New York Knicks NBA Trade Rumors: Carmelo Anthony Confident, Stoudemire Trade to 76ers Imminent
Carmelo may not be entirely confident with the thought that Knicks will win the trophy this season, but the playoffs are totally of another issue.
"Yeah, I think so for sure. Absolutely," Carmelo asserted his belief that his team will be back in the playoffs after stumbling to a ninth-place finish in the Eastern Conference last season.
"I can't wait to get started. No goals. Not setting any goals, but I just can't wait to get it back on," the slimmed-down Anthony further told The New York Post on Monday. "I really didn't do nothing special [about my figure], just working hard. That's it."
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Under the new management of Phil Jackson, the team president and Derek Fisher, as head coach, the Knicks will don a new roster for the 2014-2015 season with latest additions like Jose Calderon, Samuel Dalembert, and Shane Larkin from a trade with Dallas.
The 30-year-old power forward re-signed with the New York Knicks over the summer, closing a five-year contract deal for $124 million.
Meanwhile, a deal between the Knicks and Philadelphia 76ers involving Amar'e Stoudemire is reported to come in completion before the February trade deadline.
"What's far more likely is that the long rumored Amar'e Stoudemire to Philadelphia deal gets done at the deadline," a report by Basketball Insider's Steve Kyler said.
"The Sixers take on Stoudemire's $23 million salary cap number, which pushes them away over the minimum. They would only owe him roughly 30 percent of his remaining contract, so they'd end up paying him $7 million in cash and likely extract a draft pick or a rookie scale player for their troubles," Kyler added.
As speculated, the trade could bring more salary cap space for the New York Knicks, which would in turn give them freedom to do other possible sign-ins and trades.
It was already purported that Coach Jackson is eyeing for Boston Celtics star Rajon Rondo and Memphis Grizzlies center Marc Gasol.
