Knicks star Carmelo Anthony will reportedly miss the remainder of the season, as the team plans to announce his shutdown later today. Melo, who put off the inevitable in order to play in front of his home fans at the All-Star Game, will have knee surgery in the near future. Anthony will finish his campaign with averages of 24 points, 7 rebounds, 3 assists, and a steal on 44% shooting in 36 minutes of play. The 42 games missed will be a career-high for Melo.
The Knicks and Amar’e Stoudemire have reached a buyout agreement on the remainder of the forward’s 5-Year, $100 Million contract, which makes “STAT” a free agent effective immediately.
Stoudemire signed with the Knicks in the summer of 2010, and got off to an MVP-caliber start in his tenure with the team. But injuries took their toll on Amar’e, and before long, the contract had become an albatross. STAT’s deal was set to expire after this season; this move helps the Knicks save a bit of cash and gives Stoudemire the chance to join a contender.
UPDATE: Stoudemire has committed to join the Mavericks if he clears waivers, which is certain to happen due to his massive salary.
On Tuesday morning, I got a chance to interview Metta World Peace over the phone. Metta, an NBA All-Star, Champion, and Defensive Player of the Year, had some great (and funny!) things to say. We talked about Pandas, name changes, Melo, the Knicks, teeth, China, shoes, Kobe, acting, wrestling bears, and more! Sit back, go ahead and give it a read, and enjoy!
This isn’t your everyday flopping…
This is ADVANCED flopping
Carlos Boozer is known for screaming “And-1” nearly every time he takes a shot.
Melo was having none of it
Melo didn’t want Boozer spoiling New York’s 10th win of the season
The Knicks have sent SF Cleanthony Early to the D-League, according to reports. The move does not open up a roster spot for the Knicks, but should be in Early’s best interest, as the rookie will now get to play major minutes for the Westchester Knicks instead of riding the bench on the Manhattan club. It’s not uncommon for teams to send players back and forth to and from the D-League, so Cleanthony could be in Westchester when the D-League team has a game, and then join the pro team for their games. Early has gotten off to a frustrating start after missing much of the early (ha!) part of the season with a knee injury, but was widely regarded as a steal in the draft, and the potential is still there. The Knicks have made use of their D-League team in the past, letting Jeremy Tyler, Langston Galloway, and—most notably— Jeremy Lin get practice down there. Cleanthony and Thanasis Antetokounmpo, the two players New York drafted last summer, will try to join them on the list of NBA talent to pass through the Knicks’ minor league system.
Check out an interview we did with Cle before the season, here.
New York Knicks Memes 