Carmelo Anthony is still a Knick, and Kristaps Porzingis wants it to stay that way.
“Obviously, I wouldn’t want to lose him,” Porzingis said, via the New York Post. “He is who he is on our team, he’s very special, and we need him to do big things in the future, especially for me. … I love playing alongside him, so that would obviously not be something that I want.”
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Anthony’s name was reportedly tossed around in trade conversations before last week’s deadline, and he came out this week saying he’s frustrated with the lack of success in New York. Put all those factors together and it seems as if there’s a possibility the nine-time All-Star plays elsewhere next season.
Anthony, 31, gladly accepted a mentor role with Porzingis, 20, and has helped the 7-3 Latvian to a nice rookie season (14.1 points, 7.4 rebounds per game). And despite the team’s recent struggles (losing 13 of its last 15 games), Porzingis said the team, including Anthony, is “just staying together, staying strong, working hard.”
“Obviously, deep inside, you’re frustrated, but [Anthony’s] not showing that so I think he’s been a great leader,” Porzingis said. “He’s very professional. He knows what he’s doing. Obviously, we all know he’s frustrated, and we’re frustrated, but he’s not showing it.”
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The Knicks’ recent skid has them sitting at 24-35 and 6 1/2 games out of the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference. If they don’t catch fire in the stretch run, it will be the third straight year the team misses the postseason.