Shoud Carmelo Anthony request a trade from the Knicks?

New York Knicks forward Carmelo Anthony may be better off waiving his no-trade clause and explore being a trade option.

When Carmelo Anthony signed a five-year, $124 million deal with the New York Knicks two and a half years ago, the reactions we’re mixed. While many praised Anthony for his loyalty toward the Knicks, there were some who believed he was chasing dollar signs.

Since that contract was presented to Anthony, the Knicks have missed the past two postseasons. The additions of Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah were intended to bolster the roster to compete for a title. Instead, the Knicks have floundered of late, losing nine of their past 11 games. Currently, the Knicks are 18-22 and two games back from the eight seed in the Eastern Conference.

Anthony has been frustrated with the circumstances the Knicks have placed themselves in for some time. He has had to deal with coaching and personnel changes, which happens when you’re the franchise cornerstone. But this past Monday night, the Knicks lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in a fashion that reportedly angered Anthony, according to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News:

What perhaps made the last miserable week even more dumbfounding was the absence of point guard Derrick Rose. Rose didn’t alert the team of a family situation and didn’t show up for a game against the New Orleans Pelicans. Rose is seeking a max contract this summer, but perhaps hurt his chances with his behavior.

After the Sixers game, Anthony stated how the loss was unacceptable for the team. Losing to a lowly NBA team can be a hard pill to swallow. But even though Anthony is maybe disillusioned with the Knicks, he hasn’t thought about the idea of a trade.

But with all the issues that are plaguing the Knicks, could it be time for Anthony to move on from the Knicks? Anthony, although turning 33 in July, has shown he has plenty in the tank. He’s averaging 22.1 points per game and could be a final piece for a NBA title contender. Anthony refusing to be traded could be seen as Melo accepting the bed he made.

However, with the Knicks under so much distress, it wouldn’t hurt Anthony to explore the idea. He desires an NBA title and that’s well known, but New York may not be the place to win it.