them. This shows that they can at least get creative. They should go ahead and do just that once Melo is officially put on the market. This is because the Miami Heat are a scrappy young bunch who are one or perhaps two pieces away from being a contender. And a free, motivated, and happy Carmelo Anthony could go a long way towards helping that cause.