The new regime within the New York Knicks organization is ready to move on with the new era even if it means they are doing so with Carmelo Anthony.
Newly minted Knicks team president Steve Mills said Monday that the team has been talking to other teams about a trade and will continue looking for a deal that works for the organization and for Anthony.
But Mills stopped short of completely ruling out a scenario that saw Anthony remain with the Knicks moving forward.
“But we also feel that Carmelo could easily be a part of our team next year, and we have to understand how we’re going to play and what the expectations of how we’re going to play, and we’re going to move forward,” Mills said (h/t NBA.com).
“So maybe with Carmelo or maybe without Carmelo.”
Mills was promoted to president and the Knicks hired Scott Perry as their new general manager in the wake of Phil Jackson’s dismissal.
Anthony has a no trade clause in his deal but has made it clear he would be willing to waive it in order to land in Houston or Cleveland although the Rockets are the most likely destination.
“From our vantage point, we made a decision as we were getting closer to hiring Scott that I felt it was important for us to slow down, regroup as it related to the trade scenarios of Carmelo,” Mills said.
Perry is known for his work in front offices around the NBA including Sacramento, Orlando, Seattle and in Detroit where he saw his most success.
Perry was with the Pistons during their run of six straight trips to the Eastern Conference finals and an NBA championship.
“In terms of Detroit, people talk about culture all the time, about winning cultures,” Perry said.
“I think the biggest thing I learned there, you can have a lot of signs and printouts that have a lot of fancy statements, but at the end of the day you’ve got to live culture every day.”
While there was some miscommunication during Jackson’s tenure between the front office and coaching staff, Perry stated that it would not be the case under his watch.
“I see myself as a bridge builder, not a bridge destroyer, so I’m looking forward to the opportunity,” he said.