Sources: Phil Jackson asks Carmelo Anthony if he wants to stay with Knicks
New York Knicks president Phil Jackson met with Carmelo Anthony on Tuesday and asked the embattled star if he wants to remain with the team, multiple sources told ESPN's Ramona Shelburne.
The meeting took place two days after the publication of a critical column by Charley Rosen, a longtime confidant of Jackson who wrote that Anthony "has outlived his usefulness of the Knicks."
Anthony has publicly stated that he has not considered waiving his no-trade clause and said Monday that he has proven his loyalty to the Knicks.
Anthony has appeared annoyed when addressing the situation with the media in recent days, specifically
when asked about the insinuation from Jackson's confidant that he was no longer valuable to the team.
"If that's the case, if that's where it's coming from, that side, I guess it's a conversation we should have,'' Anthony said Sunday. "If they feel my time in New York is over, I guess that's a conversation we should have."
Neither Jackson nor general manager Steve Mills addressed the situation with Anthony on Monday, the star forward said after the Knicks' 108-107 loss to the Atlanta Hawks.
Anthony added that he didn't feel it was necessary to have a conversation with management about the topic.
"My clarity is playing ball right now and getting some wins. If they want to come talk to me, I'm around them guys every day," he said. "I don't want this to be kind of going back and forth between me and the front office, management, because it's really nothing.
"I responded to an article that I read. That was that. There's nothing between myself and management at this point."
The Knicks (18-24) are in a free fall on the court, having lost 11 of their past 13 games.