Carmelo Anthony will not discuss long-term plans

By Dave Holcomb

The last few weeks have been relatively quiet for the NBA, so naturally ESPN and other sources have started rumors regarding free agency for the summer of 2014. Many of those rumors are off the wall suggesting LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony are LA bound to play with Kobe Bryant in one of his last seasons.

Despite the seemingly absurd rumors, Knicks’ Anthony is not denying them.

Anthony is expected to opt out of his contract next summer, and he has denied talking about it.

New York signed Andrea Bargnani and Metta World Peace this offseason and retained the services of J.R. Smith. When asked about whether this season will determine whether he stays in New York long-term, Anthony answered according to NBC Sports:

“I can’t do that. It’s too tough right now.”

It’s not like he said he wouldn’t be back, so Knicks fans shouldn’t worry too much. But why does it sound like he’s hiding something?

Couldn’t he say some cliché public relations statement like: “I like playing in New York. I love the Garden, and I want to bring a championship to this city.” That would at least put Knicks fans’ minds at ease for the time being.

It just sounds too similar, and maybe be even worse than what LeBron James was saying before he left Cleveland. At least he said he would do everything he could to win Cleveland a championship.

Despite that making James a liar, it still seems better than claiming not to know.

What I do know is, the free agency frenzy that “the big three era” in Boston created, is the best and worst thing that has happened to the NBA this century.

It makes casual NBA fans interested in following where All-Star, future Hall-of-Fame players want to go and whom they want to play with to chase a title. But it also creates this over dramatic summer, and significantly decreases player loyalties to cities and franchises, even King James and the Miami Heat.